The Anchoring Ban

[syndicate559]

Someone - maybe it was SeeMore's president? - suggested implementing the new rule effective for people with a birthdate after such and such date. Personally, I think this is a brilliant idea. I love my belly putter. I think anchoring does help the player and does detract from a pure golf stroke. But I also know first hand there is still a unique / different skill set involved and agree with the sentiment that it is unfair to take it away from those who have been using them for so long. This proposal is the best way to achieve a fair balance. I would love it if the governing bodies realized that and adopted the rule (not holding my breath).

I agree, unfortunately mistakes of the past doesn't really help anyone's case at this point. And as you've said, they're more concerned about the future because of the supposed current uptake of anchoring strokes. We're too far along for some form of the rule to not pass.

I believe the rule will pass but with a few concessions. Anchoring will become one of those medical exemption rules where people would be allowed to continue using it if they have some kind of diagnosed medical issue (similar to say being able to use those extra padded Bionic gloves if you have arthritis). This should satisfy a lot of the champions tour guys and guys like Tim Clark, who's impassioned plea tugged on a lot of heartstrings. They'll probably also give a few extra years of allowance for guys not eligible under medical exemption to keep using it and switch.

I'd be OK with either or a combination of these ideas. If a guy has a medical issue, let him use it. If he's well-established on Tour and has been putting this way for years, let him use it. What I really hope we don't see is 60 or 70% of the field anchoring in the next decade or two. It's a complicated issue and any attempt at a solution is likely going to be even more complicated.

 

[Scrap Iron]

Whether it's legal or should be banned is for somebody of a much higher authority than me to figure out, but one thing I do know, is before he went to the broomstick, Adam Scott was falling down the world rankings pretty quickly...at one point he was ranked #3 in the world before his putter started acting up.

In 2010 before the switch to the long putter he was 136th in putting average on the PGA Tour, 174th in putts per round, and 284th in total putting. He missed four cuts and finished 50th or worse two other times in 20 starts.

in 2013 he is currently ranked 55th in putting average, 32nd in putts per round and 103rd in total putting....pretty significant improvements.

I don't think there is much doubt that the switch to the broomstick has had a lot to do with making him relevant again.

If I'm not mistaken Phil was 87 in strokes gained putting with the long putter and that he has a short putter he is 48. Things like this make me question the advantage argument.

 

[blugold]

Whether it's legal or should be banned is for somebody of a much higher authority than me to figure out, but one thing I do know, is before he went to the broomstick, Adam Scott was falling down the world rankings pretty quickly...at one point he was ranked #3 in the world before his putter started acting up.

In 2010 before the switch to the long putter he was 136th in putting average on the PGA Tour, 174th in putts per round, and 284th in total putting. He missed four cuts and finished 50th or worse two other times in 20 starts.

in 2013 he is currently ranked 55th in putting average, 32nd in putts per round and 103rd in total putting....pretty significant improvements.

I don't think there is much doubt that the switch to the broomstick has had a lot to do with making him relevant again.

Without a doubt it has helped Adam Scott. What would happen if you put a long putter in Luke Donald's hands? Would he get better? The same argument can be made for any example where a player said, "I put this {piece of equipment} in the bag and now I am playing better."

 

[TripleBogieTim]

If I'm not mistaken Phil was 87 in strokes gained putting with the long putter and that he has a short putter he is 48. Things like this make me question the advantage argument.

Nobody said it works for everybody...but for some people it's a real advantage.

 

[TripleBogieTim]

Without a doubt it has helped Adam Scott. What would happen if you put a long putter in Luke Donald's hands? Would he get better? The same argument can be made for any example where a player said, "I put this {piece of equipment} in the bag and now I am playing better."

I agree buddy...like I said, I am not argueing for or against...but there is no doubt it has brought Adam Scott back to the forefront and without it he probably wouldn't have even been in the Masters...much less winning it.

 

[blugold]

I agree buddy...like I said, I am not argueing for or against...but there is no doubt it has brought Adam Scott back to the forefront and without it he probably wouldn't have even been in the Masters...much less winning it.

100% agree.

 

[Scrap Iron]

Nobody said it works for everybody...but for some people it's a real advantage.

So I guess for some it's a real disadvantage.

 

[nicedivot]

Without a doubt it has helped Adam Scott. What would happen if you put a long putter in Luke Donald's hands? Would he get better? The same argument can be made for any example where a player said, "I put this {piece of equipment} in the bag and now I am playing better."

Yup.. I agree as I have said

It is another matter if one can put that advantages to his/her benefit.

and I also agree with below

So I guess for some it's a real disadvantage.

