Opinion & Analysis
Is there legal recourse against the anchored putter ban?
Barring a position reversal by the governing bodies of golf or a dramatic legal challenge to the anchoring rule, the anchored stroke will no longer be permitted at any level on Jan. 1, 2016. The anchoring ban was solidified when the PGA Tour policy board adopted Rule 14-1b, the anchoring-ban rule adopted by the United State Golf Association and Royal & Ancient Golf Club (the “USGA” and “R&A,” respectively).
While the Tour was originally one of the most vocal critics of the anchoring ban, the policy board cited the need to provide golfers of all levels with a uniform set of rules that define an acceptable golf stroke as the reason for the change of heart.
When the USGA and R&A first announced Rule 14-1b, nine golfers, including Adam Scott and Tim Clark, retained legal counsel to explore any legal avenues available to them to challenge the rule. As of this moment, it appears that none of the nine plan on taking legal action to challenge Rule 14-1b.
However, their actions do raise an interesting question: What legal recourse might be available to affected professional golfers that wish to challenge the anchoring ban?
Relevant Laws
Antitrust Law
An affected golfer’s best legal challenge to the anchoring ban would involve filing an action under Section 1 of the Sherman Act arguing that the USGA and PGA Tour have made the game of golf less competitive for golfers relying on an anchored stroke by adopting Rule 14-1b.
The Sherman Act was initially introduced by Congress to regulate anticompetitive commercial activities. However, courts have since held that non-profit, voluntary organizations that sanction and regulate professional sporting contests and tournaments, such as the PGA Tour and USGA, are subject to antitrust law in the exercise of their rule-making authority. Moreover, courts have determined that while each such sanctioning organization has the primary noncommercial purpose of promoting organized sports in an orderly fashion, the process of creating uniform rules to govern the sport could trigger the applicability of the Sherman Act if such conduct restricted interstate trade or commerce in an unreasonable manner.
The most prominent antitrust challenge to a USGA rule is the case of Gilder v. PGA Tour. In the early 1990s, Ping and a group of golfers led by Bob Gilder challenged and won a favorable settlement from the USGA and PGA Tour after Ping’s Eye 2 irons and wedges were banned for violating the USGA’s groove spacing rule. The challenging golfers refuted the USGA’s determination that the clubs were performance enhancing by providing the court and the USGA with data demonstrating that golfers using the Eye 2 clubs earned less on the PGA Tour than those who did not use the clubs. The case was ultimately settled, and the Eye 2’s were grandfathered in when the USGA revised its groove specifications. Although the case was settled, Gilder and Ping successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against the rule by the use of the empirical earnings data they presented to the district court.
While the settlement was a big win for PING and its staffers, a long-putter uses would be unwise to rely on Ping’s success in obtaining a preliminary injunction in a challenge to the anchoring ban. First, an affected golfer would have to provide empirical statistics and support that demonstrates an anchoring stroke does not provide a competitive advantage and perhaps demonstrate that an anchored stroke may lead to less success on the Tour. Secondly, even if the affected golfer was able to provide such evidence, that evidence would only get the golfer a preliminary injunction to stay the rule from going into effect until a court could decide the issue on the merits of an antitrust suit.
Even if the affected golfer obtained a preliminary injunction in his favor, it is unlikely that his challenge to Rule 14-1b would succeed on the merits. Similar to the case at hand, an equipment manufacturer challenged a United States Tennis Association (the “USTA”) rule that banned the use of “spaghetti string” rackets and stringing systems in Gunter Harz v. USTA.
The USTA supported its ban with data demonstrating that spaghetti-string rackets and stringing systems provided an unfair performance advantage to players utilizing the system and banned the use of such rackets under its rules. Ruling in favor of the USTA, the court determined that courts should give latitude to the rule-making function of a non-profit, governing body of a sporting organization and merely examine if the rule change bears a rational relationship to the goal of conducting organized competitions in an orderly fashion. In characterizing this latitude and ruling in favor of the USTA, the court explained that a court should avoid substituting its judgment for that of a highly sophisticated group focused on creating the uniform rules that govern a sport and defer to those rules created by the elected officials of that sanctioning body.
It is highly unlikely that an affected golfer will succeed by filing an antitrust action to challenge the anchoring ban. Similar to the USTA in the Gunter Harz case, the USGA and R&A can argue that they have decisive rule-making authority and that it is reasonable for them to further define what is an acceptable stroke. The PGA Tour would argue that it is reasonable to abide by those rules for uniformity. For these reasons, a court hearing an antitrust challenge to the rule banning the anchored stroke will most likely defer to the USGA and R&A rather than substitute its own judgment on the issue.
Americans with Disabilities Act
In a narrower challenge, if the affected golfer utilizes a belly putter for the same reason as Fred Couples, who uses the belly putter because it puts less stress on his chronically bad lower back, he may see PGA Tour v. Casey Martin as a window to continue using an anchored stroke under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”). The ADA protects individuals with recognized disabilities who are not provided with a reasonable accommodation by an employer; or are denied equal access to a public facility, services or goods on the basis of a person’s recognized disability.
In PGA Tour v. Casey Martin, a golfer with an ADA recognized disability, Casey Martin, requested that the Tour make a reasonable modification to its “walking rule” during tournaments and filed suit under the ADA when the Tour refused. The Supreme Court ruled that Martin may use a golf cart in Tour events and that to deny his request was a violation of the ADA. The Court reached this conclusion by determining: (1) that a golf course used for a PGA Tour event was a place of public accommodation; and (2) that allowing Martin to use a cart would not fundamentally alter the game of golf because walking is not an essential aspect of the game of golf.
