Tiger Wants to Ban the Long Putter

[brocks]

I'd like to see the PGA go back to wooden woods, steel shafts, and forged blade irons.  Get rid of the hybrids and rescue clubs and go back to long irons...and wound golf balls too.  Back in the day Nicklas was hitting wound golf balls with a 1 iron 220.  Now that's a 6 iron.  The techno impact of golf has gotten ridiculous.  Guys are hitting Driver, wedge to 500 yard par 4s. They keep stretching the courses out to compensate and that just narows the field to the long ball hitters.  It's time golf got back to being about strategy, course management, ball striking, and shot making.  A majority of the difference is in the golf balls.  In the old days you had to choose either distance or spin...now you get both with the multi-layer soft skin solid core balls.  In the old days the guys were hitting hard golf balls 200 yards with a 4 iron and had to roll the ball onto the green.  Now they hit a high 6 or 7 iron 200 yards and spin it back 6 feet.

I can't remember the last time I heard anybody defend the juiced up ball and clubs (at least for pros), but nobody seems to want to do anything about it. Meanwhile, a LOT of people want to keep the long putters, but they are having all kinds of discussions about banning them. Golf has it backwards. In baseball, they ban aluminum bats for pros to make it harder to hit home runs. In golf, the pros have all the super-duper techno advances way before it gets in the stores.

[nututhugame]

Unless they're going to ban 460cc titanium drivers, metalwoods, the new balls, hybrids and manufacturers training/fitting facilities they should not ban any putters.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by brocks

I can't remember the last time I heard anybody defend the juiced up ball and clubs (at least for pros), but nobody seems to want to do anything about it. Meanwhile, a LOT of people want to keep the long putters, but they are having all kinds of discussions about banning them.

Golf has it backwards. In baseball, they ban aluminum bats for pros to make it harder to hit home runs. In golf, the pros have all the super-duper techno advances way before it gets in the stores.

That's not really the topic of this thread, of course, but I will add that there are no real "super duper techno advances." We've had an Overall Distance Standard for quite some time. We have rules on CoR in drivers, length of drivers, etc. Golfers simply swing faster these days (some of it due to longer/lighter/larger faced drivers, sure).

But again, let's stick to the topic (Tiger, belly/long putters). Feel free to start a new one bemoaning modern technology, and you'll hear plenty of people "defending" the equipment we have now, including me.

[mvmac]

Quote:

But again, let's stick to the topic (Tiger, belly/long putters). Feel free to start a new one bemoaning modern technology, and you'll hear plenty of people "defending" the equipment we have now, including me.

Good idea http://thesandtrap.com/t/55967/does-modern-golf-technology-have-too-much-technology#post_683236

[Vladimir Puttin']

It ain't gonna happen.  Long putters are here to stay.

What is going to change in the foreseeable future is a restriction on initial velocity of the ball.  Courses have been stretched and lengthened to their limit but guys are still hitting driver/9 iron into par 5s.

Mark my words.

[Texian]

I couldn't agree more completely, on both points. I predicted something similar concerning the long putter on this site in an earlier thread.

With such brilliance, Vladimir, why are things not better in Russia?

That was a rhetorical question.

Answer: They need more golf courses (and economic capacity for more people to enjoy the game).

Originally Posted by Vladimir Puttin'

It ain't gonna happen.  Long putters are here to stay.

What is going to change in the foreseeable future is a restriction on initial velocity of the ball.  Courses have been stretched and lengthened to their limit but guys are still hitting driver/9 iron into par 5s.

Mark my words.

[bkuhnsman]

I agree.  With the amount of golf lessons I give, I know that the putter is the key to success.  I feel that any part of the club that touches your body besides your hands, should be outlawed.  It makes it easier for some to achieve a pure stroke.  It does not work me personally, but it goes against the rules of golf.  So if they look at long putters, you should be able to use them to a certain length, but not touch the body in anyway.  I feel that would take care of the problem that people, like tiger have with the putters.  What do you think?

[bplewis24]

I think I like it.

[Texian]

Which rule is that?

Originally Posted by bkuhnsman  It does not work me personally, but it goes against the rules of golf.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by bkuhnsman

I agree.  With the amount of golf lessons I give, I know that the putter is the key to success.  I feel that any part of the club that touches your body besides your hands, should be outlawed.  It makes it easier for some to achieve a pure stroke.  It does not work me personally, but it goes against the rules of golf.  So if they look at long putters, you should be able to use them to a certain length, but not touch the body in anyway.  I feel that would take care of the problem that people, like tiger have with the putters.  What do you think?

Ditto Texian.

Here we go again - someone who thinks that they can just pretend that there are rules that do not exist.

Please identify the "rule" you are referring to.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by bkuhnsman

I agree.  With the amount of golf lessons I give, I know that the putter is the key to success.  I feel that any part of the club that touches your body besides your hands, should be outlawed.  It makes it easier for some to achieve a pure stroke.  It does not work me personally, but it goes against the rules of golf.  So if they look at long putters, you should be able to use them to a certain length, but not touch the body in anyway.  I feel that would take care of the problem that people, like tiger have with the putters.  What do you think?

You can say that it goes against the spirit of golf in your opinion.  And I would agree.  But it does not go against the rules of golf or Keegan Bradley would have been disqualified from winning the PGA past year.

[chipanaputt]

You can make a case for banning them or allowing them and I'll go along with either but spare a thought for the guy just trying to get some joy back into his game - not win a Major.

I've got a good buddy here who was almost at the stage of giving up, all because of his putting. Three-putt greens were the rule, I've even seen him 5-putt. Unless you've witnessed a hooked putt you can't understand the misery the guy was going through. It really was painful to watch. Tee to green, pretty decent. On the greens, suicidal.

He went to a belly and although he's never going to be a great putter, at least he can go out and play a round without the gut-wrenching misery his putting was causing.

[tomvk77]

I think he is right, away with those long putters. The art off putting go's away with this.

The advantage on dropping can be tackled otherwise in my opinion.

You can only massure the club length with the club you will use to hit the shot.

This rule is already in use on rabbit holes or what so ever.

[SergioG]

I think Tiger is right. I'd like to see it banded too.

[Jmdmbike]

I don't use a long/belly putter, but I don't have a problem with people that do. It seems that there are lots of people who benefit from them - from fixing a poor stroke to relieving a bad back. If using a long putter keeps more people in the game, then I'm ok with it. What I find odd is that I can count on one hand the number of people I've played with who use a long/belly putter. Such a hot topic, but outside of the pros on tour, I havent seen many people actually using them.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by turtleback

You can say that it goes against the spirit of golf in your opinion.  And I would agree.  But it does not go against the rules of golf or Keegan Bradley would have been disqualified from winning the PGA past year.

I'd like to ban Adam Scott from being recorded on any network television cameras.  He has by far the worst-looking "belly putter" there is.  It's actually a "chest putter".

Brandon

[Stretch]

Yo bro, mine's longer than yours. Deal with it!

[sammie]

If the long putter is banned they will eventually be history. The USGA has also come out and said there will only be one rule of golf for pros and amateurs. Those of you who want these long putters banned be careful for what you wish for. If the R& A and USGA ban anchoring to your body, they may ban anchoring to your forearm, see ya left hand low!!!