Tour Putter Rules

[Shilgy]

7 hours ago, KennyP said:

 

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.

The long putter makes it easier for some…like hybrids are easier than long irons, for some.

 

The questionable anchoring is only an issue to couch potatoes that have not taken the time to understand the rule and are always convinced others must be cheating.

[ALIF]

2 hours ago, iBanesto said:

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

 

Is that you Mr. Hogan?😂

[PedronNiall]

21 hours ago, MattM97 said:

 

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. 

 

It's a rant thread, my guy. I know why they get to play them :p

[Klubster]

Anybody else old enough to remember croquet style putting?  Its most notable user was Sam Snead in the 60's.  It was banned really for no other reason than it looked stupid.  Has it actually been proved that any stroke or anchor stroke causes an unfair advantage?

[delfam]

whatever Wyndham Clark and his caddy do should be banned. Literally lines him up and confirms it looks good before he removes the coin.

[Shilgy]

2 hours ago, delfam said:

whatever Wyndham Clark and his caddy do should be banned. Literally lines him up and confirms it looks good before he removes the coin.

He stands beside him when lining up the line on the ball.  Caddie steps away before Clark addresses the ball.  
 

Totally legal

[ahenderX]

This is what I’m saving up for.

 

[Shilgy]

2 minutes ago, ahenderX said:

This is what I’m saving up for.

 

Good luck on cart path only days.🤣

[iBanesto]

10 hours ago, ahenderX said:

This is what I’m saving up for.

 

 

[Shilgy]

Posted in the rollback thread

 

 

Make them use this….we'll find out who can really putt!

 

 

 

[driveandputtmachine]

I want solid core lack of spin golf balls gone.  Hitting a tee shot with hazards in play where a 1/4* off can cause a problem has been stolen from the game.   I also want swing speed limited, no one should be allowed to hit 4 iron PW into a 440 yard par 4, blah, blah, blah.

 

See for every advantage you think armlock or broom stick putters give or you want to watch someone hit a putt with their wrists because it allows those not as good or get nervy over putts to compete, there are people who think graphite and Velocore and non spinning golf balls are a crutch for guys who can't swing it as well as other guys and get nervy over tee shots or iron shots.  If one group gets an "advantage" then the other group should as well.

 

For those yelling about or disliking putting hacks, shaft hacks, ball hacks, there are probably some clouds outside for you to go and yell at.

Edited March 18 by driveandputtmachine

[gvogel]

On 3/15/2024 at 6:58 PM, caniac6 said:

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.

I used a belly putter and I made a lot more putts with that before or since.  So I'm a little upset about "anchoring."

[gvogel]

1 hour ago, driveandputtmachine said:

I want solid core lack of spin golf balls gone.  Hitting a tee shot with hazards in play where a 1/4* off can cause a problem has been stolen from the game.   I also want swing speed limited, no one should be allowed to hit 4 iron PW into a 440 yard par 4, blah, blah, blah.

 

See for every advantage you think armlock or broom stick putters give or you want to watch someone hit a putt with their wrists because it allows those not as good or get nervy over putts to compete, there are people who think graphite and Velocore and non spinning golf balls are a crutch for guys who can't swing it as well as other guys and get nervy over tee shots or iron shots.  If one group gets an "advantage" then the other group should as well.

 

For those yelling about or disliking putting hacks, shaft hacks, ball hacks, there are probably some clouds outside for you to go and yell at.

Those are very good points.  Just think, we could go back to gutties and hickory, play courses at 5,800 yards and get the game over a lot faster.  But apparently we can't, because chicks love the long ball.

[dropkicked]

OP must live in the North East... Don't worry buddy, our season will start in a matter of weeks..

 

🤣

[Forged4ever]

On 3/16/2024 at 12:19 PM, Klubster said:

Anybody else old enough to remember croquet style putting?  Its most notable user was Sam Snead in the 60's.  It was banned really for no other reason than it looked stupid.  Has it actually been proved that any stroke or anchor stroke causes an unfair advantage?

Absolutely 💯🤙!!

