Golf: Tiger Woods wants long putter banned

Tiger Woods. Photo / Getty Images

Tiger Woods has revealed he's been talking to golf's powerbrokers about a rule to ban the long putter.

Such a move would potentially be a huge blow to Australia's world No.8 Adam Scott who has revitalised his career since switching to a broomstick putter early last year.

Woods said on Tuesday he's "never been a fan'' of long putters that players either anchor into their belly or the broomstick putters that are pressed against the chest.

The winner of 14 majors said he has spoken to Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson over the past few years about how a change could be worded in the Rules of Golf that would effectively ban long putters.

"My idea was to have it so that the putter would be equal to or less than the shortest club in your bag,'' Woods said.

"And I think with that, we'd be able to get away from any type of belly anchoring.

"I believe it's (putting) the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion.

"That's how it should be played. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to that.''

Longer putters have been around for more than two decades but gained serious momentum last year, with the success of Scott and others prompting many tour pros to experiment with them.

Wielding his broomstick with aplomb, Scott drew attention with his improved putting when runner up at the Masters then winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Young American Keegan Bradley went one better by winning a major, the PGA Championship, with a belly putter.

Bill Haas then used a belly putter when he won the Tour Championship and fellow US youngster Webb Simpson bagged two wins late in the year with the same style.

In the past, the longer putters were generally considered to be only for players with the 'yips'.

The game's rule makers, the R&A and US Golf Association, have taken notice of the surge in use at the top level and said they would review such putters.

"If you look back at the interest in it, it really never changed for over 20 years,'' USGA executive director Mike Davis said at Saturday's annual meeting.

"Then all of a sudden in 2011 ... this has become a much bigger topic. So the R&A and USGA have been talking about this at length.''

They would have to be wary of imposing a blanket ban, as long putters can help social golfers who might otherwise struggle with the game.

"It is something that we have taken a fresh look at, because there are more players in the game, both on the elite level and on the recreational level, using it,'' Davis said.

"I think we just want to be sure that we're looking at all the angles and thinking about what is in the best interest, both the traditions of the game, the history of the game and what is what we think would be good for the game long term.''

Scott said last year he believed he could successfully make the adjustment back to the short putter if forced to, albeit perhaps a little begrudgingly.

- AAP