"The statistical evidence regarding 'anchored' putters is cloudy at best."

Mike Stachura has crunched the Strokes Gained numbers and says there are certainly signs that long/anchored putterers are doing A-okay, but perhaps not enough to prompt a rule change. Yet. A few things worth noting, though the entire post is well worth reading.

Certainly it's true that the percentage of long putters being used on tour is higher than it's been, freakishly high, as a matter of fact. According to a source with access to the Darrell Survey, 15 percent of the 125-player field, or THREE times what it was at the same event last year.

He also makes this key point about the belly anchoring nonsense that is at the crux of most complaints about long putters:

Then again, a ban on anchoring the putter to your chest or abdomen wouldn't necessarily be an equipment rule change, would it? It didn't take a great deal of evidence to change the rule on videotape disqualifications, for example. Whether belly putters are more like square grooves or signed scorecards is something that we'll only know after something happens. Or nothing at all.