For those using long and belly putters

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By Quintin H

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  • 16 Replies
  1. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    The crying began because you started beating people you previously could not beat. These people realize that you, with the proper equipment, are a better golfer than they are. If they can take away your ability to putt then they won't have to work to improve their own game.....much easier to bring you down than improve themselves.

    Since the only thing golf commentators could talk about week after week is the long and belly putters, the USGA felt they had to do something. And since TW has said he doesn't like them the proposed rule will become law.

    The proposed rule change is not based on stacks of data showing that our method is easier or in any way is advantageous, because they don't have data showing it is easier or gives an unfair advantage, most likely they have data showing that anchored putting is harder than the conventional method. So they based the proposed rule change simply on the fact that they don't like how it looks.

    Basically you have put in the effort to learn a more difficult method of putting and it works for you........why?

    Problems putting come down to your inability to control the putter head.

    Manufacturers accidentally found the cure, but they didn't know why. They had the idea of anchoring the putter, which required a longer shaft, WHICH REQUIRED A HEAVIER PUTTER HEAD.

    If you have problems controlling the head thru the stroke then a heavier head will help you have the control.

    Long putters, that thing is about 500g, cut down to 35in I found it is great on super fast greens, hard to hit the ball hard enough on slower greens. Lie angle is a little too much upright for me.

    Belly putters, you don't have to make any physical changes to the putter, just grip it as a conventional putter and go. You will have about 6in of shaft sticking out behind your hand, no big deal. This seems to be a better weight for me than the long putter cut down to 35in.

    With a little practice you will find the conventional stroke is much easier with the heavier putter head, and next season come out and put a whoopin on them cry babies and watch them go wee wee wee all the way home.

  2. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Sorry

    The proposed rule change is not based on stacks of data showing that our method is easier

    Should read

    The proposed rule change is not based on stacks of data showing that your method is easier

    your instead of our, I am not a long/belly putter user as a long or belly putter, I tried them can't use them.

  3. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    It should be like the wedge groves.  Let those who like it but don't compete use them until 2025.  Or even 2035.  It's not a big deal to keep letting current owners (outside of national USGA or PGA events) use them.  If 1000 people give up as rank amateurs because of frustration of 3-4 putting on greens, that is more than 1000 too many.  I'm no wiz, I might do better with a belly (or would I only be better learning how to use it??) and don't feel threatened by someone that does.

  4. Jim P

    Jim P

    i switched this year to a belly putter. Had some medical problems and this made it easier to play, less bending over. Didn't notice a significant difference in my scores. The USGA be damned, i'm going to continue to use it. Getting a bit long in the tooth to play in USGA qualifiers and don't much care about the local association events as well. I don't buy the explanation "It's defining the stroke" the stroke has been defined a few times before and the subject of anchoring was never an issue.

  5. Andy R

    Andy R
    Glenside, PA

    As long as you dont play tournament golf, you can do whatever you want.  But really, will banning anchored putters make the game any better?  If it does, we might as well ban the metal driver head, the multi layered ball, iron groves, golf spikes, rangefinders, maby even umbrellas, and towels, because they influence playing condition.  They are the same. Tees make it easier to drive and long puttersmake it easier to put.  I think the USGA and R&A are crazy to even think about making them illegal.  Football wouldn't be the same if they didn't if they didn't develope the modern helmat and golf wont be the same wiht out anchored putting.

  6. Titleist lover

    Titleist lover
    reseda, CA

    Some of you will never get it"YOU CAN NOT ANCHOR A CLUB TO YOUR BODY!" What does this have to do with a wedge or a driver? You can still use your long putter so your back won't hurt or whatever reason you may have.

  7. Tom W

    Tom W
    Nazareth, PA

    Spot on...the belly/long putters are not illegal, it's the act of anchoring them against the body.  Kuchar uses a belly putter but does not anchor it in his mid-scetion...technically his putting style is still conforming within the new rules.

