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| Time is On His Side |
A remarkable harmonic convergence (from The Golf Album parody perspective) has
happened in the past few days. On the one
hand, the The Rolling Stones, who celebrated their 50th (that’s
correct) anniversary by performing six live concerts, the first two in London, the
second two in New York City (well, Brooklyn), and then two in Newark NJ, with
an appearance at the Hurricane Sandy benefit concert on 12/12/12 at Madison
Square Garden sandwiched in between shows.
(Much more on the Rolling Stones, the World’s Greatest Rock and Roll
Band, in future posts.) Led by Mick
Jagger and Keith Richards, the Stones played their first gig at the Marquee
Club in London on July 12, 1962. Suffice
it to say that their longevity is a testament to their creative genius and
performing skills as much as good genes and miraculous endurance, given the
reported lifestyles of the Glimmer Twins in their youth.
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| Under My Plumb |
Concurrent
with this remarkable occurrence, the Grand
Poobahs of the golf world made a not-unanticipated but still stunning
announcement on November 28th. The
R&A and USGA decreed that belly putters and their ilk must go and must fade
away by 2016. As Reuters reported:
Nov 28
(Reuters) - Golf's rulemakers proposed a ban on players anchoring long putters
to their body on Wednesday, saying they wanted to outlaw the practice by
2016 in order to preserve the "skill and challenge" of putting.
Broomhandle or belly putters, pioneered by 2002 European Ryder Cup
captain Sam Torrance among others in the late 1980s, are often tucked under the
chin, against the chest or stomach.
They are swung in a pendulum fashion, helping to reduce the
effects of a nerves when lining up a putt.
The proposal by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and United States
Golf Association (USGA), will be discussed by players and the golfing community
before being implemented.
Three of the past five major winners have used long putters and,
while both organisations stopped short of proposing changes to current rules on
equipment, they say putters should swing freely and not be anchored to any part
of the body.
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| Serious Anchor |
It was also reported that R&A chief executive Peter Dawson
said the powers that be had acted because so-called anchoring had become the
"preferred option" for many players.
"Our objective is to preserve the skill and challenge which is a
key component of the game of golf," Dawson said. "Our concern is that
anchored strokes threaten to supplant traditional putting strokes which are
integral to the longstanding character of the sport."
It was also reported that Mike Davis, executive director of the
USGA, said swinging a club freely was the essence of the 600-year-old sport. "The
player's challenge is to control the movement of the entire club in striking
the ball, and anchoring the club alters the nature of that challenge," he
said. "Our conclusion is that the Rules of Golf should be amended to
preserve the traditional character of the golf swing by eliminating the growing
practice of anchoring the club."Davis said that the percentage of players
anchoring putts had risen from two or three to 15 percent and that in some
events 25 percent of the players had adopted the technique.
Current players have expressed sharply contrasting views on the proposal, but it
was reported that golfing legend and nine-times major champion Gary Player said
he was delighted by the proposal.
"These long putters eliminate the nerves," the 77-year-old said. "As
a young man I worked for hours and hours on my mind to try and strengthen it so
that when I came under pressure I could go about it. Now there is no tremble in
your hands, you are anchored to your body and nerves are eliminated."
Another,
perhaps more interested observer, Tiger Woods, also supported the new ban. It was reported that:
At his news conference Tuesday, Woods reiterated that he's opposed to
belly putters or any type of so-called "anchoring" of putters against
the body.
Asked if his opposition might help lead to a ban, Woods replied, "I
don't know if it carried any weight or not, but I just believe that the art of
putting is swinging the club and controlling nerves."
Having one end of the putter at a fixed point, Woods said, "is something
that's not in the traditions of the game. We swing all other 13 clubs, I think
the putter should be the same. One of the things that I was concerned about
going forward is the kids who get started in the game and [are] starting to
putt with an anchoring system.".
Woods also argued against having separate sets of rules for pros and
amateurs. "It's nice for amateurs to understand that they're playing by
the same guidelines we are," he said. (The “same rules” such as seven-figure appearance fees, free
cars to and from the course, million-dollar endorsements and the like. Come on already.)
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| Won't See This Anchor-Style |
Woods’ position is not surprising since it would presumably weaken
the games of his competitors in major
title competitions, a needed boost to Woods as he tries to bag the big game
trophies otherwise known as “majors” titles as his career winds down.
This
equipment ban obviously involves high stakes.
Three of
golf's last five major tournaments were won by players using belly putters:
Keegan Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship, Webb Simpson at the 2012 U.S. Open
and Ernie Els at this year's British Open. So,
despite the small sample size, it would appear the anchored putters work not
just for older golfers with “nerves”, as Gary Player put it earlier, or the
yips, as us duffers would say, but also for younger players, presumably
yip-free. Equipment manufacturers,
spotting a potentially-lucrative new market, may prove formidable opponents to
this new rule as well.
The proposed ban will not go into effect until Jan 1, 2016. "This timetable would also provide an
extended period in which golfers may, if necessary, adapt their method of
stroke to the requirements of the Rule," an R&A statement
said. It was reported that Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley both said
that they accepted the governing body's authority and Simpson was reported to
be already practicing for the new rule to be implemented. But 2016 is light years away in sports-years,
so we will have to see how this plays out.
In
the meantime, you anchor boys and girls out there in the real golf world might
tip your broomhandles, while you still can, to the Stones and sing this lament.
GIMME
SHELTER
Songwriter/Composer:
Publishers: ABKCO Music
Inc
Ooh,
a rule is threatening
My
very game today
If
I can't have my anchor
Ooh
yeah, the yips are here to stay
Par,
children, it's just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
Par,
children, it's just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
Ooh,
my old putter’s sweepin'
My
shaky putt astray
Turns
like a red turn signal
bad
pull lost its way
Par,
children, it's just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
par,
children, it's just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
Long
putter, the anchor’s gone away
the
anchor’s gone away
Long
putter, the anchor’s gone away
the
anchor’s gone away
Long
putter, the anchor’s gone away
the
anchor’s gone away
Ooh,
a rule is threatening
My
very game today
If
I can't do my anchor
Ooh
yeah, the yips are here to stay
Par,
children
it's
just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
It's
just a putt away
I
tell you golf, sister
Can’t
keep the yips away
Can’t
keep the yips away
Can’t
keep the yips away
Can’t
keep the yips away
Can’t
keep the yips away
Yips
away, Yips away
AMDG
©
R.E. Kelly 2012-2021
