CROSSVILLE —
There has been a lot of buzz and talk over the last year or so as to whether golf's ruling bodies, the USGA and R&A, would make a move to ban the "belly" and "long" putters. There are a lot of opinions about whether they should be legal, and the governing bodies have spoken recently.
I want to clear up something about the ruling, because there is a lot of confusion regarding it.
Belly or long putters are not banned. Many are under the impression they can no longer use a belly or long putter.That is not the case, nor will it be. The ruling is as follows:
"Rule 14-1b prohibits strokes made with the club or a hand gripping the club held directly against the player's body, or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point that indirectly anchors the club."
The rule prohibits "anchoring" the club to the body during a stroke. It says nothing of prohibiting the putters themselves; and this rule change will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2016.
So anyone who uses a long putter will simply have to modify their grip or how they hold the putter if they currently anchor it to their body.The USGA has a short video on what will be legal and illegal grips as of 2016 on their website.
Is this good for the game? Depends on who you ask. I personally think it is the correct ruling. I do hate it for the average player who has found that the anchoring of the putter has greatly improved his putting, thereby adding to his enjoyment of the game and increasing his participation in it. But adjustments can be made, and the benefit of the increased weight and length of the longer putters can still be utilized. There have been a couple changes the USGA has made recently which I think were frankly a waste of time and money.
The USGA has obtained a reputation recently as making the game harder for the average player and making the game less accessible, which benefits no one. Some will say the same about this ruling. However, both ends of the club are supposed to move to make a "swing" in golf, and I agree that it shouldn't be anchored.
Some believe that there should be different rules for amateurs and professionals like other sports. College baseball uses aluminum bats and MLB professionals use wood only. College football only requires one foot in bounds for a completed pass while the NFL requires two.
These are good points, but I disagree for seperate rules in golf. I love this game because someone can grow up playing the game, get great at it, and play professionally. Or an amateur can qualify for his national championship and compete against the best pros in the world for one week. Neither one has do something totally different once there. Nothing about the equipment or the rules governing play are different at that highest level. It allows for great stories and dreams, and I think that is really cool.
So don't sell or decide not buy your favorite belly/long putter just yet. I am already experimenting with different grips with a couple students that use the longer putters. There will be innovative new ideas and methods that will prove effective and be legal at the same time.
As always, play your best.
Tansi Smoke Signals
USGA, R&A change putter anchoring rule
- Tansi Smoke Signals
-
-
Fun and games on Memorial Day at the Thunderbird
Everyone is looking forward to Memorial Day, otherwise known as opening day for Lake Tansi. With it, Memorial Day will bring the onset of warm weather, vacationing and will set the tone for the Thunderbird Recreation Center, where children’s activities will abound under the direction of Stephanie Tanksley.
-
TSUD has state permit, new commissioner
William Corbin, the newly selected commissioner for Tansi Sewer Utility District, attended his first meeting in official capacity on April 9. Corbin was selected from a list submitted by the board to County Mayor Kenneth Carey Jr. last month.
- Weather warning system update
-
Snack Shack is now the Quack Shack
The Snack Shack, located at the beach, is under new management this year. It is being leased to Sheere Britt, who has 27 years of experience in the foodservice industry. Britt has made a lot of big changes, taking the snack shack and completely remaking it into a much more enjoyable experience for all property owners and guests and now calling it “The Quack Shack.”
-
Ruby P. Ketner and Dottie De Witt Memorial Award winners
Linda Carothers and Judi Hartman are being honored with the Ruby P. Ketner and Dottie De Witt Memorial Award.
-
Lake Tansi Small Pan Fish Anglers Club called to order with season’s first tournament
The Lake Tansi Small Pan Fish Anglers Club held their first meeting of the season on April 2, bringing to order the club’s events and dates and a season full of fishing days and frying nights which will continue every other Tuesday through October 15.
-
Benefit Golf Tournament set for May 8
The Hospice Board of Directors will host its 22nd annual Benefit Golf Tournament on Wednesday, May 8, at Lake Tansi Golf Course, according to tournament co-chairs Don and Sherry Koch. This event will raise funds for the only non-profit hospice organization in our local area. Hospice of Cumberland County provides comfort and care for the terminally ill as they spend their final days with dignity, surrounded by family and friends in homes and in our 6-bed residential facility, Cumberland House.
-
Post Office and Letter carriers association to hold ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ food drive May 11
On May 11, the Crossville Post Office will hold its annual food drive to help “Stamp Out Hunger” in America. The United States Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) have partnered together for 21 years to create one of the most successful food drives in the nation.
-
Aqua Stretch classes offered at Tansi’s indoor pool on Fridays
Every Friday at 8:45 a.m., Michelle Vaughn will be instructing an Aqua Stretch class. This hour long class is a non-aerobic, water exercise class which teaches low impact, slow stretching techniques using body weight and water for resistance for elongating and mobilizing the muscles.
-
Lake Tansi Bass Club reinstates old school bass rules for 2013
The Lake Tansi Bass Club is gearing up for its 2013 season, luring Lake Tansi sportsmen to get their bass boats in ship shape for an anglers’ paradise of competitive tournaments. The first tournament was held April 18 and will continue every other Thursday, except August 22, until September 5.
- More Tansi Smoke Signals Headlines
-
Fun and games on Memorial Day at the Thunderbird
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
