Do you think the Belly putter is unfair or are you an equal opportunity putter?

Are belly putters an unfair advantage.  Are you at a disadvantage in your club championship if your fellow finalist shows up with a belly putter?  Lets not argue that it is or is not an advantage to use the belly putter, but that all players are allowed to putt equally.  Belly putters are a choice, not an advantage.  I am not saying it is a proven advantage to use a belly or long putter over a standard putter.  I’d like to make that clear.

I have used belly putters, and I have not.  I have gotten hot with long, short, standard, claw grips, fat grips, no grips, different colored putters, you name it I’ve tried it. I have also had horrible putting rounds with all of these different putters. I am not a convert that belly putters are the end all be all of putting strokes.  I believe that some players will benefit, and some players will not with the “anchored” putter.  But if everyone has a chance to use the same equipment then its not an advantage to some players and not others, because we can all use them. Its like saying that it is an advantage to use a golf cart, so no one should use them (some people play better walking, others play better because they exert less energy ridding).  Its a choice and nothing more.

Bottom line is that until the USGA says we can no longer use a belly putter, then it is not an advantage or disadvantage argument, but weather or not a player chooses to use a longer putter because they have that option.  This is the beauty of American, we have the chance to choose as we see fit (as long as its not illegal) to play how we want and use the putter that we want.  I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both long and short putters, but I do not think that someone should tell you how you can and cannot play the game of golf.