Despite what appears to be a glimmer of hope from the Martin case, it unlikely that an affected golfer with a recognized disability would succeed in challenging Rule 14-1b under the ADA. Casey Martin succeeded in his challenge due to a liberal definition of a place of public accommodation and because the Court determined that walking was not a fundamental aspect of the game of golf. However, a stroke is an essential aspect of the game of golf and Rule 14-1b is an intended modification of this rule. Thus, allowing a golfer with a recognized disability to use an anchored stroke would fundamentally alter the game such that the USGA and R&A would have to modify its definition of a stroke.
Furthermore, an affected golfer could not challenge Rule 14-1b as a disabled employee of the PGA Tour seeking a reasonable accommodation because professional golfers are not PGA employees by definition. In Martin, the Court found that since professional golfers make their own schedules, sign their own endorsement deals and act in their own self interest, they are considered independent contractors rather than employees of the PGA Tour.
Ironically, the freedom of being an independent contractor hurts a professional golfer here. In instances where a professional sport is unionized, the player’s union must approve any major change to the rules and the power to bring legal action under employment law. However, independent contractor status provides individual golfers with little leverage to dispute a rule change. Therefore, a golfer with a recognized disability is highly unlikely to succeed in a suit filed under the ADA to challenge Rule 14-1b.
Conclusion
The current legal landscape and the legal barriers presented by the deferential nature of the courts for rule-making bodies like the USGA and R&A make it clear that Adam Scott and the other golfers currently dependent on the anchored stroke will have to master a new stroke with the long putter or return to using a standard length putter to conform with Rule 14-1b in the near future. Just how much the rule will affect the earnings and rankings of these golfers is yet to be seen.
Furthermore, it will be interesting if the anchoring ban will create a push for a PGA Tour players union to better position players to challenge a rule change in the future. Only time will establish the true fallout of the anchoring ban.
Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.
I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
Opinion & Analysis
AVL: We’re talking about practice! My best tips for taking your game to the course
With the beginning of June on the horizon and courses rounding into peak condition for the season, it’s time to hone the finer skills that often get rusty over the winter. More sunlight also means more time to get out on the course and work on your game.
Whether it’s the practice green or the driving range, there’s always something to improve—whether you’re enjoying the fresh air or preparing for a weekend game or tournament. You can work on drills or freestyle around the green, and friendly competition is a great way to sharpen your skills.
While there are endless ways to get better at golf, I’m going to focus on practicing around the green. Let’s take a look at a few things to keep in mind as we head into the summer months.
Drills
From the driving range to the practice green, it’s important to incorporate drills into your routine. Years ago, I spent a weekend working on my short game with James Sieckmann. He recommended doing drill work for 5–10 minutes, then returning to your main practice.
This way, you create a balance between structured drills and real-world scenarios, so you’re not confined to “perfect” situations. For example, hitting the same three-foot putt over and over is good for repetition, but after a while, it becomes less interactive for your brain.
My approach is to use a putting trainer with a narrow gate for the ball to pass through, or simply place tees just outside the width of the ball. I’ll hit a series of four putts through the gate for three sets. Then, from a similar distance, I’ll hit four putts without the training aid and repeat that sequence three times.
Next, I’ll hit a number of 15–25 foot putts in a random fashion, then circle back to repeat the short putt drills with and without the training aid.
This breaks up the rhythm of hitting short putts with the training aid. When you hit the same short putts over and over, it’s easy to get into a groove—which is great for the drill, but not reflective of actual course play. While finding a rhythm is fundamental for drills, I like to introduce variation with longer putts to keep things realistic.
Game Mode
Once you’ve established a foundation with drills, it’s time to simulate on-course scenarios. This is where a few practice games come in handy.
One that I’ve been enjoying lately involves putting 10- to 15-footers with two balls. If I make the putt, great! If I miss, I pull the missed ball back a putter length. Suddenly, that little tap-in becomes a nerve-wracking three-footer—at least at first. As you get better at this game, those three- and five-footers become much more comfortable and routine.
It may sound cliché, but each shot is just what it is—it’s how we react that makes the difference. I like this game because it blends the pressure of on-course putting with the consequence of leaving yourself a much longer putt than usual.
Another game I like is one I recently learned from Brad Faxon. Place three tees in a line at four different locations around the hole: one at 3 feet, one at 6 feet, and one at 8 feet. The 3- and 6-foot putts count as par, and the 8-footer is for birdie.
This game keeps you focused on scoring and helps you get into a competitive mindset. You can even think about this putting game while you’re on the course. I just started playing it, and last week I couldn’t get better than two under par.
Competition
Competition during practice is when drills and games come to life, and you start to see results. For me, nothing beats a putting contest with a friend or two. In the right setting, these contests can become talking points for the whole season.
Match play, a game of 21, or simply seeing who can make the most one-putts (with a small prize on the line) are all great ways to simulate real on-course pressure. Recently, I played in a putting contest where one competitor made back-to-back 30- and 50-foot putts. As they say, expect your opponent to make every putt—and he nearly did. That’s impressive, and it’s something you see on the course, too: you have to stay committed to your game plan, no matter what.
When it comes to practice, it’s important to blend feedback from recent rounds with the fundamentals you want to reinforce. Drills, games, and competition—from the driving range to the putting green—form the backbone of skills you’ll rely on during actual rounds.
