First, let's be clear about something. Anchoring, by definition, is not a swing. So in my humble opinion, why has it taken so long for golf's ruling bodies to allow it? I believe it was something that made the game more enjoyable for so many amateurs, hadn't seen a ton of success at the professional level, so why bother banning it? Something is wrong with that mentality. It's like allowing theft to occur because it didn't really matter that much to anyone. The principle of anchoring should have been reason enough to ban it from the beginning.
Tiger Woods is someone who has said it best with regard to anchoring a putter. "I've never been a fan. (Putting) is the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion. I believe that’s how it should be played. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to that." Who couldn't agree with that? That is golf at it's core. Grab a club, put it in your hands, and make a swing.
Anchoring has been getting much more attention from the governing bodies ever since recent major winners have been anchoring. Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els have captured 3 of the last 5 major championships with putters stuck in the stomachs. And what is really scary is the potential for junior golfers to grow up using belly putters without even trying traditional putting. If it takes the hands out of the stroke, and allows one to putt with less nerves, why wouldn't one use it?
Tiger Woods is someone who has said it best with regard to anchoring a putter. "I've never been a fan. (Putting) is the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion. I believe that’s how it should be played. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to that." Who couldn't agree with that? That is golf at it's core. Grab a club, put it in your hands, and make a swing.
Anchoring has been getting much more attention from the governing bodies ever since recent major winners have been anchoring. Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els have captured 3 of the last 5 major championships with putters stuck in the stomachs. And what is really scary is the potential for junior golfers to grow up using belly putters without even trying traditional putting. If it takes the hands out of the stroke, and allows one to putt with less nerves, why wouldn't one use it?
Even Ernie Els, who won the 2012 Open with a belly putter, believes it should be banned. Ernie has been quoted many times as saying, “as long as it’s legal, I’ll keep cheating like the rest of them,” And how can you argue with that? If the rules of golf allow it, why wouldn't someone who plays the game for a living maximize every rule to his or her advantage?
One point that needs to be made is that if the belly is banned, lifelong anchorers such as Webb Simpson, Carl Petterson, and Tim Clark will have to learn a new style of putting. This is likely why the ruling has taken so long to happen. Webb Simpson has been quoted as saying that big head drivers and the golf ball have had a bigger effect on the game than long putters. That is probably true. However, those two elements don't have to do with anchoring. This is the main point here. You still have to control your nerves, and make a swing. Brandt Snedeker, arguably the finest putter on the PGA Tour, if not all of golf, believes that anchoring takes any nerves out of putting. “I feel like when you’re under pressure and under stress on the 72nd hole and you gotta make a five‑footer, I want to know how your hands feel...I don’t want that putter stuck against your body. It obviously takes nerves out of it. Otherwise, guys wouldn’t be doing it."
One point that needs to be made is that if the belly is banned, lifelong anchorers such as Webb Simpson, Carl Petterson, and Tim Clark will have to learn a new style of putting. This is likely why the ruling has taken so long to happen. Webb Simpson has been quoted as saying that big head drivers and the golf ball have had a bigger effect on the game than long putters. That is probably true. However, those two elements don't have to do with anchoring. This is the main point here. You still have to control your nerves, and make a swing. Brandt Snedeker, arguably the finest putter on the PGA Tour, if not all of golf, believes that anchoring takes any nerves out of putting. “I feel like when you’re under pressure and under stress on the 72nd hole and you gotta make a five‑footer, I want to know how your hands feel...I don’t want that putter stuck against your body. It obviously takes nerves out of it. Otherwise, guys wouldn’t be doing it."
I have little worry that players like Simpson, Clark, etc. will be rendered hopeless if the ban does happen. These are some of the best players in the world and have world class short games. The feel and imagination they possess around the greens will stand them in good stead, regardless of the length of their putter.
Simply said, anchoring a club to your body is not a golf swing. We will see what happens over the next few months, but if the ruling goes the way it should, the integrity of the game of golf will be restored. And if so, kudos to the R&A and USGA for acting in the best interests of the game.
Hit 'em well.
- MG
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