 

This caused Sam to have a great disdain for the USGA/PGA from that point on, even though he had had a running fued with both organizations for some time. We were sitting at our table in the Card Room in the late '80's with Pete, Sam and the usual suspects after a game when a member, a USGA Executive Committee member, approached to ask Sam for an autograph for one of his grandchildren. 

 

Sam, who knew who the man was, stopped speaking when the guy approached on Sam's side of the table and offered his hand to Sam. Sam stood, did not acknowledge the man nor offer his hand in return, looked at Pete, and told him that he'd see him back at Pete's place, then he turned and exited through the locker room. 

 

Both Sam, Pete and many other prominent Players shared your opinion that it was banned simply due to optics, because it looked odd and was not the "traditional" stroke. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE provided that it gave an unfair advantagei to the Player using the stroke. 

 

For 💩's 'n giggles, I and a few guys tried it with a few putters that Pete had modified for Sam and at the time I was a +3.1, coming off of two consecutive Club Championships with my putting being the best part of my game, and that broomstick stroke was not easy to putt average with, much less at Tour/World Class Level. Sam, who had worked his *ss off to get his stroke to that level, had had a long running tiff with the USGA and PGA, and both used every opportunity to stick it to Sam, with the broomstick putter🧹 having given them the perfect opportunity to put the screws to Sam and tighten em down. Being one of the 2-3 Greatest Players ever, he would adapt, bounce back and at the age of 61yo notch a T20 at Augusta, breaking par(-2), while also bagging a T3 that same year(1974) in the PGA Championship, though Sam had turned 62yo between the Masters & PGA Championship. Sam also had a T4 @ 60yo in the PGA Championship!!

 

A T4 @ 60yo along with a T3 at 62yo in THE deepest talent pool of any of the Majors!! In Sam's final PGA Championship, he would also go on to have a T42 at the age of 67yo!!

 

There is no greater testament to Sam's Greatness, even beyond the 82 Tour Victories, than his longevity.

 

We were sitting around the picnic table in Pete's backyard one evening when Pete was b*tchin about some recent PGA administrative ruling, which Pete, as a board member, was on the opposite side of the table on the issue, when Sam laughed and said that he should come out of retirement, as this was in the mid-90's after his first stroke and he was in his mid-80's, notch another Top-10 in a Major, and give the PGA/USGA another 🖕, and he did give the one finger salute when he said that, lolol. Though both organizations tried to bury the hatchet with Sam, he carried his disdain for both to his grave⚰️, more than once getting up from the table at the Club when one of their board members sat down, lol. 

 

Apologies for the novella🤪

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

Edited March 19 by Forged4ever

[Hawkeye77]

4 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

Absolutely 💯🤙!!

 

This caused Sam to have a great disdain for the USGA/PGA from that point on, even though he had had a running furs with both organizations for some time. We were sitting at our table in the Card Room in the late '80's with Pete, Sam and the usual suspects after a game when a member, a USGA Executive Committee member, approached to ask Sam for an autograph for one of his grandchildren. 

 

Sam, who knew who the man was, stopped speaking when the guy approached on Sam's side of the table and offered his hand to Sam. Sam stood, did not acknowledge the man nor offer his hand in return, looked at Pete, and told him that he'd see him back at Pete's place, then he turned and exited through the locker room. 

 

Both Sam, Pete and many other prominent Players shared your opinion that it was banned simply due to optics, because it looked odd and was not the "traditional" stroke. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE provided that it gave na unfair advantage to the Player using the stroke. 

 

For 💩's 'n giggles, I and a few guys tried it with a few putters that Pete had modified for Sam and at the time I was a +3.1, coming off of two consecutive Club Championships with my putting being the best part of my game, and that broomstick stroke was not easy to putt average with, much less at Tour/World Class Level. Sam, who had worked his *ss off to get his stroke to that level, had had a long running tiff with the USGA and PGA, and both used every opportunity to stick it to Sam, with the broomstick putter🧹 having given them the perfect opportunity to put the screws to Sam and tighten em down. Being one of the 2-3 Greatest Players ever, he would adapt, bounce back and at the age of 61yo notch a T20 at Augusta, breaking par(-2), while also bagging a T3 that same year(1974) in the PGA Championship, though Sam had turned 62yo between the Masters & PGA Championship. Sam also had a T4 @ 60yo in the PGA Championship!!