Finding the right balance is something we’re all working on, one practice session at a time. With the beginning of June on the horizon and courses rounding into peak condition for the season, it’s time to hone the finer skills that often get rusty over the winter. More sunlight also means more time to get out on the course and work on your game. Whether it’s the practice green or the driving range, there’s always something to improve—whether you’re enjoying the fresh air or preparing for a weekend game or tournament. You can work on drills or freestyle around the green, and friendly competition is a great way to sharpen your skills. While there are endless ways to get better at golf, I’m going to focus on practicing around the green. Let’s take a look at a few things to keep in mind as we head into the summer months.
Drills
From the driving range to the practice green, it’s important to incorporate drills into your routine. Years ago, I spent a weekend working on my short game with James Sieckmann. He recommended doing drill work for 5–10 minutes, then returning to your main practice. This way, you create a balance between structured drills and real-world scenarios, so you’re not confined to “perfect” situations. For example, hitting the same three-foot putt over and over is good for repetition, but after a while, it becomes less interactive for your brain.
My approach is to use a putting trainer with a narrow gate for the ball to pass through, or simply place tees just outside the width of the ball. I’ll hit a series of four putts through the gate for three sets. Then, from a similar distance, I’ll hit four putts without the training aid and repeat that sequence three times. Next, I’ll hit a number of 15–25 foot putts in a random fashion, then circle back to repeat the short putt drills with and without the training aid.
This breaks up the rhythm of hitting short putts with the training aid. When you hit the same short putts over and over, it’s easy to get into a groove—which is great for the drill, but not reflective of actual course play. While finding a rhythm is fundamental for drills, I like to introduce variation with longer putts to keep things realistic.
Game Mode
Once you’ve established a foundation with drills, it’s time to simulate on-course scenarios. This is where a few practice games come in handy. One that I’ve been enjoying lately involves putting 10- to 15-footers with two balls. If I make the putt, great! If I miss, I pull the missed ball back a putter length.
Suddenly, that little tap-in becomes a nerve-wracking three-footer—at least at first. As you get better at this game, those three- and five-footers become much more comfortable and routine. It may sound cliché, but each shot is just what it is—it’s how we react that makes the difference. I like this game because it blends the pressure of on-course putting with the consequence of leaving yourself a much longer putt than usual.
Another game I like is one I recently learned from Brad Faxon. Place three tees in a line at four different locations around the hole: one at 3 feet, one at 6 feet, and one at 8 feet. The 3- and 6-foot putts count as par, and the 8-footer is for birdie.
This game keeps you focused on scoring and helps you get into a competitive mindset. You can even think about this putting game while you’re on the course. I just started playing it, and last week I couldn’t get better than two under par.
Competition
Competition during practice is when drills and games come to life, and you start to see results. For me, nothing beats a putting contest with a friend or two. In the right setting, these contests can become talking points for the whole season. Match play, a game of 21, or simply seeing who can make the most one-putts (with a small prize on the line) are all great ways to simulate real on-course pressure. Recently, I played in a putting contest where one competitor made back-to-back 30- and 50-foot putts. As they say, expect your opponent to make every putt—and he nearly did. That’s impressive, and it’s something you see on the course, too: you have to stay committed to your game plan, no matter what.
When it comes to practice, it’s important to blend feedback from recent rounds with the fundamentals you want to reinforce. Drills, games, and competition—from the driving range to the putting green—form the backbone of skills you’ll rely on during actual rounds. Finding the right balance is something we’re all working on, one practice session at a time.
For Korean golfers, we always look forward to the last of the kkot-saem-chu-I for the true start of a new golf season. The term refers to a cold snap, but literally translates as “winter being jealous of the flowers beginning to bloom, thus lashing out one final time before surrendering to spring”.
A rather poetic mouthful packed into a short expression.
Koreans can be like that. Understated, yet oddly expressive at the same time. And nowhere is this more true on the golf course and in our golf bags. In fact, I suspect many Korean golfers look forward to new apparel and accessory drops more than they do actual equipment launches each year.
At this point, Korean golf fashion may exist on its own timeline. (courtesy of @seonbi_golfer)
There is ample evidence to support that suspicion. Korea is the world’s third-largest golf market behind the United States and Japan, yet its appetite for golf apparel exceeds that of both countries combined. Recent estimates suggest that Korea accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global golf apparel market, placing it among the world’s most influential golf fashion markets and punching well above its size.
Simply, we care deeply about how new golf clubs look and feel, but enjoy looking good while swinging them even more.
Golfers in the West may laugh and say that golf is played on a course, not a fashion runway. Perhaps. But what’s the harm in trying to look and feel good, if the added self-confidence can help actual performance? It certainly seems to have worked for Jason Day, who may have unlocked a new stats category: dormant strokes gained. Coincidence?
During the COVID-era, estimates placed the market near $9 billion, an astonishing figure for a single country.
As a proud member of Gen X, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of golf fashion firsthand. The pleated trousers and wing-tipped shoes of Jack Nicklaus, the stylish plus-fours and knickers of Payne Stewart, the baggy black trousers and fitted mock-necks of Tiger Woods, and the thigh-hugging athletic tailoring of Rory McIlroy. Golf fashion, like the golf swing itself, has rarely stood still.
But nowhere have those trends shifted, evolved, and been scrutinized quite as relentlessly as in Korea. Here, golf fashion moves faster than fairway gossip, and consumers dissect brands with a level of discernment that can be both impressive and mildly terrifying. New brands are studied, judged, embraced, or dismissed with startling efficiency.
