Rules · Tip
The Anchoring Rule, Simply Put
Part of our rules programs. Build a program with it
Rule 10.1b says you can't anchor the club when you make a stroke. You can't hold the club, or a hand gripping it, against your body. You also can't press a forearm against your body to make a fixed point for the other hand to swing around. Holding the club against your hand or forearm is fine. And if the club or your arm just brushes your body or clothes, that's not a breach. Long putters are allowed if not anchored.
Step by step
- Don't hold the club or a hand against your body.
- Holding it against a hand or forearm is fine.
- Don't brace a forearm to make a pivot.
- Brushing your body isn't a breach.
- Long putters are fine if not anchored.
Why it works
Rule 10.1b exists so the stroke is a free swing, not a swing around a fixed point. If the club or a hand is held against your body, your body becomes a stable anchor and the club pivots around it. Holding the club against your own hand or forearm leaves the stroke free, because those parts move with the stroke and do not create a fixed pivot.
Common mistakes
- Pressing the grip end of a long putter into your stomach or chest.Set the grip a small distance clear of your body so it can move freely through the stroke.
- Resting your lead forearm firmly against your chest or thigh to steady the putter.Let the forearm hang clear of your body so it is not acting as a fixed pivot for the other hand.
- Thinking any touch between the club or arm and your clothes is a breach.Remember that a brush against your body or clothes is fine, as long as you are not holding it there to make a fixed point.
How you'll know it's working
- You can see daylight between the grip and your body, and between your forearms and your body, at address and through the stroke.
- The putter moves freely and the stroke feels like a swing, not a rotation around a locked spot.
- A friend watching from the front or the side sees no sustained contact that works as a fixed point.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practise with a standard-length putter so there is no grip end near your body to anchor.
Harder: Practise with a long putter and hold a clear gap between the grip and your body through a full stroke, without any pressing.
Common questions
Can I still use a long putter under the anchoring rule?
Yes. Long putters are allowed as long as you do not anchor them against your body when you make a stroke.
Is it a breach if my putter grip touches my shirt during the stroke?
No. If the club or your arm only brushes your body or clothes, it is not a breach. It becomes a breach when you hold it there to create a fixed point.