 

A T4 @ 60yo T3 at 62yo in THE deepest talent pool of any of the Majors!! Sam would also go on to have a T42 at the age of 67yo!!

 

There is no greater testament to Sam's Greatness, even beyond the 82 Tour Victories, than his longevity.

 

We were sitting around the picnic table in Pete's backyard one evening when Pete was b*tchin about some recent PGA administrative ruling, which Pete, as a board member, was on the opposite side of the table on the issue, when Sam laughed and said that he should come out of retirement, as this was in the mid-90's after his first stroke and he was in his mid-80's, notch another Top-10 in a Major, and give the PGA/USGA another 🖕, and he did give the one finger salute when he said that, lolol. Though both organizations tried to bury the hatchet with Sam, he carried his disdain for both to his grave⚰️, more than once getting up from the table at the Club when one of their board members sat down, lol. 

 

Apologies for the novella🤪

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

I know nothing about it, but assume at first it looked silly and few at the USGA figured it was doomed to fail and ……… he proved to be darn good at it and now what do we do. 

[gvogel]

1 hour ago, Forged4ever said:

Absolutely 💯🤙!!

 

This caused Sam to have a great disdain for the USGA/PGA from that point on, even though he had had a running furs with both organizations for some time. We were sitting at our table in the Card Room in the late '80's with Pete, Sam and the usual suspects after a game when a member, a USGA Executive Committee member, approached to ask Sam for an autograph for one of his grandchildren. 

 

Sam, who knew who the man was, stopped speaking when the guy approached on Sam's side of the table and offered his hand to Sam. Sam stood, did not acknowledge the man nor offer his hand in return, looked at Pete, and told him that he'd see him back at Pete's place, then he turned and exited through the locker room. 

 

Both Sam, Pete and many other prominent Players shared your opinion that it was banned simply due to optics, because it looked odd and was not the "traditional" stroke. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE provided that it gave an unfair advantage to the Player using the stroke. 

 

For 💩's 'n giggles, I and a few guys tried it with a few putters that Pete had modified for Sam and at the time I was a +3.1, coming off of two consecutive Club Championships with my putting being the best part of my game, and that broomstick stroke was not easy to putt average with, much less at Tour/World Class Level. Sam, who had worked his *ss off to get his stroke to that level, had had a long running tiff with the USGA and PGA, and both used every opportunity to stick it to Sam, with the broomstick putter🧹 having given them the perfect opportunity to put the screws to Sam and tighten em down. Being one of the 2-3 Greatest Players ever, he would adapt, bounce back and at the age of 61yo notch a T20 at Augusta, breaking par(-2), while also bagging a T3 that same year(1974) in the PGA Championship, though Sam had turned 62yo between the Masters & PGA Championship. Sam also had a T4 @ 60yo in the PGA Championship!!

 

A T4 @ 60yo along with a T3 at 62yo in THE deepest talent pool of any of the Majors!! In Sam's final PGA Championship, he would also go on to have a T42 at the age of 67yo!!

 

There is no greater testament to Sam's Greatness, even beyond the 82 Tour Victories, than his longevity.

 

We were sitting around the picnic table in Pete's backyard one evening when Pete was b*tchin about some recent PGA administrative ruling, which Pete, as a board member, was on the opposite side of the table on the issue, when Sam laughed and said that he should come out of retirement, as this was in the mid-90's after his first stroke and he was in his mid-80's, notch another Top-10 in a Major, and give the PGA/USGA another 🖕, and he did give the one finger salute when he said that, lolol. Though both organizations tried to bury the hatchet with Sam, he carried his disdain for both to his grave⚰️, more than once getting up from the table at the Club when one of their board members sat down, lol. 

 

Apologies for the novella🤪

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

Very interesting story.

 

I thought that it was Bobby Jones at Augusta who thought that Sam's croquet style didn't look like a golf stroke.

 

But Jones had lots of friends at the USGA (being the all time greatest amateur).

 

I also saw Sam make 3 45' putts in a row using his side-saddle technique on the practice green at Oak Hill before the 1968 US Open

Edited March 18 by gvogel

[Forged4ever]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

I know nothing about it, but assume at first it looked silly and few at the USGA figured it was doomed to fail and ……… he proved to be darn good at it and now what do we do. 

