Placebo Effect or True Unfair Advantage?
Belly putters met their official demise in 2016 with the rollout of USGA Rule 14.1b (now rule 10.1b). The putters themselves aren’t banned but the way they’re used, anchoring, is. And rule changes aren’t the only effect belly putters have had in the game of golf. From the PGA TOUR, to the Senior PGA, to the amateur ranks, it has left a ripple effect throughout the game. This is a very complicated story. As we explore the effect on belly putters on the game of golf as a whole, it brings up this big question: what kind of effect did the belly putter have on its users anyway. The stats are inconclusive. And if you ask those who’ve used it what it helped the most, the might tell you that it mostly helped the yips. So were the benefits physical or were they all in your mind. This story spans decades. Involves hall of famers, and genius scientists who was simultaneously innovating golf while making space travel a reality. Belly putters have a much more complex story than you realize, and we learn all about it on this episode.