The result is a consumer base with one of the sharpest eyes for quality and authenticity anywhere in the world. It is difficult to quantify, but easy to recognize. Clean lines without trying too hard. Luxury mixed with utility. Trend awareness balanced by restraint and purpose.
It’s golf fashion shaped by one of the world’s most style-literate cities, something I like to call Seoul Sensibilities, referring to the taste level forged by a uniquely competitive environment.
And increasingly, global brands have noticed.
Many golf brands in Korea have their own flagship shops dedicated to apparel only
Titleist understood this years ago, when its apparel business in Korea took on a life of its own under new ownership and local direction. What had once been a straightforward extension of an iconic equipment giant became something sharper and more premium. By going all in on the serious Tour-player look (I couldn’t even fit into their XL sizes), Titleist struck the right chord with Korean consumers and helped its fledgling apparel business break into the mainstream. Titleist became a household name even for non-golfers who wore its caps, shirts, and windbreakers in daily life. In many ways, it proved that even heritage golf brands could carry real fashion credibility when viewed through a Korean lens.
Several years later, PXG took a page out of Titleist’s playbook and followed suit. Korean consumers helped transform the brand from one known largely for irons and loud commercials into something broader and more stylish. PXG apparel’s growth in Korea was explosive, where it found an early audience and turned the category into something more than mere logo merchandise. It is still hard to walk anywhere in Seoul without seeing its palindrome logo.
Malbon’s meteoric rise in the United States was genuine, but its ascent into a global golf lifestyle brand owes much to Korea, where it was elevated by a market already fluent in modern golf style. Korea did not simply embrace Malbon. It pressure-tested the concept, refined its appeal, and helped push it into the global spotlight.
As such, new brands may arrive from abroad, but more often than not, their sharpest evolution happens here. If a brand can earn credibility in Seoul, it’s deemed to have passed one of the toughest style audits in the game.
That is why the next meaningful chapter may not come from outside, but from a Korean brand moving in the opposite direction, carrying those Seoul Sensibilities outward as K-pop once did.
Play young Stay dope.
From Seoul, With Intent
Khalhon is a label that feels less like a trend-chasing newcomer and more like the product of a market that has already seen everything. Golfers here have long been surrounded by luxury logos, technical fabrics, and tour uniforms disguised as lifestyle wear and vice-versa. In other words, novelty alone rarely lasts here, and the Koreans seems to understand that instinctively.
Its style language leans into clean silhouettes, relaxed but tailored proportions, muted palettes, and premium materials that speak quietly but confidently. There is a modern city aesthetic running through it all, with strong layering pieces, thoughtful textures, and subtle branding that suggests sophistication rather than demanding attention.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
Most importantly, the garments seem designed to blur the line between golfwear and everyday style. Shirts, trousers, knitwear, and outer layers move comfortably between a game of screen golf, a lunch reservation, an airport gate, or an afternoon coffee in Gangnam with friends.
It raises the question of whether this is golfwear that happens to look good off the course, or everyday clothing that performs beautifully on the fairways.
Personally, I have long appreciated Nike Golf for its clean, athletic modernization of golf attire. It also has the useful side effect of making me look like a more serious golfer than I probably am. But off the course, there are times when being instantly identified as the golf guy in a crowd of non-golfers can feel a touch self-conscious.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
That is part of what drew me to Khalhon, which seemed to blend golf and everyday wear naturally. While some of the outfits may be slightly beyond my personal confidence level, the brand also offers tasteful options for older guys like me who still want to express a little personality without regretting the decision later.
These are not simply flashy outfits worn on the course and then banished to the closet until the next tee time. They work surprisingly well off the course too, and I suspect many of the pieces will still look right a couple of years from now, which would certainly be kinder to my wallet than most golf fashion trends tend to be.
And perhaps that broader lifestyle positioning also helps explain why someone like Sean Wotherspoon would find Khalhon creatively interesting in the first place.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
“Korea is not only one of the most fashion-forward golf markets in the world, but one of the most fashion-forward markets globally. Korea is ahead, and I love to watch and try to catch up.” – Sean Wotherspoon, Creative Director at Khalhon
Seoul and Beyond
If Khalhon’s rise says something about where Korean golf fashion is today, its relationship with Sean Wotherspoon says even more about where it is heading.
For readers less familiar with Sean Wotherspoon, his arrival at Khalhon is not some routine celebrity endorsement or influencer collaboration. In design and streetwear circles, Wotherspoon is regarded as one of the more influential creative voices of his generation, particularly when it comes to blending nostalgia, storytelling, and contemporary culture into products that people can connect with.
He first gained widespread attention through his now-famous Nike sneaker collaborations, where his vintage-inspired designs and instinct for color helped turn him into one of the defining artists of the late-2010s sneaker era. His work gradually expanded beyond footwear into apparel, automotive collaborations, collectibles, and broader lifestyle design.
Modern golf style now extends well beyond the fairways, where performance and functionality are largely expected by default. And while plenty of brands already make technically competent golfwear, Khalhon seems more focused on designing clothes people would genuinely want to wear even after the round ends.
And when guys at Wotherspoon’s level show genuine interest in working with a Korean golf brand as its new Creative Director, fashion circles tend to sit up and pay attention. There’s already a huge buzz among the fashion-conscious here about upcoming collabs with iconic sports stars and brands.
