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Is Belly Putting Cheating?

With the kick off of the Hyundai tournament championship it is as I thought it would be; more players competing with belly putters and long putters. Brandon Chamblee and Frank Nobilo frequently say that the methods are cheating. It is not cheating. The USGA and the R and A make those decisions and they haven’t said anything. Although I am not a lawyer, I don’t see the legal precedence when you clearly allowed something for 60 years and now because younger players are using the method and winning, it’s cheating. I can make the case that it is easier, but it’s also easier to hit drivers straighter and further than it was 10, 20, 30 years ago. I think some people are forgetting it’s a game and players (especially amateurs) are supposed to have fun. If more players find their way to the course because they are having more fun, making more putts, last I looked that’s good for anybody involved in any part of the golf industry, including the commentators at the Golf Channel.
Don’t get me wrong. I hope they keep saying it’s cheating and the USGA is smart enough to leave well enough alone. More players that are currently frustrated by missing seemingly makeable putts might realize that they should take a serious look at “anchored putting”.

If they do, they need to be aware that it’s not as easy (or magical) as everyone is making it out to be. Of the two methods, belly and long, I prefer belly over long for a number of reasons. The first is that I believe it is easier to play golf under your body than around your body. If you don’t believe me, just stand straight up and down with a ball in your right hand (for right handed players) then toss a ball to a target that’s to the side of you. You have to swing your arm around your body and let go of the ball at precisely the moment your palm is facing the target. Too early and you’re to the right, too late and you’re to the left.

Now tilt forward so that your right arm can hang under your shoulder line. Swing your arm underneath, tossing the ball to a target. No contest: it’s easier. It’s the same for putting, or for that matter swinging a club. The margin for error is greater because the club face is simply facing the target longer.

There are four main points to the putting set-up the way we teach it at our scoring zone school. For these points, click on this link to read the cover story of the January issue of Golf Magazine.

Belly vs Conventional Putting

If you take the time to read Marius Filmalter’s contribution to the article on page 86 you will see he doesn’t think belly putters help or really make a difference. I couldn’t agree more if players (including tour players) are not set up properly, which has to include the correct length belly putter.

I recently spent some time with a tour player who wanted to give belly putting a try. He didn’t know what length he needed and the people TRYING to help him didn’t know, so they GUESSED at 42”. He said belly putting felt even worse than his conventional stroke, which at the time was not good. I fit him to a conventional length putter at 33 ½” and a belly length at 40 ¼” using the Tri-Fit system. He is 5’10” tall. I had a 40 ½” belly putter at the time and we would tell you that the extra ¼” made a difference as to the comfort of the set up we were working on. Check on the video below to learn about the Tri-Fit process.

The bottom line is that for belly putting to work a player needs to be set up correctly. To be set up correctly a player has to have a putter that fits into the proper set up.

The industry is well on its way to screwing up belly putting for the amateur. The industry standard is 41” and 43”. That’s ridiculous; a two inch gap. At a minimum, ½” makes a difference as to whether or not a player will be able to set up properly and putt better.

Tune in next week as I blog in more detail about belly putting and how it can help, or just as easily, hurt your stroke.