Elizabeth Bernabe, a senior at Canyon High in Anaheim Hills, Calif., is one of the top juniors in the country. She uses a belly putter.(Photo: AJGA)
Story Highlights
- The USGA and R&A are expected to rule this week on whether to ban anchoring the putter
- The consensus is that the governing bodies will ban the practice
- Junior star Elizabeth Bernabe is among the thousands of players who will be affected
9:32AM EST November 26. 2012 – Elisabeth Bernabe was nearly at her wits’ end.
A top junior golfer in the U.S., Bernabe nevertheless couldn’t get comfortable on the putting greens. But about 18 months ago, the 17-year-old senior from Canyon High School in Anaheim Hills, Calif., who played in the U.S. Women’s Open and won the California Interscholastic Federation individual girls championship this year, stuck the grip end of a putter into her belly.
“I tried everything,” Bernabe told USA TODAY Sports, including a 30-inch putter, a 34-inch putter and a center-shafted putter.
The new putter and method was not instantly a perfect match for Bernabe, however. But she stuck with the belly putter through hours of practice, with the end of the putter just above and to the left of her belly button.
“It takes awhile to get used to,” she said. “It’s not the easiest thing to do. But the belly putter was the right match for me.”
But Bernabe, and 10s of thousands of other golfers around the world, might have to go searching for a new putter — and putting method. An imminent ruling on anchoring, expected to be announced as early as this week, will be made by the gatekeepers of golf — the U.S. Golf Association and R&A.
A growing consensus is that the governing bodies will ban anchoring, whether to the chin, chest, belly or the left or right arm. Any action taken will become effective on Jan. 1, 2016, when the newest edition of the Rules of Golf will be published. Earlier this year, the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson, said the recent upsurge in the use of anchored putting strokes brought the subject into “renewed focus.”
“We appreciate that this is a complex and emotive issue that divides opinion,” Dawson said. “Any decision will be made with the best interests of the game in mind and introduced only after a lengthy period of notice.”
The recent upsurge Dawson referred to included major championship victories by the anchoring talents of Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open) and Ernie Els (2012 British Open). As well, the shocking win of Guan Tianglang in this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur, which earned him a spot in next year’s Masters where he’ll become the youngest player ever in tournament history, shone another spotlight on the issue as Tianglang used a belly putter.
On one side are those who think securing the butt end of the putter handle against the body or affixing a portion of the putter handle against the left or right arm by using the other hand as a clasp provides an unfair advantage because it reduces pressure, nerves and twitches a player can feel while putting.
“They’re convinced the research has shown that under pressure on a Sunday afternoon the long putter just kind of takes one extraneous movement out of the putting stroke,” Graeme McDowell said at the Australian Masters earlier this month. “It just makes it physically easier to stroke the putter when the nerves are there (and) I think we should be leveling the playing field (by banning it). I think it’s probably something they’re disappointed in themselves that it’s got to this point. They probably should have nipped it in the bud many, many years ago.”
Added Ian Poulter: “Ban it. End of story. I mean, don’t anchor the butt end of the club. It’s simple, right?”
Not so much. On the other side of the argument are those who think other issues in golf should be dealt with, including the golf ball and the size of clubs.
“Do I think they should be banned? No, and here’s why: You take a wooden driver compared to (driver with a) 460cc titanium (head), and to me that’s a lot bigger difference than a 35-inch putter to a 45-inch putter,” Simpson said.
He added that none of the top 10 putters on the PGA Tour in 2012 in the strokes-gained-putting statistic used an anchored putter.
“I would be really sad if they ban anchoring,” Bernabe said. “Everyone has a favorite club and everyone has something that helps their game. Some people have a driver, and you can hit it 350 yards, and that’s OK?
“You still have to read the green, still have to make a solid stroke, still have to do a lot of things to be good with a belly putter. I don’t think it’s necessary for them to look at this. Look at the driver. Or the ball. I don’t think it’s fair.
“And some people have used long putters and anchored their entire lives.”
If anchoring is banned, lawsuits could emerge. Bradley said as much earlier this year. Players such as Simpson, Carl Pettersson and Tim Clark, all of whom have used only a long putter and anchoring since joining the PGA Tour, have insinuated they would look at all options if there is a ban.
“I’m using a long putter, so I don’t think they should ban it,” said Maria Hjorth, one of the few LPGA tour players who uses a long putter anchored to her body. “I don’t think it’s a big advantage, which I think is how they are looking at it. I don’t see why they should. A lot of juniors are coming out now and that’s all they use and all they’re used to. It’s all they know.
“I guess everyone will have to get used to it if they do ban it. But there will be a lot of issues, maybe some court issues before the final say is done. I think there’s a big chance they will ban it but there will be some stuff that comes with it if they do.”
