Ban Belly Putters?

[jamo]

And since you tried to tell me I didn't make an argument, which I did, but let me clarify it for you: using a belly putter is no more of an advantage than using an adjustable driver. THERE! Is that worded simple enough for you?

Why is that? You can't adjust a club during play, and there's nothing an adjustable club can do that a good fitting couldn't also do.

[Texian]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

You are the type of person who society should just ignore, but I can not help myself. Not because I am a fan of Tiger, but because you are a racist piece of shit.

What provoked you to say this? You jumped straight to a filthy racist response because of a man's opinion on belly putters.

Belly putters. If you sink this low over something like this, I would hate to see your opinions on other things...like black history month.

If you are so smug to post a racist remark here on this forum, throw on your white robe and do something about it.....fact is you won't. You're a coward, a racist and a ****ing joke.

May the rest of your days on this planet be spent miserable - which you clearly are.

I can see the gravestone now.

---Here lies Texian---

Remembered for being a racist

Forever alone

Easily forgotten

Not missed

Any words can mean any thing to any one, if they try hard enough and want badly enough to be offended.

My use of the phrase as it concerns Tiger Woods was not intended to refer to his race or slavery, or whatever else you think it refers to.

If you ever picked cotton, and I have, you will know that the phrase is descriptive of the action and not the person. The point is that the person is being grabby.

Picking cotton by hand is hard, back-breaking labor. By hand a talented cotton picker can sack some 100-300 pounds a day. If Tiger ever tried it, he could probably do 400, as skilled as he is with his hands. I never picked more than about 125 pounds a day, but I was fortunate to escape the cotton patch before I was fully grown.

You pick lots of cotton by grabbing lots of prickly bolls, maybe 30,000 to 40,000 individual cotton bolls, by hand, or about a boll of cotton per second for every second of a sunrise to sunset day, with a break for lunch and maybe a short nap. That’s what cotton pickin’ hands means.

“Keep your cotton pickin’…” whatever is like a lot of other innocent phrases that overly sensitive political correctophyles these days can claim to be racist.

I would say the same thing to anyone who is grabby—whether they’re white, black, Hispanic, Oriental, or mixed, and I have. In fact, there are people in government who I’d like to suggest the same thing—if it wouldn’t sound racist. Like, “Keep your cotton pickin’ hands off my handguns.”

[jpalermo]

Originally Posted by Stretch

I dislike Tiger's solution. I am 6'7" and my (otherwise entirely conventional) putter is at least an inch longer than my pitching wedge.

Hence the reason I brought up Kucok's putter. The guy is 6'11". I stopped at GS today, 38.5" putter. Which if any one cares was a Redwood ZB with a Superstroke grip....

To tell him he can't use a putter that fits him because it's too long is absurd, but they should figure out a way to regulate the motion or "stroke", if you will, to some degree. Which isn't exactly necessary until they do a little research on the subject. I personally can't use them, I putt worse with it in the few times I've tried them. This will be a very long, heated debate until they either prove there is or is not an advantage in usin one

[iacas]

Originally Posted by jpalermo

Hence the reason I brought up Kucok's putter. The guy is 6'11". I stopped at GS today, 38.5" putter. Which if any one cares was a Redwood ZB with a Superstroke grip....

To tell him he can't use a putter that fits him because it's too long is absurd, but they should figure out a way to regulate the motion or "stroke", if you will, to some degree.

How long is his pitching wedge? Taller guys will often have longer clubs, of course (not always if their arms are long, but if their arms are long, they don't need as long a putter, either).

I'm not saying length is the way I'd go or that it'll "work" either. In fact, my idea is still out there.

[caniac6]

I haven't read this entire thread, but has anyone considered Tim Clark. Tim uses a long putter because of a physical condition that prevents him from putting his hands in the position to use a conventional putter.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by caniac6

I haven't read this entire thread, but has anyone considered Tim Clark. Tim uses a long putter because of a physical condition that prevents him from putting his hands in the position to use a conventional putter.

In any sport, physical disabilities may preclude a person from being able to play at a high level.  Why should golf be any different?

