The heated debate on belly putters continues this week as the USGA and Royal & Ancient Golf Club propose a ban on the anchoring of clubs during a stroke. The proposed ban wouldn’t make the use of belly and chest putters illegal, rather, it would make anchoring them to the body against the rules.
U.S. Golf Association executive director Mike Davis told the Golf Channel, “We’re not doing this because we said (anchoring) is a great advantage. It may be advantageous for some, but this is fundamentally about what we think is the right thing for the game.”
This new rule, 14-1b, would take effect in 2016 when the new Rules of Golf is published. It will encompass all levels of golf, from the amateur to professional.
Three of the last five major winners have used belly putters to claim their victories, including 14-year old Tianlang Guan, who won the Asian Amateur with a belly putter he’d begun using only 6 months before.
What do you think about the debate over belly putters?
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