 

[bobver]

The thought that I'm having difficulty with is....how can a ban be established after the anchoring has been in place for so many years.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

The USGA and the R&A are not going to do what is best for the masses. They are going to do what they think is right because of the professional tours, which is to ban em. They could care less about serving the millions and millions of amateur players, they are more worried about how this putting style appears on TV.

 

[TripleBogieTim]

So I guess for some it's a real disadvantage.

And it's really tough to use Phil as an example because his expirement with the long putter lasted only a few weeks.

 

[blugold]

And it's really tough to use Phil as an example because his expirement with the long putter lasted only a few weeks.

What about Bill Haas?

 

[IceyShanks]

Whether it's legal or should be banned is for somebody of a much higher authority than me to figure out, but one thing I do know, is before he went to the broomstick, Adam Scott was falling down the world rankings pretty quickly...at one point he was ranked #3 in the world before his putter started acting up.

In 2010 before the switch to the long putter he was 136th in putting average on the PGA Tour, 174th in putts per round, and 284th in total putting. He missed four cuts and finished 50th or worse two other times in 20 starts.

in 2013 he is currently ranked 55th in putting average, 32nd in putts per round and 103rd in total putting....pretty significant improvements.

I don't think there is much doubt that the switch to the broomstick has had a lot to do with making him relevant again.

How dare you bring statistics in here!!! JK, very interesting to look at the numbers.

 

[Fourputt]

Anchoring makes the game more fun and easier for some golfers. Amateurs need all the help we can get. The fact that there is no statistical evidence showing an advantage for users cannot be ignored.

The reasoning that people are only learning that stroke is a silly reason for me.

If we didn't need it for 400 years, why do we need it now?

 

[JB]

If we didn't need it for 400 years, why do we need it now?

To be fair the same could be said for cavity backs, graphite shafts, metal woods, 460cc drivers, golf carts, hybrids, oversized grips and more.

 

[Golf Ghost]

To be fair the same could be said for cavity backs, graphite shafts, metal woods, 460cc drivers, golf carts, hybrids, oversized grips and more.

Was just going to post this. Should all still be using wooden shafts.

 

[TRyan]

If we didn't need it for 400 years, why do we need it now?

And we could all use golf balls with feathers in them..

 

[blugold]

If we didn't need it for 400 years, why do we need it now?

Haven't done what for 400 years? Anchor? There's a lot of stuff we haven't done in 400 years. Namely, use tees, cavity irons, hybrids, graphite shafts, and taperless putter grips. Should we get rid if those to?

 

[blugold]

To be fair the same could be said for cavity backs, graphite shafts, metal woods, 460cc drivers, golf carts, hybrids, oversized grips and more.

JB beat me to it.

That's what I get for feeding a baby and posting with one hand.

 

[Fourputt]

As usual, when I go against the company line, all the sheep jump in my case. See ya.

 

[JB]

What company line? You made a comment that made no sense to me so I responded, one could say the same thing. Each time someone agrees with a differing point, some sheep comment comes out.

Enough already. I will never understand any of this, but as grownups we expect more than talking down to people and name calling.

 

[Jersey Nate]

As usual, when I go against the company line, all the sheep jump in my case. See ya.

This is a friendly debate, I see no reason to post something like this.

 

[blugold]

As usual, when I go against the company line, all the sheep jump in my case. See ya.

With all due respect, you said something really silly. That's not "the company line's" fault. That's on you.

 

[Golf Ghost]

As usual, when I go against the company line, all the sheep jump in my case. See ya.

What??

Edit: Never mind, I think I get what he means by that now. In all fairness, I would have posted what I did rather it was JB or someone making their first post. It was a statement that was weak in the argument.

 

[HjHay22]

Maybe I just don't see the argument for the anchor. To me it seems very simple: you anchor the putter to your body, clearly eliminating one of the greatest variables in the golf swing from the putting stroke by creating the base in the body, holding the line of putt. Just seems too much like a crutch. I don't care about amateurs but pros should not be able to use such a crutch,it completely eliminates one of the hardest parts of putting.

Additionally, I don't think the "oh the powers that be haven't banned it in umpteen years so why now" is a valid argument either. See below:

"What is clear, however, is that anchoring a golf club against the body during a stroke constitutes a fundamentally different type of golf swing, and that gives the USGA and the R&A a defensible place to draw the line. Golf's regulators have banned nontraditional methods of striking the ball before. Pushing, scraping and spooning the ball were disallowed in 1883. Using a putter like a pool cue was banned in 1895. Croquet-style putting, in which a player straddles the line of a putt, was nixed in 1968, much to Sam Snead's dismay." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324469304578143572437931556.html

All manners of hitting the ball were probably used at one point til it was phased out. Now is the time for anchoring for pros at the very least. (Unless you have a physical disability-not anxiety.)