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

In any sport, physical disabilities may preclude a person from being able to play at a high level.  Why should golf be any different?

^This

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

In any sport, physical disabilities may preclude a person from being able to play at a high level.  Why should golf be any different?

Exactly.

While I feel bad for the people with bad backs, why should they be guaranteed the option to play a sport? My friend is dating a once-promising baseball player who screwed up his knee in an auto accident and can't even run now let alone play baseball. It sucks, but that's life.

The politically correct will hate statements like these, but oh well.

[newtogolf]

I think the USGA needs to ban the long/belly putter for the pro's but keep it legal for amatuers, groove rule without any expiration date.  Pro's in every sport are expected to compete at the highest levels in the sport without the aid of special equipment.

Originally Posted by caniac6

I haven't read this entire thread, but has anyone considered Tim Clark. Tim uses a long putter because of a physical condition that prevents him from putting his hands in the position to use a conventional putter.

[TheGeekGolfer]

I don't like this. It's been around for quite some time and when some people start winning with it, then people jump in to ban it. Yes, I understand that rules are not set in stone and should evolve, but I don't agree with this one. In general, I don't like changes to the rules to ban something that was previously allowed, just because some people have found a way to use an allowed club successfully. This ones stinks along the lines of the ban on straddling your line while putting. Someone saw a putting method that was having success, but they weren't doing it that way, so it was banned.

[SVTGolfer]

Im curious, how many of you anti belly/long putter people have actually tried one???

[jamo]

Im curious, how many of you anti belly/long putter people have actually tried one???

I have. I'm not that great with a regular putter, but I'm much worse with a long one.

[TheGeekGolfer]

I tried the belly putter about 6 yrs ago. I didn't like it, lost all touch on longer putts. Also didn't like the putterhead being outside my eyeline.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by SVTGolfer

Im curious, how many of you anti belly/long putter people have actually tried one???

Not I.  It would feel like cheating to me , and I like to play straight up.

Brandon

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Not I.  It would feel like cheating to me, and I like to play straight up.

Brandon

Why would it feel like cheating?

It isn't cheating.

Crap putters with the yips do it.

[SVTGolfer]

Hahahaha. Honestly I find all the guys calling it "cheating" pathetic! It's still just a putter. You still have to make a good stroke with it and you can just as easily pull, push, & miss a putt with it. People are acting like its a magic stick that automatically makes an average joe into a tour pro. You're either afraid of it & Intimidated by it, or you're ignorant to what it actually helps a player accomplish. I think it's poor sportsmanship to sit there and complain about something you may not have tried, might not understand, or are just plain mad at the fact that another player found a club that works for them and not yourself. If there hadn't been a huge influx of the longer putters on the PGA Tour and multiple winners with it nobody would even care.

One thing I don't understand about this thread and so many of the negative posts is why? Why are people so negative? Why can't guys be supportive and happy for someone who has found a putter that works? It makes the game more enjoyable for others and helps speed up play.

Im starting to get the feeling that most of the anti belly/long putter guys have an attitude of "I'm better than you because I use a short putter and you use a long putter." It's pretty sad really...

By the way, I use a short putter (35") but I've tried a belly putter myself, and I think it works well actually. I support those guys that want to use one to improve their game!

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I think the USGA needs to ban the long/belly putter for the pro's but keep it legal for amatuers, groove rule without any expiration date.  Pro's in every sport are expected to compete at the highest levels in the sport without the aid of special equipment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by caniac6

I haven't read this entire thread, but has anyone considered Tim Clark. Tim uses a long putter because of a physical condition that prevents him from putting his hands in the position to use a conventional putter.

I'm gonna go ahead and vote "bullshit" on that one.

[newtogolf]

You can vote however you like that's what's great about these forums.  Maybe next time you can elaborate a bit more.

As far as I'm aware there aren't any rules in professional sports that enables players to utilize non-conforming equipment to compensate for some physical or mental disorder (like the yips) in order to maintain their professional status in the sport.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I'm gonna go ahead and vote "bullshit" on that one.