Tour Putter Rules

[Forged4ever]

34 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

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

Hey Bro, how goes it👊

 

I myself thought that the USGA greatly overstepped and started down the draconian path when they instituted the pool cue ban🤪!!

 

https://www.golfballs.com/blog/a-history-of-putting-bans-by-the-usga/

 

Just my .05 worth🪙

 

Stay Well🍻

RP

Edited March 18 by Forged4ever

[caniac6]

13 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

Hey Bro, how goes it👊

 

I myself thought that the USGA greatly overstepped and started down the draconian path when they instituted the pool cue ban🤪!!

 

https://www.golfballs.com/blog/a-history-of-putting-bans-by-the-usga/

 

Just my .05 worth🪙

 

Stay Well🍻

RP

Doing great! I guess they were worried about knee prints. Hope you’re well.

[Shilgy]

3 hours ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

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

 

You're right….I didn’t realize you just wanted to rewrite the rules.  What other rules do you want changed?

[Mcfly]

As long as a club or ball is available to everyone, it shouldn’t be illegal.  Long putter, 48 inch driver, whatever.  Same thing for stroke methods, whether it’s anchoring, croquet stroke, etc….  As long as it’s an option for everyone, discriminating against someone who might putt better with an anchored broomstick putter or hit longer/straighter drivers with a 48 inch driver is just that; discrimination.  The tour is more concerned with the optics of how things look than it is with just getting the ball in the hole (long pants vs shorts).  

[Zach.buckler23]

Would love to see an amateur at a decent level use tour stuff and see if it makes a difference 

[Tasals]

On 3/15/2024 at 1:07 PM, pingbling23 said:

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

So, fun fact: When sergio won his masters he would close his eyes on a fair amount of his putts before taking the stroke. Says it helped him trust his line and stroke.

[FriedEgg]

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!

 

Excellent, this takes the caddy off their belly too

[Shilgy]

On 3/19/2024 at 8:07 AM, Mcfly said:

As long as a club or ball is available to everyone, it shouldn’t be illegal.  Long putter, 48 inch driver, whatever.  Same thing for stroke methods, whether it’s anchoring, croquet stroke, etc….  As long as it’s an option for everyone, discriminating against someone who might putt better with an anchored broomstick putter or hit longer/straighter drivers with a 48 inch driver is just that; discrimination.  The tour is more concerned with the optics of how things look than it is with just getting the ball in the hole (long pants vs shorts).  

Psst…the tour isn’t making the rules.  The only “choice”they made was to use the MLR of 46” max driver length.

[radiman]

On 3/15/2024 at 5:58 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 was messing around with a broomstick at Golf Galaxy this last weekend.  It was awkward and very unnatural feeling.  Zero touch and the putter head was all over the place during the stroke lol.  Even if I tried anchoring it, it was super difficult to putt with.  They aren't a magic cheat code by any means. 

[TiScape]

14 minutes ago, radiman said:

I was messing around with a broomstick at Golf Galaxy this last weekend.  It was awkward and very unnatural feeling.  Zero touch and the putter head was all over the place during the stroke lol.  Even if I tried anchoring it, it was super difficult to putt with.  They aren't a magic cheat code by any means. 

Playing a broomstick is the equivalent of choosing to go home w/the 4 from the bar after last call and the lights have been turned on because you’ve “exhausted” every other option 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Barfolomew]

Putting should be a test of the hands.... not locking to the arm cause you can't keep the putter face still enough

[PedronNiall]

1 hour ago, TiScape said:

Playing a broomstick is the equivalent of choosing to go home w/the 4 from the bar after last call and the lights have been turned on because you’ve “exhausted” every other option 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

More like marrying the nurse you fell in love with while she helped you rehab after surgery. Hope she turns out to be as nice as she seemed when you were hopped up on pain meds 😜

[bladehunter]

On 3/15/2024 at 12:37 PM, livt0golf said:

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. 

The issue is “ normal length “.  What is normal ?  A lot of tour  guys are tall.  Play a 36 or longer putter conventionally. Rahm was one. Sheffler was too for a while. Making them crouch over to a 33 inch putter for hours is literally a forced disadvantage for their body type.  Many of the counter balance guys are at 37.-38. Rickie Fowler for instance.  How do you ban it ?  You can’t by length. That won’t work.  Unless it’s “ max 40 inches “.  Ok. So it will knock out 1-2 guys ( Langer).  But a lot of the new broomstick guys are at 39 ish. Scott. Will Z , Glover. They crouch over.  And dont  anchor.  . So now you have to also ban a split grip.  Ok. Knocked out a few more.  Then you have to go at armlock.  How ?  Do you penalize for a grip touching during a stroke about the bend in the wrist ?  Some forward pressers who choke down may fall afoul here.  But ok. Write that rule too.  That’s 3 rules thus far at about a page each go fully cover. What about mallet putters ?  Face grooves ?  What about LAbs balanced technology?  Where do you stop.  All of these last ones are also non traditional.  More so than anchoring or a long putter for sure.  How is the question.  Short of handing them all a 34 inch bullseye on the first tee. It can’t be done. 

