Is Long Putter a welcome tool for golfers

Is Long Putter a welcome tool for golfers

Tom Watson declared that “it is not a golf stroke.” Other pros have been far more critical than that, ridiculing the long putter as a cheating broomstick. Whether the long putter is jammed under the chin, pressed against the sternum or poked into the stomach, for many purists the problem is that it is touching some part of the body other than the hands. The United States Golf Association, which oversees the rules in North America, has disagreed and that’s why long putters are permissible wherever golf is played.But permissible does not always Tiger Woods Teaches Korean Youth Golfers mean accepted. Some in the golf community wondered if a Scott victory at the Masters might even spur a backlash to have the long putter finally banned.When they first came out, I agreed with Watson and I still find long putters odd. I doubt I could ever see myself using one. But the argument about their being placed against the body seems specious. Many people putt with standard putters held against their forearm and have been doing so for decades. That’s not holding the club in the hands, either, and it’s not illegal. In fact, no one says anything about that putting style.

It’s only a matter of time before a major champion is crowned using a long putter, and I suspect the world will not end. Golf will go on. Golf purity is a worthy cause, but the game simply can’t take itself too seriously. It is already very good at that. The game needs all the golfers it can get. If long putters help some people with the yips enjoy the game more, or if it protects the cranky, ailing backs of some of our golfing elders and lets them play more often, then it is a welcome tool.