Bernhard Langer

[fishgolf]

I've slowly become a Bernhard fan as the years roll along.  I watch many of the Champions Tour events during the season and this guy is simply amazing - almost machine like. Having attended all but two of the Boeing Classic events at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, I had the opportunity to see and follow him around the course a couple of times.  He always seems so under control and for someone who had to make the switch from an anchored to an anchored putter, hardly lost a step in his continued dominance in the senior tour.  He is one of the best finishers with the lead (and in close chase) as I've seen.  Plus, his Charles Schwab Cup commercials are a stitch.  

His playoff elimination at the Mitsubishi today, a bit of a slow start to the 2018 season, and the infusion of some new young bucks to the field might be showing a wee crack in the armor.  Nah, I'm guessing he continues to mow down records and solidify his place as the greatest senior player in history - thoughts?

 

[dennyjones]

I've slowly leaned to enjoy his game as well.   

[Shorty]

3 hours ago, fishgolf said:

for someone who had to make the switch from an anchored to an anchored putter,  thoughts?

 

Many think that your misprint actually represents the facts. Unless you're trying to be funny. And it is quite funny. 

Apart from the fact that the "look" of long putters is one of the things that makes golf look like an old person's game - irrespective of whether his current stroke is suspect or not. That's not funny. I think the rule makers thought the long putters would disappear after the rule change. They probably didn't think that guys like Langer would essentially ignore the rule for practice strokes and then have to debate whether they were anchoring or not when they make their actual stroke. He looks very suspect a lot of the time.

 

 

Edited April 15, 2018 by Shorty

[fishgolf]

13 hours ago, Shorty said:

Many think that your misprint actually represents the facts. Unless you're trying to be funny. And it is quite funny. 

Apart from the fact that the "look" of long putters is one of the things that makes golf look like an old person's game - irrespective of whether his current stroke is suspect or not. That's not funny. I think the rule makers thought the long putters would disappear after the rule change. They probably didn't think that guys like Langer would essentially ignore the rule for practice strokes and then have to debate whether they were anchoring or not when they make their actual stroke. He looks very suspect a lot of the time.

 

 

No, that was just my typo goof.  I know there is still debate among some whether he is still "anchored" or not, but have to believe that the PGA has studied film sufficiently to assure he is meeting the rule. I never really got the whole anchored putting thing as being an unfair advantage.  Certainly the "broom style" putter was a significant departure from the standard to that point, but if it was that advantageous, one would think many, many more players would have adopted it.  The few folks I knew that tried that method were soon back to their old putters. 

[Vinsk]

Nope. Unless an official or another player is standing right up against him and watching, or a video/pic is closely evaluated, it’s pure speculation whether he’s anchoring or not. I do not believe he intentionally anchors as he seems to be an honest guy ..just careless at times and gets away with it. My last post shows a clear picture of him immediately after making contact with the ball  and clearly shows he’s anchoring. The USGA just asked him and he says no. Of course he says no just as I would say no if asked if I’m swinging OTT. He means to take his hand off his chest and knows he’s supposed to ...but the USGA doesn’t really care that much so meh....it happens.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Vinsk

[fishgolf]

7 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Nope. Unless an official or another player is standing right up against him and watching, or a video/pic is closely evaluated, it’s pure speculation whether he’s anchoring or not. I do not believe he intentionally anchors as he seems to be an honest guy ..just careless at times and gets away with it. My last post shows a clear picture of him immediately after making contact with the ball  and clearly shows he’s anchoring. The USGA just asked him and he says no. Of course he says no just as I would say no if asked if I’m swinging OTT. He means to take his hand off his chest and knows he’s supposed to ...but the USGA doesn’t really care that much so meh....it happens.

Perhaps this has been covered in another thread, but how exactly does anchoring unfairly increase ones ability to make putts?  When this whole issue first surfaced I never bought into the argument and still don't.  If is was such an advantage, I should think everyone would be doing it. 

[krupa]

11 hours ago, fishgolf said:

Perhaps this has been covered in another thread, but how exactly does anchoring unfairly increase ones ability to make putts?  When this whole issue first surfaced I never bought into the argument and still don't.  If is was such an advantage, I should think everyone would be doing it. 

A statement from USGA regarding anchored putting:

Quote

"We strongly believe that this rule is for the betterment of the game," USGA president Glen Nager said. "Rule 14-1b protects one of the important challenges in the game -- the free swing of the entire club."

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/05/21/anchoring-rule.html

I don't think others picked it up because the gain (a couple putts, maybe, a round?) wouldn't be worth the time, effort, and initial degradation to their game required to adopt it.

[3jacker]

He's an amazing golfer.

Very ugly swing to watch.  And then there's the putter thing.

But he sure gets it done.

[ncates00]

He's a stud on the senior tour.

[golfjedi777]

I was watching him yesterday at the Open and the man is a killer. Hits fairways and destroys putts. Not to mention a heck of a short game. He was totally outplaying his partner. He didnt jave the fancy new clubs or the sponsors. He just played solid gold. At the age of 60 this guy is my hero. Wow hope the pay more attention the mr. Langer.

Bernhard is a true clutch player im a fan !!!!

