Why The Long Putter Is On The Upswing


A blog on the ongoing discussion about long putters and the PGA. The USGA and R&A have brought a proposal to ban the anchored long putter. The PGA Tour and PGA of America have responded with a letter against the proposed ban. This is my take on it all.

I don’t like the long putter. I think a golf club should be swung, not poked at the ball. And I believe that an anchored putting stroke runs counter to the spirit of golf, which is described in Rule 4-1a of the Rules of Golf as “playing at hazard or green.”

So I’m pretty much in favor of banning it, but I also think it’s important to consider whether there are good reasons why players would want to use a long putter, and whether it’s fair to eliminate this option for them when they’ve spent their whole lives practicing with such a stroke.

In principle, I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t simply rule out certain types of strokes without banning certain types of clubs outright. For example, we could say that your club must not touch your body at any time during your stroke (Rule 14-1b), or be gripped by two hands at the same time (14-1e

It is no surprise that long putters are on the rise. According to PGA Tour statistics, 26 players are using long or belly putters this season, up from 18 players in 2009 and seven in 2008. But critics say that the clubs give an unfair advantage over shorter putters by anchoring to the body, which helps steady a player’s stroke.

Last week, the PGA of America adopted a proposed USGA rule banning anchored strokes for all golfers that would go into effect in 2016. The move was more symbolic than anything else, as the USGA already says it will make a decision on the rules on its own.

The change does not have unanimous support among tour players; some say it is time for change, while others say that if even one player makes the cut with a long or belly putter at this week’s U.S. Open, that should be enough reason to keep them around.

Tour player Bo Van Pelt uses a belly putter and knows that he will have to make changes when the rule goes into effect in 2016. But he is not mad at the PGA of America for taking action now instead of waiting until the USGA made a decision.

“I’m not surprised,” Van Pelt said at Tuesday

Long putters are on the rise and there is more talk about them than ever. So is it hard to believe that their usage could be growing? The USGA, R&A and PGA Tour released a statement on Tuesday saying they will research the increasing use of long putters.

Responding to a recent survey, conducted by Golf Datatech, which indicated an increase in the use of long putters by PGA Tour players and an increase in the number of putts made from 10 feet and in by those same players (from 41% in 2008 to 46% in 2011), the governing bodies have created a working group to examine this trend over the next several months. I have said it before and I will say it again: It is really only a matter of time before long putters are officially banned on tour.

They are nothing but an unfair advantage. Long putters are supposedly used as a crutch when in reality they make putting easier. They allow players to anchor their club against their body rather than using their hands and arms to control their stroke. With a long putter, all you have to do is get your aim straight and let your body do the rest of the work. How can you possibly call that skill?

Players are using

Golf is a game of inches and the PGA Tour is always looking for an edge. With so much on the line, it is only natural that golfers will try anything to get better. The latest craze is the long putter which has been gaining in popularity and use over the last few years with some of the biggest names in golf using them and finding success.

The long putter was first seen in the mid 1980s with Bernhard Langer of Germany being one of the first to use one on a regular basis in tournament play. The theory behind using a longer putter is that it creates a better putting stroke because you can stand upright and swing the club with your shoulders instead of having to bend over and make a short stroke with your arms. By taking your arms out of the equation, it can help reduce wrist breakdowns and help create more consistency. It also provides great leverage by keeping your hands from getting too far away from your body which helps keep everything more stable during your putting stroke.

As we all know, golfers are creatures of habit who do not like change if they have already found success with something. The long putter did not become popular until last year when Ernie Els won two majors using one along with Keegan

The long putter is making a comeback in professional golf, but what exactly is the best way to use it? We’ll take a look at some pros and cons of this style of play and how it could impact your game.

The long putter, or belly putter, has been gaining popularity over the past few years. It first came into prominence in 2006 when Phil Mickelson used one to win his first Masters title. The USGA banned them in 2012 but then reversed its decision after an outcry from players who felt that the ban would unfairly affect their careers. The long putter is now legal for all amateur players as well as professionals (although there are some restrictions).

If you’re thinking about trying out this new style of play, here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros

1)You can stand up straight instead of bending over so much which will help with back pain.

2)It’s easier to maintain your balance while making strokes because you aren’t putting as much weight on one foot versus another (like when using a short stick). This means less strain on joints like knees and ankles too!

Cons

1)It’s harder to line up shots since there isn’t any “set up” time before taking

The long putter debate has been going on for a couple of years now and it’s not over yet. There is no doubt that the long putter has become more popular over the past few years and there are some great players using them. But does it really give them an advantage?

The main reason for using a long putter is to prevent yips. This condition affects many golfers who have played for many years and can make their putting very inconsistent. If you suffer from yips then the long putter is ideal as it is anchored against your chest or stomach so even if you twitch there is less chance of moving the club head.

There are some great putters in golf today who use the long putter such as [Bernhard Langer][1], [Adam Scott][2] and [Webb Simpson][3]. They all use it because they feel comfortable with it and feel they can make more putts with it than any other style of putter. And judging by their records over the past year or so, I think we have to agree that they are right to stick with their choice of equipment.

“There are no rules that say you have to use a short putter,” says PGA Tour pro Adam Scott. And he should know: Scott finished tied for second at the 2011 Players Championship using a belly putter. And he’s not the only pro switching to belly putters. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Golf Magazine found that one in four golfers now use a belly or long putter.

The belly putter has been around since the 1980s, but they’ve been enjoying renewed popularity on the professional circuit as of late. In fact, there are currently 19 Tour players who use a belly putter (there were just seven in 2010). Among them are Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Ernie Els, who won The Open Championship (formerly known as The British Open) this year using an Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth mallet model with a Super Stroke grip.

“I switched because I wanted to be better,” said Simpson, who is already ranked No. 3 in the world after winning two tournaments this year. “I wasn’t making any putts with my old method.”

Bradley also credits his success to his belly putter. “It’s more about confidence than anything else,” he says of his


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