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Simpson and Bradley both were regarded as good putters before switching to the belly. Padraig Harrington, who always has used a conventional putter, said more players might be tempted to switch if it's clear their competitors have an advantage.
Phil Mickelson experimented with the belly putter last year in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
"Obviously, if the standard of putting goes up, which it clearly does ... guys wouldn't be using them if they didn't putt better with them, yeah?" he said. "If the standard of putting goes up, it puts more pressure on the guys that aren't using one just to compete. So all of a sudden, it's hard for a normal putter. Is he doing the right thing? Should he be using the long putter?
"So it actually has a negative effect on others as much as a positive effect on some."
Scott made the biggest turnaround. He felt such despair over his putting that he switched at the Match Play Championship in February 2011. His good friend, Geoff Ogilvy, said that his fellow Australian still was capable of making putts and winning even with a short putter.,
"It just makes his bad days better," Ogilvy said. "It doesn't make his good days better."
The objection Dawson has heard the most is that if players can't putt with a conventional club, why should they have a crutch to compete with those who can.
"That's the general argument one hears," Dawson said. "But we're also seeing now people who can putt perfectly well in the conventional way thinking that an anchored stroke gives them an advantage. I think that's the fundamental change that we've witnessed in the last couple of years."
[Associated
Press;
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