Tour Putter Rules

[livt0golf]

I'm sorry, but I have not liked this for a while and it seems that it is starting to take over professional golf. Call me old fashioned or whatever, but at the professional level I think that any putter that goes above the wrist should be banned. Hear me out. 

 

1. These guys are really good and should be able to putt with a conventional putter length. 

2. Putting should be hard when you have nerves. Only the best can handle this. I want to see guys have nerves in their hands and not have this taken away. It should be hard to make a putt for millions of dollars. 

3. It just looks ugly seeing a guy sweep a putt into the hole. 

 

I am in no way saying that recreational golfers shouldn't have these putters, but for me in competition it should not be allowed. 

[Pops99]

No greensreading books. Caddies only allowed on the green to get the flagstick, no reading putts or lining players up. No straddling the line (aimpoint). No using a line on the ball to line up putts. No long putters/broomsticks. LFG!

[smashdn]

Burn them!

[MattM97]

I don't mind it, that confidence they get carries over to the rest of their game just means better golf. Plus if it's that much of an advantage everyone would be doing it, just gives them a different option. 

[pingbling23]

They should have to putt blindfolded.  They’ve hit a million putts and know the feel.  They don’t need to use their eyes.

[SnowbirdTom]

Remove the steel shaft!  Back to hickory!

[livt0golf]

37 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

I don't mind it, that confidence they get carries over to the rest of their game just means better golf. Plus if it's that much of an advantage everyone would be doing it, just gives them a different option. 

They should be gone from the tour if they can't putt. Simple as that. I want championships to be decided by who has better nerves. The reason these players are moving to this style is because they have no other choice and lost there ability to handle the stress. I just don't think it should be part of the pro game. They should all be held to the same standard for putting. 

 

[livt0golf]

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/equipment-report/2024/01/08/from-akshay-bhatia-to-will-zalatoris-more-tour-players-are-using-long-broomstick-putters

It's becoming a trend and I don't want this to continue. I think it's bad for competition. 

[livt0golf]

I also don't like the armlock. I want players to have to manage nerves with wrists moving. 

[MattM97]

5 minutes ago, livt0golf said:

They should be gone from the tour if they can't putt. Simple as that. I want championships to be decided by who has better nerves. The reason these players are moving to this style is because they have no other choice and lost there ability to handle the stress. I just don't think it should be part of the pro game. They should all be held to the same standard for putting. 

 

 

So that's the metric now for pro golf being able to putt well? Not any other aspect of the game? 

 

Putting is hard on tour and most "bad putters" on tour would make most other greens look like nothing to them. 

 

Also if we remove all the bad putters we'll have like 15 guys left. 

[vman]

This is one for the governing bodies to sort out. It usually takes a few Major wins before they start twitching.

[MattM97]

1 minute ago, vman said:

This is one for the governing bodies to sort out. It usually takes a few Major wins before they start twitching.

 

That's the other point in the past decade how many arm lock and broomstick putters won a major? I just know of 1 off the top of my head. 

[KansasHacker]

If broomsticks were that good wouldn’t everyone be using one? All of the top 10 putters on tour use traditional putters.

[KennyP]

Completely agree. It was bad enough when it was just established players who'd had putting 'issues' , but now young pros are starting out on tour with them.

[Forged4ever]

Trust me on this....

 

A putt for a $1,000,000, regardless of stroke, putter, putter length, etc., is "hard"

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friends⛳️

RP

Edited March 18 by Forged4ever

[Forged4ever]

15 minutes ago, KansasHacker said:

If broomsticks were that good wouldn’t everyone be using one? All of the top 10 putters on tour use traditional putters.

Ya took the words right outa my post, lol!!

 

Superbly stated & spot on🤙

 

Have a Great Weekend Brotha👊

RP

[byoung14]

Go get at job at the USGA and create a proposal to outlaw the broomstick/armlock since it bothers you so much.

[PedronNiall]

49 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

That's the other point in the past decade how many arm lock and broomstick putters won a major? I just know of 1 off the top of my head. 

Langer has certainly put some work in with his on the Champions. 

