If you have the yips or are anchoring a club, and will be impacted by the USGA and R&A proposed rule change, don’t worry.
There are various other options available to you, such as sidesaddle putting or holding the putter against your forearm—but not above the elbow.
We cover various alternative styles of putting in The Fundamentals of Putting, our new book now available for pre order.
franklygolf 
It would be so simple for the USGA to have an under 7 HDCP rule. It’s not like anyone with a handicap over 7 is going to enter any major USGA tournaments.
HEY When me and my buds play we make up our own rules . lose a ball you think you should have found Drop and take a stroke (we don’t have fore caddies like the big boys) on the green if you are inside the leather GOOD! Then there is the LEAF rule in the north east in the fall and winter (you can’;t find it in the light rough you ain’t penalized) If I had to play USGA rules my HGI would be 4 to 10 points higher But I still support the USGA I sign Up and get a GOLF cap every every year.
The USGA should allow members to vote on their crackpot ideas. Why not? They would have to come down from their ivory tower and mingle with commoners! Yes, voting with dollars may be the best recourse.
Most USGA equipment rule changes benefit club makers, but rarely the public. Wow, the new ‘groove design’ rule really changed the rough stats, (pardon the sacassm). The exception would be the 460 cc driver. But that benefitted manufactures as well. Then there is the burnt cracker goal for the US Open setup. The public never plays a course like that, or with rediculous rough. What is that all about? Now they are saving the putting stroke, very late I’d say, major wins are in the books. Does this benefit equipment makers? Or just iritate USGA members? I’m thinking of not renewing, as well. Let’s at least freeze the rule book for about 50 years.
Excellent idea about dropping membership. I’m going to suggest that to members at my course. The RCGA does about as much for us north of the border as the USGA does for you guys. If we collectively cut their membership thus revenue they might get the point. We need to tell them that, not just not renew so they know why membership is down.
As I play for the fun of the game and have started to “Play it Forward” I don’t see why we should outlaw a piece of equipment that has improved the fun of the game. I have both a belly and short putter that i exchange when the other one quits working. I am sure I will continue to do that. I agree that the USGA has to rethink where their priorities lie.
The courses the professionals play on are not the same world that I have ever played on. Wherever I have played, the playing conditions determine how the rules are played for the day.
As far a the long putter is concerned, why don’t the ruling bodies grow up. We don’t play with the same golf balls or clubs made out of the same materials, so why is the length of the putter so important. Even the statistics prove they don’t provide an advantage. A few years ago it was the face grooves, what is next. At my age 75, do you really think I am going to change my equipment?
All in favor of Frank raise any hand…anchored or not!
I quit the USGA several years ago. My reason was that they do not represent me or the type of recreational golfer that my wife and I are.. If I am going to pay dues to an organization it must be one that does something for me, rather than hinders my ability to play golf, enjoy it and get the execrcise my doctors demand I get.
I must say that Ron Payne makes an extraordinary amount of sense. I just unsubscribed from the USGA emails and tossed the renewal form in the recycling bin because they have ceased to represent what is good about golf. I second Ron’s nomination of you, Frank, to a new People’s Commission for Golf based on common sense and fair play.
The overwhelming majority of golfers are recreational amateurs. We need a governing body concerned with our issues. The PGA Tour is a theatrical organization–maybe they should be represented by SAG or AFTRA.
Frank – I forgot to add that you would be the perfect party to start this new governing body.
Frank, any ban will not affect how I putt nor any of my friends who use a long or belly putter. What will be affected will be our yearly membership fees to the USGA (some of us have been members for 30+ years) wich will cease as our memberships will not be renewed. I suggest that it may be time to have a new rules making body to rewrite rules that make some sort of common sense. This is especially true in this era of “the sky is falling” mentality of the USGA and R&A.
Amen!
The rule being proposed does not pertain to recreational golfers. There will be no putter police roaming the country checking to see who is in violation of this rule if and when it should go into effect. To not support the USGA here in the states can only be detrimental to all golfers in the long run, as the money they recieve from dues goes to a lot of things that we and our courses benefit from. I’m sure the Frank can bring to this post a host of things the USGA does besides the rules.
I think that they should outlaw lining up a mark, line, trademark on the ball. It just wastes time, and complicates the issue. Unless you have a dead straight putt, then starting direction is a factor in the calculus of the ball’s path, as is speed and the desired endpoint. Not the hole if you want to beat the lumpy donut.
Also, the amount of skid vs. roll is a function of slope, putting style, MAYBE the surface of the putter, wetness of the green…
I’ve seen a lot of players, including Mr. Woods, go from not lining it up to lining, and not one has improved. Generally, more lipouts and misses past the hole.