A lot of people know that the belly putter technique (also called anchor putting) is banned but may not be aware of much more about it. Here are some quick facts on belly putting and other golf putting controversies.
What is a Belly Putter?
A belly putter bears that name because it is used by anchoring the end of the putter to the players stomach as they putt. This technique of anchoring the putter against the stomach stabilizes the wrists through the stroke, making for a more accurate, controlled shot. Belly putters have longer shafts than conventional putters at about 41-44 inches long, whereas a conventional putter has a shaft of about 32-36 inches in length.
Why is it Controversial?
Traditionally during golf, a putter is held in the hands and does not touch any other part of the body. Because the belly putter technique stabilizes the player’s wrists so much more than using a conventional putter, belly putting is controversial and has been banned in professional golf since 2016.
However, there are some people who believe that the belly putting ban should be lifted. American pro golfer Billy Horschel, for one, stated that he thinks it makes more sense to allow belly putters again and to ban arm-lock putting instead. Arm-lock putting is when a player holds the shaft of the putter low enough that the grip presses into the forearm, which works to “lock” the putter against the arm to provide greater stability. Although this does not technically count as an anchored putting technique according to the PGA rule book, it does produce a similar effect as anchor putting, and with prof in the top of the league like Bryson DeChambeau and Webb Simpson utilizing the arm-lock technique, it begs the question of whether this will follow the belly putter and become golf’s next controversy.
Belly putter, arm-lock, or conventional technique, at Golf Ball Planet we don’t care how you putt, we just want to make sure you’re getting the best deals on your golf balls!
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