Belly/long putters - Ban or not?

Should belly/long putters be banned? I'm not sure.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1235883/1/.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/9647176/Ernie-Els-and-Keegan-Bradley-vow-to-fight-belly-putter-ban.html

It does give an advantage to normal putter when you under pressure to make the 10 -20 footer for taking lead or remain in the lead . In the same time , you got to practice to get good at it like any other club in your bag. But i'll banned it on the pro circuit , not for the amateur ....

NO! pls don't ban (for amateur), because I just bought one and going to try it soon

pros been using belly for years.....so why is it a problem when today some who do wins tournaments now? Did pros like Bradley and Simpson figure out how to use Belly better than Bernhard Langer, Chris DiMarco and Fred Couples did before?

I wonder if they ban belly at pro level because it may give advantage to lesser putter-ers, maybe they should ban hybrids too.. because it gives advantage to those who can't hit long irons for those long par 3s?

USGA was talking about it but i think it will be at 2014 then they make some dicussion.
Cheers mate

If ban, then grow beer belly ..

I have used all three types...normal, belly, long. I can definitely inform people that it is possible to miss putts with all three.

I have no problem with any of the styles. It takes practice to be good at any of them. While there may be an argument that 3 footers become easier with the anchored putter and there could be merit to that, belly and long putters tend to be not as good on lag putts or putts from longer distances. There appears to be a slight issue with the anchoring of the belly putter versus the long putter use where there may be no anchoring. I have a feeling the belly putter is doomed via the anchoring issue.

My only issue with people getting all fired up about the belly putter and saying it is cheating, etc. is they argue that it makes putting too easy. What about the improvements in golf equipment over the past say 20 years? Look at the potato mashers that are now drivers. Look at the high moi irons. Look at hybrids. There are many things out there today that make the game easier, even for the best players in the world.

There will be a few guys that will most likely not be able to play golf at the professional level once the ban is implemented, but overall I don't think it will have much of an effect, if any, aside from not having anyone use a belly putter to win a tournament.

well said Dan.....i personally don't think there is any advantage with using a long putter.

during the last Ryder Cup, there were at least 3 to 4 on the US side and they did not have the advantage. i cannot remember if anyone on the Europe Team was using one.

DGman

I really don't care if they ban belly or long putters. Golf is complicated and difficult enough, so we should have the freedom to use what we like. Moreover, we are social Golfers and not pros, thus let's just enjoy the game.

Happy Feet wrote:

If ban, then grow beer belly ..

Didn't work for me.

Alamak....

Just putt with the driver loh.... Then you can hug the 44" of shaft until shiok...

Just use a long putter lah.

Why do you have to use a BELLY LONG PUTTER?

Just like my Ah Lian girlfriend, she tell me her hair "Belly Long Alleady"

Many Thanks.