Kodachrome
* Ace Member *
I get what you're saying but you're talking about bad putters. I'm talking about good ones. If someone is 90% from 25 feet and allowing him to step through makes him 95% (because he's a spin putter) that's gaining an advantage, when, in effect another guy with the other style allowing him to step through isn't improving his percentage increase at all (Still at 90%) because allowing a step through to a straddle putt/loft-putter doesn't change the distance and consequently not the accuracy.
And before anyone criticizes the distances I chose for the example, you pick the ones that are true for you and apply the same principles. I still think allowing the step-through is clearly an advantage to good spin putters compared to good push putters particularly those that straddle.
i guess what i was getting at is the idea that the good putters will still be good putters and the bad ones will be bad . . . so let the people hash out what they want to do - if they feel they are at a disadvantage, they will switch and work on it. at that point it's just a technique or tactic, like throwing RHFH or RHBH or being able to throw rollers.
if a person is 95% at 25 feet from a straddle, what would they stand to gain from a step putt? maybe it does increase their percentage: great! they're better at putting now. player B then needs to either step up the way they play their game or give in and switch. that's the nature of the beast, just like off the tee.
not to mention the fact there are tons of situations where a step putt is not feasible.
i know where you're coming from because i don't particularly care for the step putt/ jump putt period - i actually dislike it partially for that reason, but mostly for the "iffy" calls it can make for - but as long as everyone is on the same playing field it's cool. i could choose to step putt outside of 30' but i don't. it's the same principle, just at 30' instead of where ever i want. i'm confident that i can up my game through practice to match.
i would honestly prefer all putts to require remaining behind your lie - but then you have to define "what is a putt?" which brings us back to distance because you can't define it by stance or disc selection. so as for the OP i say "why not?" i think both would be fun to try.
i agree with you in some respect because i think you would see a lot of players trying to step putt and it would cut down on diversity as well as "shortening" the length of putts. but the good/great putters i think would probably just go with what made them more putts - some people would benefit from the step putt and some would stay with what made them great, IMO.
the 10m rule is fair in my book but i think this would be fun just to see what happens. of course that is a terrible reason to change a rule. i won't deny that.