Edited March 22 by bladehunter

[KennyP]

5 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

The issue is “ normal length “.  What is normal ?  A lot of your guys are tall.  Play a 36 or longer putter conventionally. Rahm was one. Sheffler was too for a while. Many of the counter balance guys are at 37.-38. Rickie Fowler for instance.  How do you ban it ?  You can’t by length. That won’t work.  Unless it’s “ max 40 inches “.  Ok. So it will knock out 1-2 guys ( Langer).  But a lot of the new broomstick guys are at 39 ish. Scott. Will Z , Glover. They crouch over.  And dont  anchor.  . So now you have to also ban a split grip.  Ok. Knocked out a few more.  Then you have to go at armlock.  How ?  Do you penalize for a grip touching during a stroke about the bend in the wrist ?  Some forward pressers who choke down may fall afoul here.  But ok. Write that rule too.  That’s 3 rules thus far at about a page each go fully cover. What about mallet putters ?  Face grooves ?  What about LAbs balanced technology?  Where do you stop.  All of these last ones are also non traditional.  More so than anchoring or a long putter for sure.  How is the question.  Short of handing them all a 34 inch bullseye on the first tee. It can’t be done. 

 

Good question. I think the rule would have to stipulate how the hands are oriented on the club. Sort of worded that both hands (or thumbs) must point downwards at address.

[bladehunter]

50 minutes ago, KennyP said:

 

Good question. I think the rule would have to stipulate how the hands are oriented on the club. Sort of worded that both hands (or thumbs) must point downwards at address.

And I’m not arguing at YOU specifically.  Just a fun debate. But even that wouldnt preclude me from using armlock. I take a conventional reverse overlap grip  with it. So both thumbs down. And I’m not arguing for what I use now. I’d love to go back to my toe down blade putter.  IF the whole world had to use one too 🤣.   I just don’t see how you make it happen. 

Edited March 22 by bladehunter

[radiman]

3 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

And I’m not arguing at YOU specifically.  Just a fun debate. But even that wouldnt preclude me from using armlock. I take a conventional reverse overlap grip  with it. So both thumbs down. And I’m not arguing for what I use now. I’d love to go back to my toe down blade putter.  IF the whole world had to use one too 🤣.   I just don’t see how you make it happen. 

Ban the claw grip! 

 

<sarcasm>

 

[KennyP]

10 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

And I’m not arguing at YOU specifically.  Just a fun debate. But even that wouldnt preclude me from using armlock. I take a conventional reverse overlap grip  with it. So both thumbs down. And I’m not arguing for what I use now. I’d love to go back to my toe down blade putter.  IF the whole world had to use one too 🤣.   I just don’t see how you make it happen. 

 

The rule would have to preclude any contact other than the hands.

 

Personally, I'm not as against armlock as i am the broom handle style. Even then, if these grips were only used by old guys to prolong their careers, I could live with it. My concern is the likes of Bhatia, Yuan, Matti Schmitt are starting their careers with them. And I think some scientists will prove these strokes are statistically advantageous and then kids will start out that way, and the traditional putter may become extinct.

 

Nice to have a rational debate too.👍

[PedronNiall]

I think you should be able to use any putter you like so long as you're capable of wrestling it away from a black bear. That seems a fair way to determine someone's dedication to their craft. 

 

Your putter is placed within its den and if you can get it back it's yours to put in play in whatever arrangement you like. 

[bladehunter]

39 minutes ago, KennyP said:

 

The rule would have to preclude any contact other than the hands.

 

Personally, I'm not as against armlock as i am the broom handle style. Even then, if these grips were only used by old guys to prolong their careers, I could live with it. My concern is the likes of Bhatia, Yuan, Matti Schmitt are starting their careers with them. And I think some scientists will prove these strokes are statistically advantageous and then kids will start out that way, and the traditional putter may become extinct.

 

Nice to have a rational debate too.👍

Oh I agree. It’s absolutely statistically advantageous to use the LAB tech coupled with armlock or broom.  Especially the armlock.  If you can control the dynamic loft and face angle.  You’ve beaten putting essentially.  To the degree it can be beaten .  With armlock, and the LAB.  All you have to do is learn the best setup to zero out , and replicate it. It makes distance control easy.  Now putting surfaces will always throw in the variables.  But only having the one to worry about is about 4 less than a conventional putter. 
 

So yes. Ban it all. But you have to do it for all.  Otherwise those who compete and that’s at any level- Should look for advantages. 

[farmer]

I used a belly until they became illegal, and I loved it.  I made such a good stroke it would make me cry.  Tried a broomstick, but in over 50  years of accumulating golf crap, that was the most useless tool I have ever owned.  Probably good around a fire pit, though.

[Mrgreen36]

I'm getting a broomstick just to irritate people. 😆 

[KennyP]

10 minutes ago, Mrgreen36 said:

I'm getting a broomstick just to irritate people. 😆 

 

Use it for measuring drops, if you really want to p1ss people off.

[livt0golf]

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/equipment-report/2023/09/14/akshay-bhatia-broomstick-putter-fortinet-championship-napa

Look at this photo and tell me that he's not "Anchoring" 

 

Massive change in SG Putting after the broomstick was added. 

[Shilgy]

No, Bhatia is not anchoring.  Touching the clothing is not “anchored”.

 

You really think that top hand is pressed against his chest?

[JDCON]

We should also ban steel shafts. Unfair advantage, I say!