Okay, this whole anchoring controversy thing has been on my mind a lot lately. It’s a topic of our conversations when we play since I do anchor my Thomas Golf putter and have for many years now.
My first thought is that it’s no big deal. I know I'm a decent putter (shameful confidence-building brag, sorry), so it won’t matter. I like to anchor, though, and I am used to it now. I am very confident with it, and I never thought it might someday be taken away because of a rule change.
The USGA has decided to do this for...
multiple reasons, but the top two are that it does not “fit in” with the traditional idea of a swing, one that is made with only the arms and no anchoring whatsoever, and the second being that three of the last five major championships were won with professionals who anchored their putters, so they believe it’s becoming an unfair advantage.
One other reason I've heard is that it is becoming more popular with younger players, so they felt something had to be done sooner than later.
Bruce wondered out loud one day why the wait until 2016. I agree. Let’s do it like a Band-aid. Right off!
I also agree that it does not fit in with the original spirit of the game, the spirit that says all players should swing the club freely using only their arms. That makes sense. I feel for the professionals who have won using an anchored putter, though. Some have been called cheaters, and delaying this rule change makes it even worse.
Bruce also commented that it doesn’t work for everyone so why punish the ones who are successful, and I agree with that, too.
My take on it is that it’s similar to getting a bad bounce. It’s golf. Rule changes are a part of golf, even rule changes that appear unfair or weird. Sometimes in golf the best shots takes bad bounces, so I see this as being no different from that. The really good players will “bounce” back from this anyway, and that is my intention as well.
I’ve already brainstormed a way to swing my putter without anchoring while still maintaining a nearly perfect pendulum. I’ve only mentioned it in great detail to one person. Who knows? Maybe I will become a millionaire with this new idea. If that is the case, bring on the rule change ASAP! I see that Odyssey already has a viable option for players who anchor like I do.
My first thought is that it’s no big deal. I know I'm a decent putter (shameful confidence-building brag, sorry), so it won’t matter. I like to anchor, though, and I am used to it now. I am very confident with it, and I never thought it might someday be taken away because of a rule change.
The USGA has decided to do this for...
multiple reasons, but the top two are that it does not “fit in” with the traditional idea of a swing, one that is made with only the arms and no anchoring whatsoever, and the second being that three of the last five major championships were won with professionals who anchored their putters, so they believe it’s becoming an unfair advantage.
One other reason I've heard is that it is becoming more popular with younger players, so they felt something had to be done sooner than later.
Bruce wondered out loud one day why the wait until 2016. I agree. Let’s do it like a Band-aid. Right off!
I also agree that it does not fit in with the original spirit of the game, the spirit that says all players should swing the club freely using only their arms. That makes sense. I feel for the professionals who have won using an anchored putter, though. Some have been called cheaters, and delaying this rule change makes it even worse.
Bruce also commented that it doesn’t work for everyone so why punish the ones who are successful, and I agree with that, too.
My take on it is that it’s similar to getting a bad bounce. It’s golf. Rule changes are a part of golf, even rule changes that appear unfair or weird. Sometimes in golf the best shots takes bad bounces, so I see this as being no different from that. The really good players will “bounce” back from this anyway, and that is my intention as well.
I’ve already brainstormed a way to swing my putter without anchoring while still maintaining a nearly perfect pendulum. I’ve only mentioned it in great detail to one person. Who knows? Maybe I will become a millionaire with this new idea. If that is the case, bring on the rule change ASAP! I see that Odyssey already has a viable option for players who anchor like I do.
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