From the Morning Read inbox

Keep the ban on anchoring

Keep the ban on anchoring

I couldn't disagree more with revising the rules to allow anchoring the putter. It is cheating, straight and simple. And I believe Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron are cheating (“For good of game, restore anchored stroke,” Dec. 11, http://bit.ly/2C2Ei6J).

If Langer had to putt without anchoring, he never would win another tournament.

Ken Horn
San Antonio

In the end, it all levels out

Is Dan Cahill, in his letter about the anchoring ban (“From the Morning Read inbox,” Dec. 12, http://bit.ly/2BXlpBq), aware of the obvious non sequitur? How can a higher performance level not give a competitive advantage?

Putting is crazy anyway. Just imagine in pool or snooker if the player were allowed to line up and take his stance normally and then had to stand up and play the shot sideways, looking from above. Well, that's what you're obliged to do by the Rules of Golf.

Most of us play handicap golf most of the time. Whatever difference the long putter makes to a player, he'll be handicapped accordingly. If it's a tight match, just ask him when he realized his putting was bad enough to need one, ideally after he has just three-putted or missed a short one!

Terry Wall
Winchester, England

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