Is this guy a falling-putter?

[ShopTom.com]

I only read the first page. In my opinion the player is fine. It appears he has full balance, just could demonstrate better. In the second time mark for example you can see his calf muscle flex after the putt when he regains his center of gravity. I believe he would have no problem actually planting his second foot before walking to the basket to satisfy the doubters.

Now if I was playing with him in a close game I would require he does so just to screw with him. And buy a shirt.

 

[runnaman]

I've seen this a couple times in Open groups while officiating at a tournament and I talked to the whole group about it and they all agreed that after putting (regardless of if the putt goes in or not) both feet should touch the ground behind the mini.

 

[Cgkdisc]

The thing is, if showing balance meant placing both feet on the ground before moving forward, those exact words would have been written in the rule. But they weren't. It's not like they haven't had the opportunity to put those words in there over say 30 years since the first rule book and seven revisions or so.

 

[FierceTable]

Without getting too far away from the topic there seems to be quite a few players here that crackdown hard on calling falling putts. That's great, I'm all about the rules, but I'm curious how many of you have elected not to call someone on a falling putt because they missed the putt.

 

[BrotherDave]

The big thing missing here is the original intent of the rule which apparently has not come thru in the way it was written. Granted, it's a slippery slope when intent sneaks into rules interpretations. But the original intent was to prevent leaping, slam dunks and dead fall putts. Based on this, these hesitation walk thru putts like the video were not really intended to be foot faults. However, I understand why people are confused because the wording in the current rule is insufficient to convey the intent.

The thing is, if showing balance meant placing both feet on the ground before moving forward, those exact words would have been written in the rule. But they weren't. It's not like they haven't had the opportunity to put those words in there over say 30 years since the first rule book and seven revisions or so.

Bingo. And I think it's pretty clear based on the poll and the huge dust up here that the rules are poorly written and understood. That's all I've got left to say on this. :|

 

[Feli]

If you called that guy on it in a local tourney, prepare to have your tires slashed when you get done. Perfectly legit IMO.

 

[chrishysell]

I voted yes because of the 3rd putt that i considered questionable. I'd probably never call the guy, i'd leave that up to the cut-throat ams in this area.

 

[mzuleger]

The best part about this thread is that this actually happened to me this year. Another guy in my group said I needed to touch both feet behind my mini... I told him I only needed to demonstrate balance, then showed him I am perfectly capable of balancing on one leg... he backed off.

 

[CwAlbino]

Without getting too far away from the topic there seems to be quite a few players here that crackdown hard on calling falling putts. That's great, I'm all about the rules, but I'm curious how many of you have elected not to call someone on a falling putt because they missed the putt.

I actually am really leniant on the rules, I usually will discuss the rules with someone first. If I was playing like that in a tourney I'd just say "Hey man, could you set your other foot down on the ground so we don't have any discrepancies on falling putts". I've done that after a missed and made putt.

 

[DiscChucker]

The thing is, if showing balance meant placing both feet on the ground before moving forward, those exact words would have been written in the rule. But they weren't. It's not like they haven't had the opportunity to put those words in there over say 30 years since the first rule book and seven revisions or so.

Exactly. It cracks me up when even after someone like you, with your background and experience chimes in and provides an explanation, there's still all these people saying that without question, this is a foot fault.

 

[Apothecary]

both feldberg and jerry lewis...er...davis (one of our local pros/course proprietor/TD) are in agreement that you must plant your back foot inside the circle for it to be a legal putt.

if theyre wrong, i hope someone tells them.:\

it cracks me up that the rule is there, pros and TDs have explained how it is to be enforced and trogs on the net have so little faith in their balance that they argue in favor of falling putts.

 

[DiscChucker]

So here's something I find interesting. Earlier tonight I watched the 2003 USDGC DVD. In the final round, the lead card consisted of Ken Climo, Barry Schultz, Steve Rico and Craig Leyva. On hole 9, 12 and 13, after completing his putt, Steve never placed his back foot back on the ground before advancing to the basket to retrieve his putter. He putt, and with his back foot still in the air he bent down and picked up his mini marker, stood up, and without ever bringing his back foot back down on the ground behind where his marker had been, he brought his left foot forward and stepped in front of his right foot and continued walking to the basket. I should also mention that he was well within the 10m circle. In fact in all three of these cases he was very close to the basket. So, despite being in the final round on the lead card of the largest event on the NT with a significant cash purse up for grabs, no one called a falling putt on him. No one on the card and not a single official.

If the rule, as it was written (prior to the recent change) was supposed to imply that both feet should be placed on the ground before advancing to the basket when putting within the 10m circle, it certainly wasn't being enforced at this event. I would have expected this to be a glaring stance violation if this implied interpretation was practiced among the touring elite.

In all three cases, I felt that Steve exhibited total control of his balance even though he was standing on one foot in the so called flamingo putt. I believe this is valid proof that backs up what Chuck has stated in previous posts as to the intent of this rule. At no point did it appear that Steve was falling forward or lacked control.

 

[SmoothSailor]

Seriously? You would call that a falling putt? That's how I putt, that's how I see a lot of pros putting in videos, that's how I see other people who've been playing longer than me putting like that. You can see he has full balance as his left foot lifts off the ground (as it will when the player is pushing off to putt). I don't even want to read through this whole arguement so I'm just gonna say anyone who thinks this is a falling putt needs to relax.

 

[RHINESEL]

needs to relax.

 

[YawningDrone]

Didn't read thread but:

Clearly a falling put.

 

[bthoma1]

so is it just a coincidence that none of the top pro's fall forward like this, or because they would be called on it?

 

[Omega SuperSloth]

dont know if anyone mentioned , but maybe this dude was just playing fast (practice) and normally plants the foot more "lady" like in tournies.

"practice" . "we not talkin bout the game but practice" , " man what we talking bout."...... "practice"

 

[Smigles]

Feldberg stated that these puts are illegal. You have to plant your other foot behind the marker and then show balance before walking forward. No quick tabbing either, you realy have to plant your other foot.

He also said that the PDGA knows that it isnt enforced atm, but they will start having a eye on it in 2011.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Feldberg has more than one quote floating around out there that is incorrect. Planting the other foot was only required at the USDGC. It is not a general requirement by the rules and there is no rule change for 2011.

 

[garublador]

I was asked to chime in. I'm not quite sure why since I've never actually played a PDGA event, but I'll give my $0.02 anyway.

I wouldn't call that a falling putt. He's clearly waiting until after the disc comes to rest before he steps forward. Someone who isn't in control of his or her balance wouldn't be able to do that. It also looks to me like he could put his foot down behind him if he wanted, but just stepped forward instead. It takes better balance to do it that way than it does to have to plant your back foot back down before stepping forward. I'd call that demonstrating balance.