Does anyone one know his 2018 Open WITB ?

cheers 

Spoiler

 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 4/15/2018 at 1:17 PM, Vinsk said:

Nope. Unless an official or another player is standing right up against him and watching, or a video/pic is closely evaluated, it’s pure speculation whether he’s anchoring or not. I do not believe he intentionally anchors as he seems to be an honest guy ..just careless at times and gets away with it. My last post shows a clear picture of him immediately after making contact with the ball  and clearly shows he’s anchoring. The USGA just asked him and he says no. Of course he says no just as I would say no if asked if I’m swinging OTT. He means to take his hand off his chest and knows he’s supposed to ...but the USGA doesn’t really care that much so meh....it happens.

Gary McCord would not agree! On the last tournament telecast on CBS that I watched, he got pretty exercised about a certain player who was obviously anchoring! He said things like, "Hey, if you're going to make a rule, make a rule and enforce it!" And, "Oh, don't get me started!", talking about the player's putting stroke.

On 4/16/2018 at 7:55 AM, krupa said:

A statement from USGA regarding anchored putting:

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/05/21/anchoring-rule.html

I don't think others picked it up because the gain (a couple putts, maybe, a round?) wouldn't be worth the time, effort, and initial degradation to their game required to adopt it.

Are you kidding me? A couple of putts a round, over the course of a season, could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars! Thus, the incentive to cheat!

Sam Snead addressed this issue with "sidesaddle" putting, Then, the USGA said you could not straddle the line, so he stepped to one side of it.

Kind of reminds me of Rick Barry, of the NBA, shooting foul shots underhand. It's a valid method, but most pros are too vain to try it!

[Aflighter]

29 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Gary McCord would not agree! On the last tournament telecast on CBS that I watched, he got pretty exercised about a certain player who was obviously anchoring! He said things like, "Hey, if you're going to make a rule, make a rule and enforce it!" And, "Oh, don't get me started!", talking about the player's putting stroke.

Are you kidding me? A couple of putts a round, over the course of a season, could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars! Thus, the incentive to cheat!

Sam Snead addressed this issue with "sidesaddle" putting, Then, the USGA said you could not straddle the line, so he stepped to one side of it.

Kind of reminds me of Rick Barry, of the NBA, shooting foul shots underhand. It's a valid method, but most pros are too vain to try it!

Yeah he must be cheating with his other clubs too like his hybrids the way he hits them.60 year old man schooling them young boys on how to play golf.

[MrGolfguy67]

I've been a Bernhard Langer fan for 30+ years, since I followed him for an entire 18 hole round in the late 80s at Colonial when he was the 1st ever #1 Golfer in the new OWGR.

[brocks]

On 7/21/2018 at 6:00 PM, Aflighter said:

Yeah he must be cheating with his other clubs too like his hybrids the way he hits them.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only logician on this board.  I said exactly the same thing about Tiger at the 2013 Masters.  How could people say he dropped his ball in the wrong spot after seeing how well he played his long irons?

[Golfingdad]

On 7/21/2018 at 5:29 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

Gary McCord would not agree! On the last tournament telecast on CBS that I watched, he got pretty exercised about a certain player who was obviously anchoring! He said things like, "Hey, if you're going to make a rule, make a rule and enforce it!" And, "Oh, don't get me started!", talking about the player's putting stroke.

Are you kidding me? A couple of putts a round, over the course of a season, could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars! Thus, the incentive to cheat!

Sam Snead addressed this issue with "sidesaddle" putting, Then, the USGA said you could not straddle the line, so he stepped to one side of it.

Kind of reminds me of Rick Barry, of the NBA, shooting foul shots underhand. It's a valid method, but most pros are too vain to try it!

Was it David Hearn?  He's the one guy I noticed a couple weeks back that seems to be an "anchorer" on the regular tour.  Along with Langer and McCarron on the senior tour, it's like these guys "called the bluff" of the USGA.  If they say they're not anchoring, then they're not anchoring and that's the end of it.  So it's not really a very good rule in that regard, because it's really not enforceable.

[colin007]

On 7/26/2018 at 6:26 PM, Golfingdad said:

Was it David Hearn?  He's the one guy I noticed a couple weeks back that seems to be an "anchorer" on the regular tour.  Along with Langer and McCarron on the senior tour, it's like these guys "called the bluff" of the USGA.  If they say they're not anchoring, then they're not anchoring and that's the end of it.  So it's not really a very good rule in that regard, because it's really not enforceable.

Was that the guy I saw yesterday? I'm watching on TV and I see a guy anchoring, must've been him. 

I don't like the rule, and I *think* those guys are cheating.

[308 Ragin Cajun]

He's had to overcome the yips several times during his career. Personally i don't see how anchoring is any advantage. I remember when thy outlawed Sam Snead's "croquet" style because he straddled the line of the putt, but golfers do that ll the time on TV while putting out without steeping in their fellow competitor's line. Probably the powers that were t the time thought that Sm's "cropquet" style didn't lok ignified on the golf course. they probably rolled over in their graves when guys started using the long putter..

[Vinsk]

5 minutes ago, 308 Ragin Cajun said:

Personally i don't see how anchoring is any advantage.

Nobody ever said it was. The ban on anchoring has nothing to with it being an advantage. If it had been there would’ve been a whole lot more doing it before there ever was a ban. It has to do with the technique not being {in the true nature of a stroke.}