Schauffele thinks arm-lock putting should be banned, but uses it anyway?

[rp4golf]

I'm curious what people's thoughts are ... I guess because I've been against any sort of anchoring, being as it was in a way a "manufactured swing," but then DeChambeau started using it and he armlocks everything. I'm just not sure how I feel about it because how Schauffele's gone about using it - a really good putter (ranked 9th or something on Tour) but using the armlock as if in protest of it's use or something.

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/06/03/xander-schauffele-arm-lock-putting-banned-memorial/?taid=60b9b3565e8aaf000138b347&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[phizzy30]

I always say in sports, make use of the rules to the fullest.  DeChambeau is a great example of this.  He has 3 wins 2020 to current, one of them being a US Open last year? 

[jdl]

Why isn't the rule simply that you have to hold the club with the hands and hands only? No touching the chest, forearms or anything else.

[Creedo77]

It’ll be banned soon enough 

Edited June 4, 2021 by Creedo77

[straightshot7]

I doubt Xander sticks with it.

It's a totally different way of putting and it's not that easy of a transition. To not have any more wrist break, ever. To take the hands basically completely out of the stroke. 

You have to learn a completely different way of judging speed on 20+ footers. Think of a 40 footer with normal style - - you use your shoulders but you also let the putter head swing beyond your hands and use some feel in your hands and arms to swing the putter at the right speed and with the right acceleration.

 

You can't do that with arm lock. The putter head has to stay in line with your hands/forearm. 

I think it carries more risk than reward for a good putter like Xander. 

[Go Cougs]

One can disagree with a rule, yet also take advantage of any perceived benefits of that rule.  This is what Xander is doing.

 

Now whether he'll actually putt better with the arm-lock is a different discussion.

 

And whether the arm-lock should be banned is yet another discussion.

 

[Ghostwedge]

1 hour ago, Creedo77 said:

It’ll be banned soon enough 

C.... no bag this week ?

[stingerfade]

Putter should be shortest club in the bag and only in the hands 

[Creedo77]

1 hour ago, Ghostwedge said:

C.... no bag this week ?

In Raleigh for the Rex Open. Had 1 hole to finish at 8am and now waiting to see off at 8 tonight 🙃. All bc of the rain the KF tour brings every week to whatever city were in 

[JaNelson38]

I don't understand the fuss and uproar over the whole arm-lock thing.

 

The putting stroke itself is just a part of what is needed to make a putt.  You still have to read greens correctly, hit the ball the correct speed, etc.  Half the tour now uses aim point to read greens, and that has undoubtedly helped tons more players than whoever is using arm-lock, yet we aren't hearing people claim that should be outlawed.  With all the advancements in equipment, instruction, etc., even Tour Pros still miss 50% of 8-foot putts.

 

We're already nearing the point where we have to change balls and equipment because people are mad that somebody else can hit it farther than they can.  What's next?  We gonna start outlawing any stance that's not within 3 degrees of square when hitting a shot, because that's how you're 'supposed' to set up to hit the ball?

 

There's lots of ways to play this game.  And some people are going to play the game better than others using different methods.  This idea that we need to fit square pegs in round holes in order to have a "level" playing field is ridiculous considering golf is the perhaps the one sport where individual ability outshines everything else with regards to success or failure.  We're taking away the creativity of the individual player, which is in my opinion the wrong thing to do.

Edited June 4, 2021 by JaNelson38

[Body_Visions]

20 minutes ago, Creedo77 said:

In Raleigh for the Rex Open. Had 1 hole to finish at 8am and now waiting to see off at 8 tonight 🙃. All bc of the rain the KF tour brings every week to whatever city were in 

 

 

I have a friend that lives five minutes from Wakefield.  He said they haven’t had a drop of rain in over six weeks until yesterday.  😳

[JaNelson38]

4 hours ago, jdl said:

Why isn't the rule simply that you have to hold the club with the hands and hands only? No touching the chest, forearms or anything else.

 

Because you start down the slippery slope of regulating someone's grip.  Other than not anchoring the putter to your chest, there is no rule that states how one is supposed to hold any club in the bag.  At least, not that I'm aware of.

 

Likewise, you don't have to putt with a putter.  And you can use the putter in places other than on the green itself.  Heck, you don't even need to carry a putter in your bag....part of the problem is that people look at the putter as some sort of extra-special thing, when in reality its still just one of your 14 clubs.  

 

If we're gonna ban the arm lock, why aren't we going to ban the forward press?  Or the left-hand-low grip?

Edited June 4, 2021 by JaNelson38

[Creedo77]

3 minutes ago, Body_Visions said:

 

 

I have a friend that lives five minutes from Wakefield.  He said they haven’t had a drop of rain in over six weeks until yesterday.  😳

That’s the norm with us. Last week in Chicago it was 80 during practice days and Thursday it was 45 and blowing 25.

 

Shame about Wakefield too bc it’s a great course when it’s firm.

[Body_Visions]

56 minutes ago, Creedo77 said:

That’s the norm with us. Last week in Chicago it was 80 during practice days and Thursday it was 45 and blowing 25.

 

Shame about Wakefield too bc it’s a great course when it’s firm.

 

Yes it is.  I was down there a few years ago, mad at myself for not going this year.  

[stingerfade]

1 hour ago, JaNelson38 said:

 

Because you start down the slippery slope of regulating someone's grip.  Other than not anchoring the putter to your chest, there is no rule that states how one is supposed to hold any club in the bag.  At least, not that I'm aware of.

 

Likewise, you don't have to putt with a putter.  And you can use the putter in places other than on the green itself.  Heck, you don't even need to carry a putter in your bag....part of the problem is that people look at the putter as some sort of extra-special thing, when in reality its still just one of your 14 clubs.  

