Tiger On Anchoring Ban Eve: "It should be a swinging motion throughout the entire bag."

Speaking at his tournament, the World Challenge, Tiger Woods was asked right off the bat about Wednesday's likely anchoring ban.

Q.  You were pretty blunt about what you thought about the long putters when asked about it earlier this year.  How much do you think what you've said led to what's going to happen tomorrow?

TIGER WOODS:  Well, I think it's  I was just asked my own opinion, and that was it.  I don't know if it carried any weight or not, but I just believe that the art of putting is swinging the club and controlling nerves and having it as a fixed point, as I was saying all year, is something that's not in the traditions of the game.  We swing all other 13 clubs.  I think the putter should be the same.  It should be a swinging motion throughout the entire bag.

I don't know if there's any statistical data on it, but I'm sure there is somewhere, about whether or not anchoring the putter does help on a certain range of putts, especially the guys who have gotten the twitches a little bit.  But I think that what  one of the things that I was concerned about going forward is the kids who get started in the game and starting to putt with an anchoring system.  There have been some guys who have had success out here, and obviously everyone always copies what we do out here, and that's something that I think for the greater good of the game needs to be adjusted.

Comments

[mark]

Tiger "is something that's not in the traditions of the game" I know all the talk is about the ball and the drivers, but very little talk about the grass. Fairways are like greens of old, if not faster and When they are 14" on the stemp, the old style of putting is not the best way to putt anymore. When they ran 8" if you were lucky, you needed more hands to basically chip the ball on top of the grass and get it rolling. Now, you just Tap It In, Just Tap It In. So a different puttting stroke is needed. I just want to know what the USGA should have us, PGA golf pros, l tell our players that we been selling Belly and Long putters to. Funny, they dont deal with the 30 handicappers, only the + Handicappers. We are on the front lines day in and day out. Plus, what is the USGA going to tell the manufactures. Opp, our bad, all those nice belly putter fitting clubs you made can be scrap now? I am lucky enough to know a past president and if they do ban it for all, I will send him a letter along with my USGA member tag.

[GolfFan]

Anchored putting does not constitute a stroke. The only upset should be that it has taken so long to act upon it.

I do declare ...

[BrianS]

Tiger is right on. The idea that anyone will quit golf because of this is absurd. Or if they will, who needs them ?

[e9golf]

BrianS, anyone who makes a living in the golf industry needs them... and yes, there are some players whose enjoyment of the game will decline if they can't use an anchored putter, and they may play less or even quit. To think otherwise is simply ignorant.

By the way, I hope someone asks Tiger what he'd prefer if he were given the choice to ban the anchored putting technique or roll back the high distance, low-spin golf ball. My bet is that he'd roll back the ball as it's had a bigger impact on the game and his advantage over the field week in and week out.

[Adam Clayman]

A “stroke’’ is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

There is nothing about a swing in the rules of golf.

[Amen Coroner]

Adam,

There's also nothing in there about PED's or wearing long pants vs shorts.

[Sari]

Seems crazy, but another good Tiger press conference. Thoughtful answers on bifurcation, the anchor ban and the Old course changes,, an expansive answer on how he derives confidence and a general sense of openness. Keep it up, it's refreshing.

[Brad]

Mark, go back to folding sweaters

[Amen Coroner]

And pushing carts!

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

@ BrianS ... presumably, you've never suffered from the yips? For those who've found salvation in using a broomhandle or belly putter, they will have to find some other way to make a stroke. Almost inevitably, it will be a compromise and enjoyment reduced.

As far as I'm concerned, the Keegans and Simpsons of this world have done a great disservice to those who really need them.

[Adam Clayman]

Amen, Are we discussing golf, or pro golf? The usga should be challenging the notion that if a club is played on tour it will sell. Let the tour change their rules, not the rules of golf.

[Charlie]

Tiger nailed it. Its not about Webb Simpson or Adam Scott, its about the millions of up in coming amateurs that are going straight to anchoring. Who knows what the game will look like in 10 years if majority of guys are using anchored putters and chipping with wedges that are anchored.

The game isn't going to lose players because of this and its not going to deter anyone from picking up the game. Yes, they waited too long to ban, yes there are more important issues like the distance of ball, but banning is the right thing for the game.