Proposed Language for "Anti-Belly Putters Rule"

[iacas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

On topic, if you're going to ban something, don't allow a loophole by using the word "should" instead of the word "must".

Noted. Since that's not my idea for the language, but John Paramor's, I changed it anyway. I was confused at first because my rule (post #1) didn't contain the word "should."

[Clambake]

Erik, I don't see how your suggested language actually bans the belly or long putter.   By addressing only the grip you don't preclude someone from using a long putter but gripping part of it on the shaft itself.    It seems that if someone still wanted to use the belly putter they could adapt fairly easily to holding the putter this way.

Or did I read your proposed language changes wrong?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Clambake

Erik, I don't see how your suggested language actually bans the belly or long putter.   By addressing only the grip you don't preclude someone from using a long putter but gripping part of it on the shaft itself. It seems that if someone still wanted to use the belly putter they could adapt fairly easily to holding the putter this way.

No, you read it properly. I think it's a clever way to ban them without banning them. I don't think anyone's going to grip the putter on the steel. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right. I suspect we won't find out.

You could ban them entirely if you used John Paramor's rule.

[TheGeekGolfer]

Originally Posted by iacas

Not if the shaft sticks out from the end of the grip, it isn't.

To quote the existing rule:

The bold part is what I'm talking about. Cowtown said in the other thread he'll just mount his grip partway down his shaft, have the raw (steel, whatever) shaft sticking out. The rules already disallow that (bold part), so that additional wording is unnecessary in my part v, I suppose.

OK...I read it wrong.  I was 'extending' the grip upwards past the 'butt end of the club'.  Your referring to the grip extending downwards so it can't be split or have a non-grip part extending past the grip, right?  Actually, I did this before, stuck an old shaft in the grip of an old putter and put a little rubber cover over the end and used it as a belly putter.  I didn't know this was 'banned'.  This was about 10 years ago, wasn't really playing any tournaments back then, although I am usually a stickler for 'the rules' and didn't know this one.

BTW - I putted 'crappy' with it, the belly putter thing is the worst way to putt (IMO).  The broomstick, I could see, especially if I was older and couldn't bend over as well.

The owner of one of the driving range I frequent is a very good putter and goes side-saddle with a 'broomstick'.  He also plays over in Europe on the senior tour over there.  But...that is way

[LankyLefty]

I would agree that this doesn't "ban" the belly putter. It just bans the grips and with a simple glove you could easily still swing a Belly putter with similar result as with a grip without one. I don't particularly like belly putters but I think this wording would not only not stop there use but make them more awkward because they would have no grip.

In my opinion no club should have any part designed to make contact with the players body at any other place then their hands.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by LankyLefty

I don't particularly like belly putters but I think this wording would not only not stop there use but make them more awkward because they would have no grip.

"It wouldn't stop their use but it would make it more awkward"? That's what I was going for. Want to grip way down on the steel? Go for it I say!

[rolopolo]

belly putatoes

I can just imagine if somebody pulled out a belly putatoe at my middle of nowhere golf club in South Africa where I grew up

Folks would be giraffing their arses off and most of them probably wouldnt know what it is. You would get so much stick, probably even more than you would for listening to Bon Jovi or wearing socks with yer sandles

It just aint golf Im afraid