 

On topic

 

 

Why are players allowed to use these things? Oh, my bad, grabbed a pic of a dust pan instead of the insanely oversized, ridiculously stable, have their own zip code things that have been popular on tours over the past few years. 

 

Getting twitchy with a putt as the nerves build should have consequences and should be rewarded when it's overcome. Just as big of an issue as the broomsticks. 

 

Thanks for making a rant thread, hah. 

[MattM97]

2 minutes ago, PedronNiall said:

Langer has certainly put some work in with his on the Champions. 

 

On topic

 

 

Why are players allowed to use these things? Oh, my bad, grabbed a pic of a dust pan instead of the insanely oversized, ridiculously stable, have their own zip code things that have been popular on tours over the past few years. 

 

Getting twitchy with a putt as the nerves build should have consequences and should be rewarded when it's overcome. Just as big of an issue as the broomsticks. 

 

Thanks for making a rant thread, hah. 

 

Because they fall within the rules of golf, it's not a hard concept to understand. 

 

Many don't like it, many don't agree with it but until the rules change they're here to say. When and if that happens I don't know but if it's within the rules it's legal. 

[ac6]

While we're at it, heel-toe weighting, multi-material shafts, and oversized grips are also a huge crutch. The only allowable putter should be a heel-shafted blade like the 8802 and the only grips allowed should be a round leather wrap or a tiny putter grip like the original Pro Only (it is after all, Only for Pros). If players can't overcome the most unstable putter design to make putts then they don't deserve to be on tour 

[Shilgy]

Yeah yeah…it should be like going to the putt-putt place! They just hand you a small beat up blade putter on the first tee and ya gotta use that! 🤣

/s

[Maine Golfer]

Lets change a couple rules, starting with this and no tee's anymore. Magically golf ratings go up 159 percent. The amount of viewers on the sidelines right now because they hate that they have a older family member using a broom stick is massive, we must bring them back to watching pro golf!

 

 

Edited March 15 by Maine Golfer

[knock it close]

I think OP is right, I've completely stopped watching professional golf because I can't see Lucas Glover yip 2 footers anymore

[MattM97]

21 minutes ago, ac6 said:

While we're at it, heel-toe weighting, multi-material shafts, and oversized grips are also a huge crutch. The only allowable putter should be a heel-shafted blade like the 8802 and the only grips allowed should be a round leather wrap or a tiny putter grip like the original Pro Only (it is after all, Only for Pros). If players can't overcome the most unstable putter design to make putts then they don't deserve to be on tour 

 

While we're at it let's rile up the anti roll back crowd and go back to wooden or feather balls. 

[Hawkeye77]

4 hours ago, livt0golf said:

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/equipment-report/2024/01/08/from-akshay-bhatia-to-will-zalatoris-more-tour-players-are-using-long-broomstick-putters

It's becoming a trend and I don't want this to continue. I think it's bad for competition. 

 

Even 10 years ago this was poor trolling.

 

Shorten their putters, raise their hems, make them carry their own bags ...... yawn.

 

 

[wedgegame]

4 hours ago, KennyP said:

Completely agree. It was bad enough when it was just established players who'd had putting 'issues' , but now young pros are starting out on tour with them.

But why is it bad?  Because it looks goofy?  If that was the case Payne Stewart would have been banned from the tour.

[caniac6]

4 hours ago, KansasHacker said:

If broomsticks were that good wouldn’t everyone be using one? All of the top 10 putters on tour use traditional putters.

I have tried broomsticks. A couple guys at at our course use them, and they have let me roll a few. It is not easy. It requires a lot of practice, and is a completely different skill from conventional putting.. I have never played with anyone using a broomstick that ever went from a bad putter to a good putter. They were average, at best, and they were able to enjoy the game a lot more.

[Christosterone]

[KennyP]

8 hours ago, wedgegame said:

But why is it bad?  Because it looks goofy?  If that was the case Payne Stewart would have been banned from the tour.

 

Payne wasn't getting a technical advantage though. The science behind the long putter, and in particular the LAB Mez putters, is such that it makes putting easier. And then there's the questionable anchoring. Without a rule change, the future will see more and more long putters.

[iBanesto]

I'm happy to remove putting completely from the game of golf.