Arm Lock Putting - Ban or Continue to Allow?

[ChetlovesMer]

On 4/25/2021 at 9:44 AM, longiron205 said:

Simple fix. Just make a rule that when gripping any club, the hands must be in contact with one another and that the club cannot extend more than 3 inches beyond the two hands in contact with one another. 

Why? 

[iacas]

I don't think Arm Lock is anywhere near as big of an advantage as people act like. I think it's also tougher to have a good sense or feel for things, especially as a righty.

[DrvFrShow]

I think the people who want it banned just don't like the way it looks. I tried it. It's hard. 

[iacas]

 

[DewSweeper09]

On 4/20/2021 at 11:09 PM, iacas said:

I grip down on chip shots all the time.

Agree. It’s a must for me with chip shots. I usually press the club forward gripping much lower down the grip.

[PeaceFrogg]

Meh, I voted to allow it to continue, as I can't see how it provides an unfair advantage. To me it looks like you're taking something that should be so simple, natural and flowing and making it overly complicated and mechanical so it doesn't seem it makes putting easier. Then again, I've always been an arc putter with a conventional grip and think straight back straight through and nontraditional putting grips are for the birds. 

[KMP]

I voted to ban just to stir the pot. I won't defend either one although the "asshat" crowd make a valid point. 🙂

[StuM]

I voted to allow it to continue.  Personally I do not like how it looks but last I checked Golf is not a beauty contest.  Also, for those saying to limit the length or loft nothing in the rules dictate which club or loft to use for a particular shot,  if I want to use my 48” driver to hit a putt I should be allowed to.  

[ChetlovesMer]

Let me start by saying I'm not the greatest putter in the world. But I'm far from the worst. Anyway, Yesterday I popped into a PGA superstore. 

I'm not in the market for a new putter, but I was checking out the new Cobra 3D printed models, because I think the concept is interesting. So, me and the sales guy are chit-chatting and he starts in on the "Bryson Arm-lock putter". 

So, I test drove it. It SEEMS like a cool concept. I even like the SIK face idea. Seems to make sense to my feeble mind. 

Anyway, I hated it. After trying about 3 or 4 different adjustments mostly on the advice of the sales guy. I just couldn't make it work for me. 

So, I have no problem with it being legal, because truthfully, I don't think it is enough of an advantage. For every one thing it helps it seems to screw something up. It may help some, but I think there are as many disadvantages as there are advantages. 

[Big Lex]

I think it's ok. Arm locking looks "odd" and is less golf-like than a conventional style, but it is not as weird as the long putter, anchoring, broomstick style. And FWIW, it sure seems like some guys "soft anchor" against their shirt rather than pushing firmly into their chest, so there are always limits to what you can do with rules....

I've found there's a trade off in putting...lots of things we do to reduce variability also seem to reduce feel. I've tried arm lock style putting, and I guess that while it maybe reduces or eliminates the error of "flipping" the putter head through impact, it is at first anyway much harder to feel the putter head and therefore to precisely vary how hard you are swinging. It's like trying to write with the pencil held in the crook of your elbow versus in your hand. 

What bugs me about many of the rules issues in golf is that many seem motivated entirely on appearance. I'm pretty sure the reason they went after long putters was that a bunch of stuffy people at the USGA and R&A didn't like the look of someone winning their championship with a putting stroke that looked like they were sweeping the floor. It's the same as the angst over distance, where I'm pretty sure the main R&A motivation is to make sure The Old Course isn't made obsolete for championships. 

There's only so much you can do...it's a game, it should be fun, and we shouldn't take it too seriously. 

 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Big Lex said:

What bugs me about many of the rules issues in golf is that many seem motivated entirely on appearance. I'm pretty sure the reason they went after long putters was that a bunch of stuffy people at the USGA and R&A didn't like the look of someone winning their championship with a putting stroke that looked like they were sweeping the floor.

That's not why. Not if you talk directly to the people, as I have at Rules seminars, etc. who made those calls.

It was legitimately about anchoring not being a true "swing" or a "stroke." It's not like belly putters or anchored putter people were winning everything. Nor were they even just putting really well, overall.

[TL308]

I don't think it offers some great advantage.  I see it as an option some guys like and others don't.  In fact, only a small percentage of players use it which leads me to believe if it is so great and such an advantage then why doesn't everyone use it?  Many players try it and end up going back to what they did before.   Just look at that silly sidesaddle putting technique Bryson tried in the past. LOL!  

[Hardluckster]

I don't really care one way or another, but to me it is Idiotic to consider limiting the length of the driver and still allow the extra long putter to be legal. 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Hardluckster said:

I don't really care one way or another, but to me it is Idiotic to consider limiting the length of the driver and still allow the extra long putter to be legal. 

Why?

Do people hit their putters too far?

[Vinsk]

I’m sure the limit will remain just fine for a while. I believe Bryson tried to go long and ultimately couldn’t control it well enough to bring it to the course. I heard Rory tried it out too but had the same issue. Matt Wallace? I think he tried a 48-49 shaft and just couldn’t do it either. Not sure why Phil thinks it’s such a bad idea.

[Bonvivant]

8 hours ago, Hardluckster said:

I don't really care one way or another, but to me it is Idiotic to consider limiting the length of the driver and still allow the extra long putter to be legal. 

New rule. No putters over 29 inches.....give the short guys some sort of edge lol.

[ChetlovesMer]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

Why?

Do people hit their putters too far?

I do all the time. 

2 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

New rule. No putters over 29 inches.....give the short guys some sort of edge lol.

I'm pretty sure that's what the new drop rule was for. When you little guys drop it from your knee, you're basically placing it. 

[Hardluckster]

On 9/6/2021 at 1:12 AM, iacas said:

Why?

Do people hit their putters too far?

That's funny. I'm not biting. 😂