Anchors Away!

The anchored putting ban is now in effect. But don’t worry, you’ve got options The original patent for the long or “belly” putter dates back to the early- to mid-’60s. And now some 50-plus years later the era of the long putter may be officially dead. Or at the very least it’s on life support. That’s because as of January 1, the powers that be at the United States Golf Association have ruled that you will no longer be able to putt with any putter that is anchored in any way, shape, or form to your body. It’s a curious ruling to be sure, seeing as four major champions on the PGA Tour in recent years employed the long or belly putter en route to their victories. It does bear mentioning here that this rule is strictly for tournament play where USGA rules govern the event – including state and city championships as well as many club championships – but not for recreational play. So if you tend to sweat over 4-foot putts in competition, you are going to have to find a different instrument to get that little dimpled ball into that little round hole in the ground. One solution [...]