Broom-handles and bellies, where do you stand?

An interesting article by Iain Carter on the BBC website here does quite well at explaining what is fairly large argument in the golf world.

The main questions being, I guess:

• Is resting (or anchoring) the putter against your belly, chest or forearm an advantage?
• Is it a golf "swing" if one end or part of the club is anchored?

Adam Scott is the only person that comes to mind in terms of the broom handle putter. Belly putters are a bit more popular; Els, Mickelson, Keegan Bradley etc using them.

I know this topic sounds as interesting as watching paint dry but I was interested if anyone had any views on this.

I'm of the opinion that if one of the ends (or part) of the club is anchored surely it is not a "swing".

 

It didn't work either for Adam Scott. My view is the club should not be allowed to be anchored So I totally agree with you Jeff

 

Ive read the same thing Jeff but what still amazes me is that the R&A have left this 'club' to be used when they have a ruling that means it is illegal...!!! As you rightly point out it should not be 'anchored' to any part of the body, so why have they left these longer putters go on for so long now. It seems to me that the players that use them have all, at some point, struggled with the normal putter for a while, tried the longer one and found it to 'cure' their problems.

If the R&A have some balls about them, and thats questionable, then they will say its outlawed at the end of this month, thats it. But the fact that they can only change the rules every 4 years means that the belly putters will be around for at least another two years...


Just as a side quote. Ernie Els was asked at the beginning of the season when he changed to his belly putter and replied with this...

“I've not given up hope the belly-putter will be banned. The R and A and the USGA are looking at it right now.”

He also said...

“If they ban it, that's also fine with me," he said with a smile. "As long as it's legal, I'll keep cheating like the rest of them."

This coming from the newly crowned Open Champion... No further questions m'lord...!!!

 

It seems as though they are leaning towards banning them, though any changes won't come into effect until 2016, when the next review of the golf rules will take place. You'd think golf rules would be looked at a bit more often than every 4 years given the advancements in golf equipment.

 

The thing is Jeff that when they brought out the Square Headed driver the PGA banned it straight away, so they can do it if they want to...

I was talking with my mates about it this sunday and we all agreed that the belly putter must give an advantage and so they should ban them. But we tried to think who, or when they first came out. I said that Vijay Singh used one about 8 years ago, someone else said it was Sam Torrance roughly the same time. We couldn't think who was the first but we settled on these 2...

So they have got into the system of the pro's using them and now more and more of em are using them. So that brings into play all the makers of these putters and the fact that they will have to stop making them. If you remember back a few years ago and Tiger Woods changed his putter in one of the Opens, cant remember which one. And the following week they said that sales of that particular putter went through the roof in terms of global sales. That's the power of Tiger, but also the power of the Sponsor/manufacturer in getting the top players to use their equipment...

Lemmings following their stars and Money making equipment changes... Its what makes the sporting world go round...!!!!