“My creative direction for Khalhon is disruptive, colorful, nostalgic, and modern. My goal is to blend these avenues seamlessly within each collection.” – Sean Wotherspoon
In chatting with Sean, what stood out most to me was how genuinely energized he sounded about the project itself. Despite having already worked across and countless other creative spaces, he described golf as a completely fresh category for him, saying that Khalhon “will be an amazing vehicle for my design work.”
At the same time, his enthusiasm seemed tied just as much to Korea itself. He spoke openly about admiring Korea’s fashion culture while repeatedly insisting he is still a terrible golfer.
There was something oddly refreshing about that humility. Rather than sounding like a celebrity parachuting into golf simply because the category suddenly became fashionable, Sean sounded genuinely curious about what Korea might do with the category next.
And perhaps that is what makes Khalhon feel interesting right now. The brand feels less like a trend-chaser and more like the natural result of a market now confident enough to export its own point of view.
For years, global brands came to Korea to sharpen their image against one of the most discerning audiences anywhere. Now, a Korean label appears ready to send those Seoul Sensibilities outward instead.
Which brings us back to kkot-saem-chu-i.
That final cold snap before spring always arrives with a reminder that seasons are changing, whether we notice it immediately or not. Golf fashion feels a little like that right now as well, as the old boundaries between sport, streetwear, luxury, and everyday style continue to soften.
And somewhere in Seoul, a Korean golf label already seems prepared for whatever season comes next. I just hope they have everything in my size.
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Lai Kai
Dec 10, 2015 at 2:41 am
Short statured golfers will have a problem using standard putters to meet Rule 14-1b, because the top of the putter handle will inevitably touch his/her belly so where do these golfers stand due to Rule 14-1b. Will these golfers be considered as anchoring?
Greg Hapac
Nov 22, 2013 at 10:20 am
It all comes down to one thing, the UGGA found it necessary to come up with a solution for a problem that didn’t exist.
Roelof
Sep 3, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Graphite shafts! Now there is something that gives a huge advantage and should have never been allowed.
GSark
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:01 pm
I think everyone is missing the point. The point is that the USGA and R&A allowed it for over twenty-five years. Now you have a case where guys have put tens of thousands of hours of practice in with the long putter, and you want to take all that away. Now guys like Tim Clark and Bernhard Langher must abandon 25+ years of work, start over and go compete at the highest level. Yeah, that’s fair.
I wonder how people would feel if the USGA put a ban on graphite shafts in regular, womens and A flex? What about a ban on the “two ball” and the “craz-e” and every putter that looks like a carving of a bugs head.
I’m so tired of people who have 460cc titanium faced, graphite shafted drivers, hybrid irons, 3-piece golf balls and bugs head putters talking about “the purity of the game.” Get real.
PMonty
Dec 15, 2013 at 11:07 am
GStark. I couldn’t have said it better. Probably the one area they should be concerned with is the golf ball, especially for the professionals, who are making the courses obsolete with their length.
Leftright
Aug 30, 2013 at 8:27 am
The Court reached this conclusion by determining: (1) that a golf course used for a PGA Tour event was a place of public accommodation; and (2) that allowing Martin to use a cart would not fundamentally alter the game of golf because walking is not an essential aspect of the game of golf.
The courts are right on number 2 but wrong on number 1. A PGA tour event is not a public accommodation. That said I think the right ruling was made in Casey Martin’s case.
As far as long putters go and I have “never” used one, I don’t care whether it is illegal or not. The PGA, USGA and R&A screwed up by not addressing this 25 years ago. It was allowed to continue and an unfair advantage has not been proven during this time or everyone would be using this method. They use anchoring as an important word but what is anchoring. I anchor the iron grip to my hand when I swing by gripping it. The ball is anchored to the tee, under their opinion golfers should have to hit off the grass all the time. I know it sounds foolish but this whole thing is foolish if you ask me.
GSark
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Best post here.
mortyjeff
Aug 29, 2013 at 8:55 pm
Hats off to the USGA for brilliant approach to eliminating anchoring while reducing exposure from a litigation standpoint. The whole solicitation for comment period was a nice way for the USGA to receive “depositions” from supporters of anchoring; thus allowing them to analyze the risk associated with the rules change. How does one sue for damages if there are not damages to sue for? Anchoring remains as a permitted method of putting until the end of 2015. Only in 2016, when a player cannot deploy an anchored method can such player begin to determine damages.
Opa
Aug 27, 2013 at 12:01 pm
The issue is the demonization of Democracy. The governing bodies of any sport should be allowed to set rules for its “games” and the players who want to make money in it should have to be forced to conform to it. Unfortunately there are too many “special interest” groups supposedly looking after the lesser common man that get in the way of how things are already being done, by usurping the laws and crying foul.
Golf is such a sad sport in this way to allow the game to not have any real power over its own rules, the rules that now seem to be negotiable when entities like the ADA gets involved to ruin it for everybody else.
I don’t see anybody from the ADA or any other organizations going after the NFL or NHL to have its players remove the helmets and pads, because in the end, the helmets and pads are not necessary to the game.
Nor is anybody going after the NBA to lower the position of the nets, because, after all, the net doesn’t have to be at that height!
and so it goes……. people like Casey Martin makes me sick to my stomach.
David Cameron
Aug 27, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Casey Martin has a reasonable right to glean an income from playing professional golf. No accommodation was made regarding the actual golf, rather the walk. No one is advocating that any accommodation be made for anyone regarding the striking of the ball or putting, rather…..how you get to the ball. In an absurd case, Casey martin could have a “sedan chair” built ala Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt fame and have 4 guys carry him around. That would be perfectly “legal” in tournament golf without a variance.
Silly but legal.
