Langer discusses anchored putters, advice for Kaymer

• By Will Gray
• Oct 9, 2012 8:48 AM ET

In an interview Tuesday with Golf Channel's Morning Drive, Ryder Cup veteran Bernhard Langer discussed topics ranging from his advice to countryman Martin Kaymer at Medinah to his take on the anchored putter debate.

Langer said he was receptive to a phone call from Kaymer, seeking advice on Saturday of Ryder Cup week. The two spoke for about an hour, as Langer counseled the 2010 PGA champion on how to cope with the team dynamics presented by the Ryder Cup to a player serving as the lone representative of his country.

"I know where he's coming from, because I was the only German for so many years on any tour, and it's not always easy to fit in," noted Langer. "He just had a bit of a hard time really getting into the Ryder Cup, being a team player and connecting with the other guys. So I made a few suggestions."

The two-time Masters champion also chimed in on the debate over anchored putters.

"I'm a little bit surprised that it's now such an issue," explained Langer, who currently uses a long putter on the Champions Tour. "It seems to be just a problem now that we've got three major winners who have used longer putters. Before anybody won a major, it wasn't that big of a deal."

Langer also noted that a ban on the use of anchored putters may have a negative effect on the overall growth of the sport.

"We might lose some golfers if they ban long putters, you might lose a bunch of amateurs who struggle with putting," said Langer. "That might not be the right way to grow the game."