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Belly Putter
Anchoring the butt of a Belly Putter against
your body was prohibited in 2016.
|
IN SHORT Much of the advantage of using this length of putter has disappeared with the Rule change. However, it still can be used in a modified way. |
Belly Putter
It has been the salvation for some golfers whose putting has gone south. However, there is still the thought attached to its use that it is a band-aid solution rather than the real deal.
Like the Long Putter it is not the first choice of most golfers. Rather they gravitate to it because they are putting badly or have a bad back.
It offers them partial relief from an errant putting stroke because it can eliminate certain degrees of freedom, and the errors associated with them.
Moving Putter Butt
When your putting stroke starts to break down, it is often the result of over-active wrists. The butt of your putter, instead of remaining stationary between your hands, wiggles backwards and forwards during your stroke.
In a stable putting stroke it remains motionless, keeping its original relationship to the putting triangle of shoulders, arms, and hands as established at address.
One way to prevent the butt of the putter moving was to jam it into your gut. Because the top end of the putter shaft is now anchored, it is more difficult for your wrists to hinge.
By eliminating the freedom of movement in your wrists, you effectively get rid of the problem. Under the Rules of Golf this solution is no longer permissable.
Standard Putter
If you reference the main golf tours, there is only a minority of professionals using either the belly or the long putter at any one time.
This seems to suggest that the standard or conventional putter is still the length of choice. When they do make a change, it is usually because they are unhappy with their present putting stats.
Similar to changing their putting grip or model of putter, it is a way of mixing things up when their confidence starts to falter.
Allowable Anchoring - Arm Lock Putting
Putting is a combination of skills, not just the single skill of a repetitive putting stroke.
However, if you can't make reasonable headway with a standard length putter try a belly putter. There is still a form of anchoring allowable beyond 2016. This is fixing the grip so that is pressed against the inside of the left forearm.
This is known as the arm lock putting method. A number of professional golfers now use this method.
Getting the ball in the hole in the least number of putts is the end game. So feel free to experiment with any length of putter.
Image Source
1 = www.perfectpendulum.com
2 = www.macrogolf.com
