Well after a spike in usage and growing advocacy among professionals and instructors, the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (the governing bodies on the rules of golf) came to the conclusion that anchored putters need to go. Anyone wishing to use one will be docked a two-stroke penalty or forfeit a hole in match play.
Evidently according to the USGA president, golf shall be played with the player swinging their club freely to hit the ball. So yes that means the trusty ole’ belly putter will have to stay home.
U.S. Golf Association executive director Mike Davis said in an interview with the Golf Channel;
“We’re not doing this because we said (anchoring) is a great advantage,” and “It may be advantageous for some, but this is fundamentally about what we think is the right thing for the game. Rules changes are about the future of the game, and we really do fundamentally think that defining a stroke is the right thing for the future.”
I’m not sure how I feel about this decision. Should the belly putter be banned or not. Unfortunately I am not a professional golfer so it really doesn’t effect me like it does others so I can still use one when I play. However, is it the principle of the matter. How did they come up with the decision to ban the club. The USGA says that its not because of some golfers winning majors using the putter, so why?
If it really goes back to the player having to swing their club freely to hit the ball then why was the club ever allowed… This is an interesting call and I look forward to seeing how everything plays out.