Rules Refresher – Anchoring

It’s now over three-and-ahalf years since The R&A and USGA outlawed anchoring via a new Rule that came into effect in January 2016, primarily to address concerns about putting strokes that held the club against the body in some way.

The precise wording of Rule 10.1b in the Player’s Edition of the Rule book is very concise and reads simply: “In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club either directly or indirectly.” The diagram shown here, which sits alongside the Rule, highlights some of the methods that are either permitted or not permitted, while the full edition of the Rules book adds in a little more detail that’s worth reiterating here.

“Directly” means holding the club or a gripping hand against any part of the body, with the proviso that you are permitted to hold the club or a gripping hand against your hand or forearm. The top right image highlights one such breach. “Indirectly” means creating an “anchor point” to hold a forearm against any part of the body, such that a gripping hand forms a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club. The bottom right picture indicates one such method that would constitute a breach – although the club handle is not directly touching the body, the forearm and upper gripping hand are anchored against the chest.

The full Rules go on to clarify that if your club, gripping hand or forearm merely touch your body or clothing as you make your stroke, you would not be in breach of Rule 10.1b. For added clarity, the Rules even state that for the purposes of this Rule, the “forearm” is “the part of the arm below the elbow joint and includes the wrist.” The penalty for making a stroke in breach of Rule 10.1b is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play, and in the latter, the stroke will also count.

While the intention of this Rule was to outlaw certain types of putting grips, strokes and actions, it’s important to note that you cannot anchor the club on any shot, not just when putting – something to remember when you find yourself in a tight situation close to trees or bushes and can’t take up your normal stance or hold your club in the usual manner.

It’s also important to reiterate that this is not an equipment Rule, and no specific items of equipment were outlawed when the anchoring Rule came in. You are still perfectly entitled to use belly or broomhandle putters as long as you hold them in a way that does not infringe Rule 10.1b.

“While the intention of this Rule was to outlaw certain types of putting grips, it’s important to note that you cannot anchor the club on any shot”

One final point on this subject is that clubs are not allowed to introduce a Local Rule or Condition of Competition that permits anchoring. Local Rules are intended to address local abnormal conditions at a specific course, and one purporting to eliminate Rule 10.1b would be an impermissible waiver of a Rule defining a fundamental characteristic of the game, i.e. how a stroke is to be made.