Casey is a great guy…..nothing there merits being sick.
Have we had enough of the USGA yet?
Alex
Sep 6, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Golf? Exclusionary? Nooooo
James
Aug 27, 2013 at 3:40 am
The issue is that we will only see the effect once the rule come into play. Adam might have been 50th in putting at the masters same with Ernie at the open, fact is if you remove the anchored stroke from both who are great ball strikers and Adan turns out to be no 1 in ball striking but end up no 60 in putting missing a few key puts due to the mental and physical advantage for him using the long putter, after many years of struggling with the conventional stroke, then both them and the others who succeeded in majors would not have won. The Angel would have won the masters in 2013. So the issue is not in the putting stats only. We see week in and out how the best ball strikers don’t win due to putting. This is the one area of the game where we need a level playing field more than any other aspect. TW in his prime would win tournaments scrambling as he was the best chipper and putter the game has seen for a long time. Why don’t we give the short hitters a 20 yard advantage from the T purely because the struggle with hitting long drives? The anchored stroke should never have been allowed, it is an evel that crept into the game and has tarnished the image of fair play. These golfers must suck up and cope with their problems. If they can’t make a living as golfers because they struggle with putting, let them find a job. I would love to play pro golf for all the money but I am not a good enough putter. So I have a job and fight my putting daemons Nona Saturday.
steff
Aug 27, 2013 at 10:50 am
Wow I really dissagree with you!
First of all you have to compare an anchored stroke with an non-anchored stroke from scratch i.e If an anchored stroke produces better putters than non anchored putters.
Because of different putting strokes suits different people it is not fair to base your oppinion on if someone is better with a belly putter than a normal putter.
I mean to say that a putting style is superior and gives the player an advantage you actually have to base it on facts. Not compaird to yourself as a putter with a normal style.
Tiger Woods for example says he cant putt with an anchored putter. Well than it doesnt suit him. But it suits some people who putt better with it. Just because you putt better with it doesnt mean its an advantage compaird to a short putter. Get the difference?
But based on all the facts i´ve seen an anchored putter does not give the player an unfair advantage. It is just a different style of putting. And the worlds best golfers still putt with a short putter.
PMonty
Dec 15, 2013 at 11:13 am
Are there any pros on the tour who use the anchored putting style, in the top ten of putting stats on tour?
Billy
Aug 26, 2013 at 10:46 pm
Besides this year, Adam Scotts putting has remained lackluster with the long stick (he’s 53rd in putting this year). Many other pro’s have seen similar results. Kuchar seems to have benefited most by his arm lock style but thats not being banned. I have a feeling most pros using the long/belly putter will probably go to this method or adopt a counter balanced putter in.
In the end, the pros will find a new method and then that will be the governing bodies next target. It just seems to me that the R&A and USGA are trying to show they are still relevant, much like a District Manager showing up to say there’s a new policy that is completely useless. This same nonsense happened with the groove rules (twice) and have now been proven irrelevant both times. The pros are hitting their approach shots closer on average now with u-grooves, despite all the evidence the USGA/R&A fabricated to show the huge advantage they offered. So what’s next? No grooves?
Maybe next time the USGA and R&A can look at rolling back the players. Maybe institute a handicap system where if your in the top 50 in driving you can’t have a driver or a 3 wood over 43 inches and under 13 degrees or you have to use practice whiffle balls. Top 50 putters lose their putter and have to blade wedges to putt. Top 50 Scramblers/bunker players lose their wedges. Top 50 in each iron category say good bye to your irons. If you’re tops in all those categories you get a shovel, baseball bat, and a broom stick. I bet they still find a way to shoot something near par.
Why not focus on increasing the number of golfers, instead of trying to find new ways to alienate portions of our base.
Chris Downing
Aug 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Its a game where the governing rules are set by the authorities of the game. If you don’t like those rules – find another game. Simple.
(They should have never allowed the use of long putters in the first place, then none of this argy bargy would have happened. Long putters are obviously not in the spirit of the game as it has always been played.)
Peter Alford
Aug 26, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Chris-
You point is very valid–there is need to have a governing body that provides a uniform set of rules for the game of golf. Without such a governing body, the game we love would be a mess.
However, to your aside: I wonder if you find titanium drivers, cavity back irons, steel and graphite shafts and golf ball advancements to be in the “spirit of the game” as well? While a belly putter requires an anchored stroke (and thus changes the definition of a “stroke”), I believe 460cc drivers were not what was envisioned when the rules of golf were established either.
I think this raises an essential concern for the future: who gets to define these terms? How can the game of golf better represent the interests of the entire field (amateurs, professional players, equipment manufacturers, etc.)? I think the PGA, USGA and R&A have a lot of questions to answer between this equipment issue and the developing lawsuit by Vijay Singh regarding PEDs and the possible need for a players union to better represent player interests.
AndyT
Mar 21, 2014 at 3:51 pm
If a few pros do not like the rules of golf they are free to create their own game and set their own rules. They can call it ProGolf or whatever. Where I fall out with them is when they claim the right to make the rules for millions of players worldwide based on what is best for them.
David
Aug 28, 2013 at 11:11 am
Let’s keep the game and get new authorities in charge.
GSark
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:21 pm
Do you use a titanium driver? A 3 piece ball? graphite shafts? Do you have a handicap? A hybrid club? Does your putter have an insert or look like a bugs head? Do you play golf courses from where they were meant to be played, or do you move up? If you answered yes to any of these questions your a hypocrite and should not speak about the “spirit of the game.”