That's exactly what happened!!

 

These are a few pics some video highlights from the 1974 PGA Championship, where, at the age of 62yo, Sam took a T3 in the deepest field of any Major.

 

 

 

Have a Great Week Bro👊

RP

 

[PJE]

1 hour ago, Forged4ever said:

Absolutely 💯🤙!!

 

This caused Sam to have a great disdain for the USGA/PGA from that point on, even though he had had a running furs with both organizations for some time. We were sitting at our table in the Card Room in the late '80's with Pete, Sam and the usual suspects after a game when a member, a USGA Executive Committee member, approached to ask Sam for an autograph for one of his grandchildren. 

 

Sam, who knew who the man was, stopped speaking when the guy approached on Sam's side of the table and offered his hand to Sam. Sam stood, did not acknowledge the man nor offer his hand in return, looked at Pete, and told him that he'd see him back at Pete's place, then he turned and exited through the locker room. 

 

Both Sam, Pete and many other prominent Players shared your opinion that it was banned simply due to optics, because it looked odd and was not the "traditional" stroke. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE provided that it gave an unfair advantage to the Player using the stroke. 

 

For 💩's 'n giggles, I and a few guys tried it with a few putters that Pete had modified for Sam and at the time I was a +3.1, coming off of two consecutive Club Championships with my putting being the best part of my game, and that broomstick stroke was not easy to putt average with, much less at Tour/World Class Level. Sam, who had worked his *ss off to get his stroke to that level, had had a long running tiff with the USGA and PGA, and both used every opportunity to stick it to Sam, with the broomstick putter🧹 having given them the perfect opportunity to put the screws to Sam and tighten em down. Being one of the 2-3 Greatest Players ever, he would adapt, bounce back and at the age of 61yo notch a T20 at Augusta, breaking par(-2), while also bagging a T3 that same year(1974) in the PGA Championship, though Sam had turned 62yo between the Masters & PGA Championship. Sam also had a T4 @ 60yo in the PGA Championship!!

 

A T4 @ 60yo along with a T3 at 62yo in THE deepest talent pool of any of the Majors!! In Sam's final PGA Championship, he would also go on to have a T42 at the age of 67yo!!

 

There is no greater testament to Sam's Greatness, even beyond the 82 Tour Victories, than his longevity.

 

We were sitting around the picnic table in Pete's backyard one evening when Pete was b*tchin about some recent PGA administrative ruling, which Pete, as a board member, was on the opposite side of the table on the issue, when Sam laughed and said that he should come out of retirement, as this was in the mid-90's after his first stroke and he was in his mid-80's, notch another Top-10 in a Major, and give the PGA/USGA another 🖕, and he did give the one finger salute when he said that, lolol. Though both organizations tried to bury the hatchet with Sam, he carried his disdain for both to his grave⚰️, more than once getting up from the table at the Club when one of their board members sat down, lol. 

 

Apologies for the novella🤪

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

Interesting story but who was “Pete”? 
What was his last name?

[Klubster]

1 hour ago, Forged4ever said:

 

 

Apologies for the novella🤪

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

No apology needed, I quite enjoyed it.

 

Growing up, Snead was my role model.  I tried to copy his swing as I was learning.  It served me well and at age 77, I still get comments about my smooth swing.  I was fortunate enough in about 1964 to follow him for an 18 hole exhibition match.  He would have been about 50 years old and was still "slammin" the ball.  He was still putting traditionally at the time.

[Hawkeye77]

9 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

That's exactly what happened!!

 

These are a few pics some video highlights from the 1974 PGA Championship, where, at the age of 62yo, Sam took a T3 in the deepest field of any Major.

 

 

 

Have a Great Week Bro👊

RP

 

Priceless - thanks!

[Albatross Dreamer]

On 3/16/2024 at 2:21 PM, Shilgy said:

He stands beside him when lining up the line on the ball.  Caddie steps away before Clark addresses the ball.  
 

Totally legal

You know what "should be banned" means right? Looks like someone was out partying too late with Scottie last night.