 

If we're gonna ban the arm lock, why aren't we going to ban the forward press?  Or the left-hand-low grip?

Both those method have the club in the hands only. It’s not a hard concept to grasp. 

[Ghostwedge]

1 hour ago, Creedo77 said:

In Raleigh for the Rex Open. Had 1 hole to finish at 8am and now waiting to see off at 8 tonight 🙃. All bc of the rain the KF tour brings every week to whatever city were in 

Hang in there...

Normal year I'd have 60-70'rds in by now. Instead I've got about 45-50 and check the dam* weather radar on my phone 10 times a day.

[MtlJeff]

5 hours ago, Creedo77 said:

It’ll be banned soon enough 

 

I agree, especially if people keep winning who use it

[GLF4EVR]

Another that does not get the arm-lock uproar.  It is just another extension on trying to make a putting stoke without breaking the wrists.  However anyone gets that accomplished should not be that big of a deal.  My cure was  the slim 3.0 grip.  Hope they don't start to think the oversized putter grips are a distinct advantage (maybe I shouldn't have posted this😟).

[stingerfade]

6 minutes ago, GLF4EVR said:

Another that does not get the arm-lock uproar.  It is just another extension on trying to make a putting stoke without breaking the wrists.  However anyone gets that accomplished should not be that big of a deal.  My cure was  the slim 3.0 grip.  Hope they don't start to think the oversized putter grips are a distinct advantage (maybe I shouldn't have posted this😟).

That’s the point. It helps in not breaking the wrists when it should be part of the challenge of maki g a proper stroke IMO 

[GLF4EVR]

1 minute ago, stingerfade said:

That’s the point. It helps in not breaking the wrists when it should be part of the challenge of maki g a proper stroke IMO 

Thanks!!...that is exactly the point.  Guys I play with weekly can testify at times I will just putt with my 58 wedge.  Don't break the wrists & take a proper putting stoke...just really focus on hitting the center of the ball.

[stingerfade]

27 minutes ago, GLF4EVR said:

Thanks!!...that is exactly the point.  Guys I play with weekly can testify at times I will just putt with my 58 wedge.  Don't break the wrists & take a proper putting stoke...just really focus on hitting the center of the ball.

Yea it’s not hard

[Krt22]

-0.8SG putting today. So much for it being a big advantage

[Shilgy]

5 hours ago, stingerfade said:

Both those method have the club in the hands only. It’s not a hard concept to grasp. 

So if a player chokes way down on the grip to chip and the end of the shaft brushes a forearm it would be a penalty? Who enforces that?  The so called armlock is not locked to anything. Or anchored in any way. It is only held there by maintaining the forward press.

  Would you ban reminder grips as well?

[Shilgy]

5 hours ago, stingerfade said:

That’s the point. It helps in not breaking the wrists when it should be part of the challenge of maki g a proper stroke IMO 

The only “help” it provides is a reminder to maintain the forward press.

[bogeyk]

50 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

The only “help” it provides is a reminder to maintain the forward press.

Having the wide, flat part of the grip going up the forearm like the grip that Bryson uses does keep the face from rotating.  I’m all for allowing the armlock if other anchored methods are legal.  I just don’t like the loophole.  

[rp4golf]

1 minute ago, bogeyk said:

Having the wide, flat part of the grip going up the forearm like the grip that Bryson uses does keep the face from rotating.  I’m all for allowing the armlock if other anchored methods are legal.  I just don’t like the loophole.  

 Being someone with a military-grade level of the yips, I can unequivocally  attest to the fact that the armlock technique does not keep the face of the putter from rotating.

[bogeyk]

6 minutes ago, rp4golf said:

 Being someone with a military-grade level of the yips, I can unequivocally  attest to the fact that the armlock technique does not keep the face of the putter from rotating.

Out of curiosity, do you have the flat part of the grip mirroring the putter face?

[iBanesto]

15 hours ago, rp4golf said:

I'm curious what people's thoughts are ... I guess because I've been against any sort of anchoring, being as it was in a way a "manufactured swing," but then DeChambeau started using it and he armlocks everything. I'm just not sure how I feel about it because how Schauffele's gone about using it - a really good putter (ranked 9th or something on Tour) but using the armlock as if in protest of it's use or something.

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/06/03/xander-schauffele-arm-lock-putting-banned-memorial/?taid=60b9b3565e8aaf000138b347&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

 

Schauffele is taking advantage of rule. He is obviously using the arm lock technique because he feels at this moment he is putting better with it.

 

Why would he use it if he feels he is going to putt worse?

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/memorial-2021-xander-schauffele-wants-arm-lock-putting-banned-tries-it-shoots-68

 

Els said he "cheated" per se by using the belly putter to win the 2012 Open.

[rp4golf]

1 hour ago, bogeyk said:

Out of curiosity, do you have the flat part of the grip mirroring the putter face?

yup

[stingerfade]

7 hours ago, Shilgy said:

So if a player chokes way down on the grip to chip and the end of the shaft brushes a forearm it would be a penalty? Who enforces that?  The so called armlock is not locked to anything. Or anchored in any way. It is only held there by maintaining the forward press.

  Would you ban reminder grips as well?

The armlock is 100% resting or “locked” against the forearm hence the name. Not sure why people can’t grasp a simple concept. Grip the putter with your hands.  That’s it. Have all the reminders you want. The putter grip being flat is kind of a reminder and I didn’t realize people are rotating the grip to lay flat against forearm? That should be illegal too. Just grip it in your hands. Incidental forearm contact lol ok nice reach haha 

 

Stop using a crutch and learn how to putt. Also ban green reading books 

Edited June 5, 2021 by stingerfade