Sam
Aug 26, 2013 at 4:09 pm
I used a belly putter for 5 years before the USGA announced the ban. And I have to say, anchoring helped me tremendously with not breaking my wrist, especially under pressure situations at men’s club tournaments. But I switched back to standard length putter the minute they announced the ban because I did not want to invest a single minute on something that I can’t use 2.5 years from now.
I sucked at the beginning with my old putter, then I re-gripped it with the fat grip and that helped tremendously. I had kept my belly putter handy just in case. But after trying the Fat grip for a while, I decided to cut down my belly putter and made it standard length (a taylormade ghost).
I believe all professional and amateurs alike can adapt, it just takes hard work and finding something in your stroke that causes the breakdown and work on fixing it. In my case I found the fat grip to be tremendously helpful in forcing me not to break my wrist. No wonder a lot of good putters like Michelson, Furyk, KJ Choi, Sergio and others are using that grip.
I hope the USGA doesn’t ban that next!!!!
David Cameron
Aug 26, 2013 at 7:20 pm
I do not think that the USGA will go after the larger putter grip.. Those have been around for 50 years under differing guise.
I think that as the day approaches, they will include “any secondary interaction with the grip or the shaft for the purpose of altering the fundamental requirement of the golfers grasp of the club” to eliminate the Matt Kuchar variation and the old Bernhard Langer method.
rob
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Anchoring has been around at least that long. I watched the highlights of the 1966 Open Championship and Phil Rodgers used a belly putter. Also in 1924 Leo Diegel did something similar.
Alex
Sep 6, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Bingo.
It makes just as much sense to go after oversize grips because they aren’t all the same as the small ones.
In fact, why doesn’t the USGA just make an approved set of clubs and everyone has to play the same ones.
Then the “competitive advantage” would be gone.
bert
Oct 17, 2013 at 6:04 pm
Don’t be so sure. Long Putters have been around longer than 50 years.
Seb D
Sep 4, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Hum…. I have to address this…
Amigo, you have the Yips.
That’s why you were helped by the long putter… cause it takes the right hand off the equation (where the yips likes to surface), and that’s also why the fat grip helps… not cause you suddenly found the right stroke path, but simply because you put less pressure on a bigger grip, therefore in situations with slightly higher amount of pressure, you grip it lighter and therefore miss it less, but you miss it. And you know that.
I have the yips, and it’s an ugly B****
Didn’t know what making more than 30 putt was like, and it hit me… But the worst part about it, it’s not that it hits you at any given time. It’s the fact that having the yips in your putting stroke, will make you doubt your ability to make putts, which will put a hell of a lot of pressure on your short game (cause deep inside you know that knocking it close is the only way to come out of this chin-up), and since you doubt your shortgame, you know you have to hit a lot of greens. Too much pressure on your swing —–> Failure
What I’m trying to say to you… is that this rule will take away the pleasure that people have struggled so hard to get back, and now that it’s in their bag, we want to take it away from them. This ain’t a sermon, because I will follow the rule and suck it up… but taking the risk of going back to the short, unimpressive, rigid, little stick it is supposed to be, and making it the only club I don’t want to touch in my bag. Tho I’m not worried, because I know what our brands have in stock to address our case, hot bread.
Anywho, I didn’t mean to address your message with the intention of dissing your opinion in any way shape or form.. but I do feel obligated to let you know that the yips thing you’re going through won’t be cured till you can admit to yourself you have what probably 2 thirds of golfers have without knowing… And on a finale note, I do believe that too big of putter grips are as much of a help as anything else…
Phil is the biggest feel player we know, has a 64° in his bag, and a fat grip on his putter. I’m even willing to risk it and say that if you take the top 20 in the world at putts per round… there will be more players with oversized putter grips, or counterbalanced grips than players with belly or long putters….
Anyways, sorry for the novel. Big fan of this site, loving the good reads.
Best,
SD
JohnS
Aug 26, 2013 at 2:50 pm
I am 71 years old and have been using an anchored putter for about 25 years. First it was because of the yips and now, as for Fred Couples, because of a bad back. I know I am not alone. As I see it, I and others like me are merely “collateral damage” and have never been taken seriously, or even considered, as this rules change was discussed and made. I cannot understand why special cases cannot be handled by “conditions of competition.” This could handle both anchoring and the ball issue. It is guys like me who pay for and support the game. I am very disappointed and would be happy to join in a class action suit if that were possible.
david
Aug 26, 2013 at 6:11 pm
You can still use a long putter to help you with your back issues. You just won’t be able to anchor it anymore. Anchoring the putter doesn’t save your back.
david
Aug 26, 2013 at 2:44 pm
What’s next, he will sue so he can drive on the left side of the road? Get over it already.
David Cameron
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Who put the USGA in charge of golf rules and regulations for the United States?
I will continue to play(on occasion) my father’s 1966 Haig Ultra irons(conforming groove or not).
The USGA purports to “love the game”…..I do not agree. Changing the ball has been and will always be the easiest method for “reeling” the tournament professional back to only 300 yard drives. To not have a “professional” ball is foolish. To eliminate players who use a belly/long putter is exclusionary in nature. Why they continue to tamper with “clubs” and not the disposable ball, they will have to explain that. Tennis has different balls, so should golf. I do not even think that 14 clubs should be a rule…..bring what you want and enjoy the game.
GSark
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:14 pm
Here,Here!!!