Edited March 18 by Albatross Dreamer

[Klubster]

More Snead moments

[Forged4ever]

37 minutes ago, gvogel said:

Very interesting story.

 

I thought that it was Bobby Jones at Augusta who thought that Sam's croquet style didn't look like a golf stroke.

 

But Jones had lots of friends at the USGA (being the all time greatest amateur).

 

I also saw Sam make 3 45' putts in a row using his side-saddle technique on the practice green at Oak Hill before the 1968 US Open

Pete seemed to think that Jones started the anti-croquet sentiment as he made a statement to the effect that if the USGA didn't do something, Augusta would institute a "local" rule, however for whatever reason, Sam never really blamed Jones, as he always directed his ire at the USGA/PGA.  Pete did not care for Jones as Pete saw Jones as a milder more passive critic of Sam than Hogan, neither of whom Pete could stand.

 

He thought that Jones was an entitled spoiled brat who didn't have the stones to turn Pro after his humiliating 12 & 11 beat down at the hands of Walter Hagen, as one of Jones' posse would later state. 

 

Sam and I used to Play a putting game called "SAM," which was patterned after the hoop game🏀 called "PIG," lol.  He would win about 2/3 of the games, though he was the most dangerous from 20-40'. When I led or he missed, I'd always go to the 8-12' range, and though he made the Tour average from those distances, he seemed to also miss more from those distances. I believed, as did Pete, that his nerves set in the closer to the hole that he got🕳️.

 

Regardless of who ya talked to, Jones definitely played a role in stirrin up the anti-croquet sentiment, though the USGA denied it vehemently.

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

[IndyArcher]

On 3/15/2024 at 12:40 PM, Pops99 said:

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!

 

Now the bold part I actually agree with. It does seem rather odd to me that professional golfers are allowed someone to actually aid in their shots. I noticed more than once that Clark's caddie stood over his ball on the green simulating a stroke in order to give advice to him. That just seems to me to be beyond what is reasonable for what should be allowed for assisting a golfer. It doesn't upset me at all; it just seems illogical. 

[Forged4ever]

45 minutes ago, PJE said:

Interesting story but who was “Pete”? 
What was his last name?

Snead....

 

Pete was Sam's older Bro, Harry Welford "Pete" Snead, Sam's older Bro by three years(2009/2012), who taught Sam how to swing a golf club and though Sam got instructional pearls from various Pros through the years, he always came back to the Burgh if he needed to work on his swing and when he changed his putting strokes. Pete was my Teacher for 32+ years until his passing in 2006. FWIW, he never went by any other name cept for "Pete" since he was a child. 

 

Thanks for the response👊

RP

[PJE]

5 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

Snead....

 

Pete was Sam's older Bro, Harry Welford "Pete" Snead, Sam's older Bro by three years(2009/2012), who taught Sam how to swing a golf club and though Sam got instructional pearls from various Pros through the years, he always came back to the Burgh if he needed to work on his swing and when he changed his putting strokes. Pete was my Teacher for 32+ years until his passing in 2006. FWIW, he never went by any other name cept for "Pete" since he was a child. 

 

Thanks for the response👊

RP

Thanks for the info. Interesting stuff. 

[Forged4ever]

11 minutes ago, PJE said:

Thanks for the info. Interesting stuff. 

You're very welcome👊

 

Also, that I left out of the post above, Pete was a two-time Head Pro at our Club and the only Pro ever to receive a life-time membership, though other than an occasional dinner with his wife or to watch myself and a few other guys in Tourneys, he rarely ever came up to the Club as I think that  due to his popularity, he didn't want to overshadow the two(2) Pros that followed him. He was a Gentleman and a Class Act, much more so than Sam. 

 

Have a Great Season🍻

RP

[caniac6]

On 3/16/2024 at 12:19 PM, Klubster said:

Anybody else old enough to remember croquet style putting?  Its most notable user was Sam Snead in the 60's.  It was banned really for no other reason than it looked stupid.  Has it actually been proved that any stroke or anchor stroke causes an unfair advantage?

I thought it was banned because you’re not allowed to straddle the line of the shot.

[Klubster]

Here we go--completely within the rules.  Could it look dumber?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2712826662301166

 

Would be perfect if you added wheels.

Edited March 18 by Klubster