Random Belly Putter Views: Couples, Mickelson, Scott

At the Northern Trust Open, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott all weigh in on discussions about long putters and anchoring.

This was interesting from Couples:

You know, it would be‑‑ for me personally, to make a perfect decision, it would be nice to go to like some college events to see if these kids are using it because then I would think they'd have to take a close look.  You're 13 years old and you're using it because maybe you putt better, not because you're 45 or 44 and you have a back problem or you have the yips or you have the claw or you have cross‑hand or you split‑grip it or whatever you do.  There's a lot of ways to skin a cat.  And whatever they decide, then we'll all end up doing [it].

I'm not going to sit here and say I think it would be a mistake if they got rid of the belly putter or a long putter that you put your hand up on your chest or in your chin or whatever.  You know, it's kind of a decision they'll make, and I'm sure it'll be good for the game of golf, and then we'll go from there.

Phil Mickelson stuck to his view, saying "it's been legal for however many decades, and to change that I think is really unfair to those that have been using it." However he also added this about the groove rule change in the context of talking about golf governance.

I don't think that that rule turned out to be the best.  Given that my iron play, my grooves were weak to begin with on all my irons except my wedges, my spin rate has gone up 300 rpms per iron since I've gone to Callaway groove.  It actually spins it more than the V‑grooves I used to use because I had V in my irons.  So I don't see‑‑ the only area I see it affecting is around the greens, and it's going to affect the average guy a lot more than it is somebody like us out here who has the ability to control their wedges and have a good short game.

And Adam Scott was not aware the USGA and R&A were taking a fresh look at anchoring

You know, I don't have anything to say.  I think it works for me.  It might not work for others unless they give it a try.

But just like everything in golf, it changes.  Driver heads weren't 460 cc's when the game started, just like people didn't putt with a belly putter when the game started.  So things change, and I guess it's up to the R&A and the USGA to keep the game in the best shape possible with what they think.  Whatever they think goes at the end of the day, so we'll see.  It's not going to ruin me if they ban a long putter one day because I putted good some weeks with the short putter.  I won a lot of tournaments.  I'll just have to work a bit harder with it.