AndyT
Mar 21, 2014 at 3:54 pm
I think you mean Hear Hear
AndyT
Mar 21, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Who put USGA in charge? The golf clubs of the USA. As for R&A they were setting rules before golf was even heard of in USA.
Marc
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:21 pm
I do not like anchored or long putters primarily for aesthetics. I believe anchoring can be advantageous, especially when nerves get the best of you.
steff
Aug 27, 2013 at 4:07 am
I disagree. Nerves can get the best of you with a long putter too!
I has not been discussed here, but I think it is a disadvantage on long putts with a long putter. I struggle a lot with putts over 12 yards! A lot easier with a short putter!
john daniell
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:59 am
It is quite obvious that there is a distinct advantage when using a long putter. I have to wonder if the likes of Adam Scott would have won a major without being able to anchor one end of the putter to his chest. I’m sure the majority of golfers support the banning of long putters. Tiger Woods suggestion that the putter be no longer than the shortest club in your bag makes a lot of sense.
Why wait over 2 years to ban them?
John D.
Jim McManus
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Adam was actually 50th at the masters in putting, however he was 1st in greens in regulation. To same is true of Ernie El’s win at last years British Open. The only “obvious” thing that can be learned is that ball striking is more important than putting
john daniell
Aug 28, 2013 at 10:39 am
Whatever is said on this forum is just an opinion and of course there will be many different ones. Who is to say that one opinion is better than the other. However, those players that adopted the long putters did so because they must have thought it would benefit their game otherwise why would they have changed. To make putters a standard length seems to be a reasonable requirement…but that is only my opinion.
John D.
john daniell
Sep 2, 2013 at 10:25 am
The old adage that you drive for show and put for dough still holds true. If you can’t put, the best ball striking in the world isn’t going to a win tournaments. Ball striking is beside the point as is some other items brought into the equation. When Nick Faldo asked Adam Scott if he would switch to a short putter before the ban takes place, he replied he would continue to the very end. Ernie Ells said he would defend the use of long putters with “every fibre of my body”…I guess Ernie realizes the advantages. Roll on 2016!
John D.
Alex
Sep 6, 2013 at 5:20 pm
Fitting that after given some data that shows how ridiculous this ban is, the argument resorts back to some old cliche that is irrelevant.
Fact is, no one had any measurable advantage and it was a knee-jerk reaction.
Just be honest about it, it’d be easier to deal with if they just said, “We don’t like it” versus trying to come up with some ridiculous argument that isn’t factual at all.
Nick
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:09 pm
This horse has been thoroughly beaten, but I am skeptical that the long putter offers a distinct advantage. There is certainly no data to support it. I understand the theory that it minimizes wrist break and forearm rotation, but I think the more important effect is the change in form seems to appeal to those who struggle with a short putter. To date, the best putters presenetly on tour (Tiger, Snedeker, Stricker, etc) use a short putter. Scott is a winner because of his superlative ball striking, not his putting. He putts well enough to win but he often wins in-spite of his putting, not because of it. Scott still misses lots of short puts (such as his crushing 18th hole performance in the 2012 open championship)that are supposed to be in the long putters wheelhouse. Web Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Ernie Ells, and Carl Peterson have played well recently, but I would hardly consider them top tier putters either. Their use has increased as the stigma has faded, but it hasn’t taken off like large head drivers, hybrids, etc because unlike those technologies (which aren’t banned) the long putter isn’t objectively better than the short putter.
Jim McManus
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:30 pm
I would agree Nick. Mike Davis of the USGA has been very careful throughout this process to avoid using terms like competitive advantage, and has focused his comments on the stroke itself. His counterpart at the R&A however has been very vocal in stating that it makes putting easier despite the lack of actual evidence. If they have to go to court over this, Peter Dawsons comments could be damaging
DB
Aug 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Nick is spot on. The best putters in the world use a short putter. Have you used a long or belly putter John? As someone that has used them all and still puts with a short putter I would be the first to attest that it doesn’t matter what it is putting is hard. It’s a style of putting that someone doesn’t like might as well ban the claw grip Kuchar’s style along with good ole Hubert Green because apparently he had a distinct advantage over everyone else the way he putted.
Louis
Aug 26, 2013 at 4:24 pm
It’s an advantage to those players that can’t use a short o standard length putter, however, have you realized that the best putters on tour don’t use long sticks?
My putting is not that great but I score by achieving greens in regulations. In my bag there is a 35″ mallet putter.
GSark
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I think a mallet putter offers you a competitive advantage, otherwise you wouldn’t use it.
gxDD
Aug 30, 2013 at 4:04 pm
50th in putting overall means nothing. What did he rank inside 10ft, 7ft, 6ft, 4ft… that’s what matters, and that’s where the long putter helps the most.
I have to wonder if… Keegan Bradley, Web Simpson, and Adam Scott would be anywhere near where they are now with out the long putters. It IS obvious there is a distinct advantage to the anchoring. Part of the purity of the game is how you control your wrists in the swing. Tons of books have been written on this fundamental. Using clubs that allow you to avoid wrist movement should be illegal.
FYI… loved this article. I would side with Freddy, or others in an ADA position, just like I did with Casey Martin. I’ve always viewed the long putter as an alternative for golfers with Bad Backs… nothing wrong with that.
John Russell
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:34 am
Surely the answer is simple , take your game and ply your trade where the USGA & the R & A rules do not apply if you do not want to play by their rules .
Courtney
Aug 26, 2013 at 10:17 am
As it should be. The ruling bodies of a sport are supposed to be able to regulate themselves without the government interfering – unless, of course the sport is actually breaking a law.