POLL - Anchoring putters to the body

[Lindsey Newman]

What is the opinion of our fellow forum members

For or against putters that are anchored to the players body?

I am against. Specifically the belly putter.

The Adam Scott thread inspired me to ask.

 

[Richie3Jack]

I am for them. Only because I don't think they make a lick of difference in performance and they can take some stress off the lower back. That being said...I cannot imagine me ever using one.




3JACK

 

[ZAP]

Not golf in my opinion. Of course only one person really cares what I think. And even that is debatable.

 

[earthshine2k]

Not a fan of the long putter. It's against the spirit of the rules of golf. I do believe they make a difference. And, I believe most top players don't use them because of the stigma attached to them; only bad putters need a long putter. It's funny how most 'bad' putters who've switched to a long putter have success with the long putter, if only for a brief time. I think it is a definite confidence boost. That said, I also thought Bernhard Langer's putting grip with the grip of the conventional putter held in place against his left forearm with the right hand should've been declared illegal, too.

 

[Plumloco99]

I am ok with the Long putter, against the belly putter

 

[magicmarker]

Not a fan of them at all. I need feedback to get a better feel, and I don't get enough information in return from these fixed putters. I also have a theory that a golf 'club' should only be held by the hand(s). If it works for someone else, I have no problem with it though. Good luck to them, I'd rather rock a little junior putter like Garrigus personally if I had to choose between the two.

Long Putters...NIMB

(not in my bag)

 

[mgranato]

Doesn't bother me either way. There's nothing in the record books that suggest it creates a fundamental advantage. If it did, stigma be damned, guys would flock to it. IMO, there are many critical factors in becoming a good putter before the putter is ever pulled back. The tool and method are just the easiest to see on TV.

 

[faux_maestro]

I don't think the "long" putter is much of an advantage though some have used it successfully. I think it's too long and heavy to really precise enough in the long run. I think the 'belly" putter IS a bit of a problem though. I can't use it worth a darn either but just look at how many young guys use it. That should tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

Doesn't bother me either way. There's nothing in the record books that suggest it creates a fundamental advantage. If it did, stigma be damned, guys would flock to it. IMO, there are many critical factors in becoming a good putter before the putter is ever pulled back. The tool and method are just the easiest to see on TV.

Richie and mgranato,


I don't believe it is a superior method, but I wonder if a guy with the shakes can at least, with an anchored putter, be at least average. In other words; a player has completely lost it to the point of yipped putts every time, he then goes to an anchored putter and becomes at least an average putter, would that not constitute an increase in performance.

I play with a guy who uses a belly putter and is an average to good putter and has become competitive again. Prior to using it, he could not make anything and frankly was not a threat in any serious situation.

 

[faux_maestro]

Richie and mgranato,


I don't believe it is a superior method, but I wonder if a guy with the shakes can at least, with an anchored putter, be at least average. In other words; a player has completely lost it to the point of yipped putts every time, he then goes to an anchored putter and becomes at least an average putter, would that not constitute an increase in performance.

I play with a guy who uses a belly putter and is an average to good putter and has become competitive again. Prior to using it, he could not make anything and frankly was not a threat in any serious situation.

True. 3jack made the point on that other thread that Adam Scott was around #170 in putts gained, now he is #134.

He's 170th in putts gained with the long putter. A few years ago he was 1st, with a normal putter.

He's hitting it MUCH better than he was before. Long putter be damned.

3jack

Putts gained for Adam Scott (2004-2010): #1, #102, #149, #74, #178, #180, #186.
This year he is 134 and trending upward. So yes "a few years ago" he WAS number one but there was a steady decline in that ranking. He may be hitting it better but his putts gained ranking is also up. Also, they showed the last putt he hit in his Texas Open victory last year......major yip. With the short putter. He sure isn't "yipping" now which is what he's looking for.

 

[Richie3Jack]

Richie and mgranato,


I don't believe it is a superior method, but I wonder if a guy with the shakes can at least, with an anchored putter, be at least average. In other words; a player has completely lost it to the point of yipped putts every time, he then goes to an anchored putter and becomes at least an average putter, would that not constitute an increase in performance.

I play with a guy who uses a belly putter and is an average to good putter and has become competitive again. Prior to using it, he could not make anything and frankly was not a threat in any serious situation.

I think it could be more of a placebo effect than anything.

If you aim it poorly, getting rid of the shakes wont' be much of an improvement. Same thing if your speed/touch sucks. Or if your green reading blows.

I just don't think...in the long run...you can do much about the placebo effect with golfers..

I see Fred Couples using a belly putter and still having 'jabby' strokes. So I think it's more of a mental thing than the way the putter is designed.





3JACK

 

[Richie3Jack]

My thing about Scott is that up until Thursday he was 170th in putts gained. Going from 186th to 170th on Tour...still sucks.

He got really hot this week, but 1 week of great putting doesn't mean he's going to continue to putt great, even at the PGA Championship.






3JACK

 

[faux_maestro]

My thing about Scott is that up until Thursday he was 170th in putts gained. Going from 186th to 170th on Tour...still sucks.

He got really hot this week, but 1 week of great putting doesn't mean he's going to continue to putt great, even at the PGA Championship.






3JACK

Well, he couldn't do any worse in my opinion so he needed to make a change. My thinking on the long putter is that it PROBABLY helps players "not completely suck" at putting but almost no one is "really good" with the long putter.

The point of my post was that while yes he was #1 at one time with the short putter, that was 2004. Steady decline in the stats with the short putter. The last putt he hit in his last American win (which was credited to his improved putting) was a complete yip left sideways off the face (missed it left). He needed to do SOMETHING to improve.

 

[otto6457]

I don't have a problem with either the long putter or the belly putter. I've tried all of them and it still comes down to speed and direction. The long and belly putters have their own problems so they aren't automatic.

But I will mention that if you go to a college tournament, mini-tour event or even a Nationwide event, there are a LOT more young players using them. Especially the belly putter. I can see how that if a kid started using a belly putter at an early age he could become a VERY good putter for a very long time. I feel like there is a mechanical advantage to the belly putter if you can overcome some of the other negatives.

 

[savydan]

As long as the ball is fairly struck with the face of the club, I don't care what body part the club is attached to.

 

[faux_maestro]

I don't have a problem with either the long putter or the belly putter. I've tried all of them and it still comes down to speed and direction. The long and belly putters have their own problems so they aren't automatic.

But I will mention that if you go to a college tournament, mini-tour event or even a Nationwide event, there are a LOT more young players using them. Especially the belly putter. I can see how that if a kid started using a belly putter at an early age he could become a VERY good putter for a very long time. I feel like there is a mechanical advantage to the belly putter if you can overcome some of the other negatives.

I noticed how many Nationwide pros using belly putters, quite a few. It's just like a few years ago more and more younger players started putting left hand low without having the yips either.

 

[adamscot89]

Cheating IMO

 

[faux_maestro]

Cheating IMO

I'm surprised you would say this Adam

 

[dbl]

Definition - Stroke: A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.


So if the top end of the club happened to be pinned in one place...say maybe like the top of a long putter the way Sam Torrance had it under his chin...could it be said that that part of the club did not make a forward motion as the definition requires for a stroke? If so then the putts when done that way should count as 0 strokes taken, or be banned.

 

[dschultz6072]

Personally I think if you can't make a back and forth motion using a regular handled putter, you ought to hang it up. But, it does help players with back pain and legitimate issues (Tim Clark). I guess I'm ambivalent to the whole issue, if only because I can putt the lights out using a regular old short Anser.