Belly Putter Ban Is Necessary Rule to Protect Integrity of Game

Anchoring the putter diminishes one of the most fascinating aspects of golf: the effects of pressure on putting. 

This rule change is not about equipment. It is about the nature of the golf swing. Anchored putting has to go, and it is likely going to.  

The USGA and R&A recently made official what most saw coming when they announced a ban on anchored putting beginning in 2016. USGA President Glen Nager issued a statement on the rule change.

Now, the PGA Tour could bifurcate. This is a distinct possibility given there is a group of players in opposition to this rule change exploring legal options. 

Those players, including Masters champ and anchored putter Adam Scott, need to let this fight go and adapt to the change. 

In Nager's statement, all we really need is this: "Rule 14‑1b protects one of the most important challenges in the game of golf: The free swing of the entire club."

The free swing is at the heart of the game, and nowhere is this more fascinating than on the greens.  

Putting greens offer one of the most dramatic stages in sports, especially when tournaments wind down on Sunday. 

Other than brief interactions with their caddies, golfers stand in isolation with ample amounts of downtime to contemplate the enormity of the situation. Even the coolest of competitors can get shaky in these moments. 

Since the putting stroke is all about touch and precise movement, this can present a serious problem for golfers on the green.  

Just ask Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters.

It is a lot easier for a golfer to keep his or her sternum still than free-flowing hands. When a player anchors, he or she minimize pressure's tendency to throw a putt an inch or 30 offline. 

The benefits of an anchored putter aren't going to be found in overall putting statistics. However, there is a stat that reveals a benefit: Four of the past six major champions have used the anchored putter.

Besides Scott, this list includes Ernie Els at the 2012 British Open, Webb Simpson at the 2012 U.S. Open and Keegan Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship.

I don't mean to take anything away from these guys. I'm not going to come down on anyone for using allowable methods to make this infuriating game easier. 

But that is exactly why this rule is needed. It must take away the option for players in the first place.