Adam Scott Rebuts Tiger's Putter Length Theory
The American believes putter length should be capped and be equal or less than the shortest club in the golfer's bag. Scott was not a fan of that idea.
"His voice carries some weight on the issue, a lot of players have been quite outspoken about it and certainly when Tiger Woods speaks about it generates a lot of interest," the 32-year-old said of arguably the world's greatest golfer.
"But I'm not necessarily sure his views on what the putter should be are correct at all, I don't think the putter should be the shortest club in the bag, that has never been a rule in golf so I don't know why it should be now."
In Tiger's defense, he's only talked about the matter when asked. He's hardly been a crusader. At least publicly.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 08:27 AM
Reader Comments (35)
And he gets paid way to much money by nike to speak out against the ball
It seems like TW just threw that out there without giving it full consideration.
There's nobody out there with a broomstick putter that's a great putter. I'm not sure about the belly putter but I think the best putters use the traditional version.
The only benefit I see from this potential rule change is that the USGA and R&A may tackle the ball and driver head size next.
We have taken a lot of the skill, artistry and imagination away already.Lets not remove nerve a well.
And my response to that is: "Yeah, so what?" So what if a few yippy pros (and a few thousand amateurs) putt a LITTLE better with a longer, anchored putter? You, Geoff, and a number of others give no cogent reason for a ban except, I presume, that "it doesn't look good."
Well, boo hoo. Until great putters become greater by never missing inside 12 feet and making almost everything from 20 or 30, the idea that an anchored putter is "bad for the game" is nothing but hooey-filled claptrap.
Let's get the USGA to do something that will actually HELP the game: rein in distance via the ball and what-was-already-illegal Spring Effect and you'll save money on course expansion, course maintenance and thus collaterally, you'll have faster play and lower green fees. (The two biggest obstacles in the way of golf's survival.)
Banning longer putters will rank right up there on the list of Momentous Decisions with the genius move to "fix" the grooves.
If instituted, they say the ban will become effective in 2016. My wish is that EVERY major and DOZENS of important events, both professional and amateur are won with longer putters.
Wow! A bit of PASSION (caps sub for italics) in our writing this afternoon! Did you and the guys slurp down a couple of extra margaritas?
The problem is that we are on the verge of ''making the regular putter go the way of the persimmon driver'' as was so shockingly stated earlier today.
Do you really want that?
Really? Okay, here we go.
A shorter ball and a muffled driver will immediately eliminate the need for longer new courses and expanding current layouts. Shorter golf courses will mean less land required and thus reduced upkeep by maintenance crews. Shorter golf courses means less time spent ON the golf course resulting in faster play. (Also: amateurs won't be constantly thinking "I can hit this par 5 in two so I'm going to wait until that group gets off the green.") Shorter golf courses = less upkeep = fewer crew members and land costs = reduced green fees.
And about this: << The problem is that we are on the verge of ''making the regular putter go the way of the persimmon driver'' as was so shockingly stated earlier today. >>
Yeah, so what? If every golfer was wielding an anchored putter, I'm doubting overall scoring wouldn't change one bit. Perhaps your jittery grandpa loses his case of the yips and now wants to get out there a few more times each summer. That's bad?
Again: If the anchored putter was a decided advantage then EVERYBODY WOULD BE USING IT. Many try the long stick and find that it doesn't help.... they still putt like crap. (Ask Phil M.) Even that lyin' cheatin' Adam Scott, whose game was Totally Turned Around by the long putter barely moved an inch in the putting stats. The two top cheaters in the Strokes Gained category are Carl Petterson at number 20 and Keegan Bradley lists at 28. It's THAT kind of non-dominance that makes a ban necessary?
Please: somebody show me some statistics that say the long putter provides a Measurable Genuine Advantage and I'll change my tune in a microsecond. (Well, by 2016, anyway.)
(don't get to say that often;)
That you RLL?
This picture here says you are wrong:
golfcentraldaily (dot) com/2012/02/keegan-bradley-blasts-back-at-tiger-and (dot) html
Hangs in the Riviera clubhouse. What year you figure that's from?
Not quite. Although Zinger loves to fabricate the tale that he "invented" the belly putter, it's on record that Paul Runyan actually came up with the idea way back in the 1930's. I saw Runyan's protege, touring pro Chuck Courtney, also use one in San Diego when I was a toddler in the 1960's.
Bringing up another good point: if it's been around for more than 70 years and it worked so damn well, then where's the wave of fantastic flatstickers rolling them in from everywhere? I must have missed that.
It's purely an issue of aesthetics.
There is absolutely zero statistical evidence whatsoever that anchoring the putter is a superior method for holing out sooner -- period.
And I still haven't gotten an answer as to why now?
Maybe like the Republican Party golf has to figure out how to expand its base beyond white dudes
Add a new condition of competition under local PGAT rules that bans anchoring and defines them as teaching aides and the problem goes away.
Note: I have more of a problem with belly putters than the broomstick Scott uses...at least the broomstick forces a golfer to learn a new posture and stance, stroke with only one hand applying power, etc...the belly is nothing but a crutch.
If you don't believe me then just checkout howMarco Dawson uses the belly. I saw on TV a few weeks ago how he starts off by setting the putter behind the ball with both hands, takes BOTH hands OFF the club, and then he leans his body/belly into the shaft/grip like one would prop up a rickety fence in high winds with a metal pole!!!! Now if someone can honestly tell me they could do that with anything OTHER than a fulcrum powered "long" putter then I got some magic beans to sell ya along with a NY bridge.