  8. Andy R

    Andy R
    Glenside, PA

    The whole point of the new rule is to keep the game pure by keeping skill a requirement for putting.  It is the same as when the metal driver came out, people could hit the ball alot further than than the players. The USGA could have made them illegal.  They improve your chance of scoring better just the same as the act of anchoring a putter.While one is a club and one is "act" the idea is still the same.

  9. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I get it but am going to continue to anchor the club to my body for the next 3 years for sure. I putt way better with the club anchored than I did conventionally with the 35" putter. It has made my golf a lot more fun by making about 80 -90 % of 3 and 4 footers. If I miss now it's because I did not read the break right and not because I opened or closed my putter face.

  10. andy r

    andy r
    Cheshire, CT

    The USGA over reacted to a few guys winning majors using the longer putters, they have been a part of the game for more than 35 years and now all of a sudden they are illegal ? Not a tru stroke ? Please !!

    Guys like  have been using them for years.

    I dont use one but I would like to see the USGA produce some stats showing  they make it any easier to putt with.

    One thing that is not being talked about is the Champions tour, they might as well do away with that because it seems like 70-80 % of those guys use it.

  11. andy r

    andy r
    Cheshire, CT

    andy r said:

    The USGA over reacted to a few guys winning majors using the longer putters, they have been a part of the game for more than 35 years and now all of a sudden they are illegal ? Not a true stroke ? Please !!

    Guys  have been using them for years.

    I dont use one but I would like to see the USGA produce some stats showing  they make it any easier to putt with.

    One thing that is not being talked about is the Champions tour, they might as well do away with that because it seems like 70-80 % of those guys use it.

  12. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    Jim P said:

    i switched this year to a belly putter. Had some medical problems and this made it easier to play, less bending over. Didn't notice a significant difference in my scores. The USGA be damned, i'm going to continue to use it. Getting a bit long in the tooth to play in USGA qualifiers and don't much care about the local association events as well. I don't buy the explanation "It's defining the stroke" the stroke has been defined a few times before and the subject of anchoring was never an issue.

    jim, you can still use you "long putter", you just can't anchor it after 1/1/14.

  13. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    Why would a golfer anchor their putter? Answer: It makes putting easier for them. Hence, anchoring offers an advantage to those players and no statistics need to be generated, or applied. Not to mention, the anchored stroke removes the "free-wheeling" aspect of what looks like a golf swing. In closing, the USGA and R&A are justified in their ruling. For what it's worth, I have always been against the use of anchored putting methods.

  14. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    Fred C said:

    Why would a golfer anchor their putter? Answer: It makes putting easier for them. Hence, anchoring offers an advantage to those players and no statistics need to be generated, or applied. Not to mention, the anchored stroke removes the "free-wheeling" aspect of what looks like a golf swing. In closing, the USGA and R&A are justified in their ruling. For what it's worth, I have always been against the use of anchored putting methods.

    i'm with you fred.  if it didn't provide an advantage, why would anyone do it?

  15. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military

    Bobby Jones won his Grand Slam with a concave wedge.   The next year it was banned.  Sam Snead won the PGA with a croquet style of putting.  The following year it was also banned.    The anchoring decision is made.   If 2 greats like Jones and Snead adapted, so can the current Pros.

  16. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Thought I would revise this old topic. I have gone back to my 35 inch putter but replaced the grip with a Super Stroke. What the long putter taught me was to rock my shoulders when making the stroke. I now use that same technique with the short putter and am putting well. The long and the belly putter takes the hands out of the stroke and that is how you should putt with any length putter.
  17. Dan W

    Dan W

    Fred C said:

    Why would a golfer anchor their putter? Answer: It makes putting easier for them. Hence, anchoring offers an advantage to those players and no statistics need to be generated, or applied. Not to mention, the anchored stroke removes the "free-wheeling" aspect of what looks like a golf swing. In closing, the USGA and R&A are justified in their ruling. For what it's worth, I have always been against the use of anchored putting methods.

    Codswallop. If anchoring provided any real advantage, the top putters on the PGA tour would be the guys using the long/belly putters. None of the top putters on the tour use long/belly putters. The USGA and R&A are betraying the best interests of the game and the millions of casual golfers just to serve their own personal prejudices. Shame on them.

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