Golf is a game of concentration, dedication, mental strength, physical strength, and skill. For over 500 years golf has been a global spot played by many. It is a sport that people of all ages can play and is very, very difficult. Like I said above, golf takes a lot of skill to ply. You measure angles, read breaks, determine distance, muscle memory, etc. There is not much you can do to make yourself better at golf besides practice. David Feherty, a retired professional golfer and current analyst for CBS sports, has a joke about golf. He says that he has been searching for years to find a drug that makes you play golf better and he has been unsuccessful. He says “Yeah, go ahead and take steroids you’ll just hit it farther into the trees. Good luck with that.” Recently in the past year the USGA has wanted to re-write a rule that some people believe, actually, has made the game of golf easier and taken a much needed skill out of the game, the putting stroke.
Recently, many companies have manufactured a putter that has come to be known as the belly putter. This belly putter has a longer grip that extends up into your gut which gives it the name. This is a difference from the traditional putter being the length of thirty-six inches. Many players on tour use this type of putter such as Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, and Ernie Els. The USGA (United States Golf Association) wants to change the way they are used. Originally, people thought that they wanted to ban the belly putter and “Broom-Handle” putters indefinitely. What this type of putter does is that it allows you to “anchor” it on the ground while you are putting so you get a more balanced even flow of the stroke. This makes it easier for players to get the touch of their stroke and make more putts. This past year, 5 major tournaments were won by a player who uses this stroke. The USGA is set to make the new rule to ban this stroke by the year 2016.
In my opinion, whatever is inspiring people to play the game and whatever keeps the game of golf relevant, is fine by me. The players can do whatever they want with their games to make them play to the best ability that they can legally. The golfers are happy and they are what drives the game. Some of the most famous golfers in the world such as Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Phil Mickelson are not the most important aspect of the game… it is the future generations to come. The kids coming in and playing these tournaments are the ones who will keep the game alive and as long as golf is a relevant sport, I am happy. What is your take on the situation?
Here is a link to the story: http://www.pga.com/golf-equipment/equipment-feature/anchoring-putters-be-banned-under-rule-proposed-usga-and-ra
First, to understand my point of view you need to know I used to use a belly putter. I believe the belly putter should be legal. If you look at PGA tour putting stats you will notice the majority of the statiscal putting leaders use short putters. It is a huge adjustment to switch to a belly or long putter and doesn't work for everyone. Some coaches say it takes as many as 1000 putts to adjust. Finally, once you make the adjustment there are disadvantages like lag putting. My belly putter wasn't working for me and I switched back to a short putter. I am enjoying much more success with it.
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