While many of the players affected by the USGA and R&A’s ban on anchoring remained silent Tuesday, one of the four players who recently won major titles using an anchored stroke spoke out late in the day on Twitter.
Webb Simpson, who won the U.S. Open last June with a belly putter, began his comments on the social media platform by calling for a larger role for active players in rules-making decisions:
My opinion of the belly putter ruling? I think/strongly feel that we (players) should have way more input into the rules than we have now
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
He also then went on to make a call for bifurcation, whereby the professionals on the PGA Tour would play by a different set of rules than amateurs:
Playing 30 competitive tournaments a year is much different than playing twice a month. So, if our rules are slightly different than
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
the rest, no problem at all
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
EVERY other sport has rules that differ according to level
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
@DougLowry 4 quarters in basketball nba, 2 periods in college basketball. Jump ball is different. Traveling violation is different
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
The three-time PGA Tour winner then took time to engage some of his followers with questions, hitting upon several key arguments that have traditionally been brought up by those against the anchoring ban:
@KyleEvans123 why do guys use hybrids?? It makes them better.
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
@errhoops then why do less than 10 percent use it???????????
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
@harringtonjoel not true at all- half the tour at least opposes the ban
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
@DougLowry nobody can prove its an advantage though. That's the problem. No evidence or logic there
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
@C4meronKerr the belly putter and long putter have been legal forever
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
Simpson concluded his comments by admitting that he is prepared to switch to a short putter, but will first wait to see what decision is made by the PGA Tour:
What am I going to do? Well I always use short putter at home to make sure my set up is same. So I will keep practicing and see
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013
What the Tour says. I was going to maybe switch at some point anyways, whatever will make me better!
— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) May 22, 2013