Belly Putters – Ban Them?
I was reading a few articles about Vijay Singh’s putting resurgence this year, and how it stems almost completely from using a belly putter. And it got me thinking about those that want to ban the use of it, and those that think it really isn’t making all that much difference in how someone putts.
If *I* were President, I’d ban belly putters, or any kind of putting instrument that can be anchored to your body. The golf swing (from the driver to the putter) is supposed to occur without any kind of outside influence or interference. The belly putter is used by anchoring the end of it to your chest/chin/stomach and then using that anchor to create a very repeatable swing back and throught the ball. It would akin to someone inventing a contraption that you could strap on your upper torso and then locking your driver to it and creating a perfect swing path.
Ernie Els actually went on record a couple of years ago calling for a ban on them, but frankly, the PGA Tour blue suits don’t have the cojones to implement a policy banning their use. What they ought to do is give players 1 calendar year to switch back to conventional putters, and then start policing them off the tour.
There’s no question that the belly putter has resurrected the golf careers of more than a handful of professionals. Bruce Lietzke and Bernhard Langer come to mind immediately, and Vijay Singh to some degree. Though Singh switches between a conventional putter and belly putter quite frequently. Of course the Champions Tour has more than its fair share of belly putter advocates as well.
4 Comments
Personally, I really wish someone would …invent a contraption that you could strap on your upper torso and then locking your driver to it, create a perfect swing path. That would help me so much. ;o)
The only contraption used is another part of you body and the length of the club. You would be in reality banning a method. It would be the same as saying that cross handed putting grip is now against the rules. or the claw grip used by a buch of players could no longer be used. And worse yet what about someone who is a little overweight and the putter comes pretty darn close to their belly at standard length? (ok that is a bit exagerated)
If was really an advantage wouldn’t everyone be using it? Isn’t it more just a another method that works well for some players?
Oh by the way… guess what kind of putter I use.
Tom Gov
I have no problem with long putters, just putters that anchor against your body somewhere. Thanks for the comments!
Dale
I agree with GolfGirl 100%. Long/belly putters should be banned unless I can get a contraption that helps me with every club in my bag.
Luckily the top tour players aren’t using them, but I believe that you should have to putt with a standard length putter.
Regards,
Tyler
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