There are more than a few ways to use a putter on the golf course and over the years, we’ve seen a number of golfers try and adapt to improve their performance.
While the standard grip is the main way for a lot of pro golfers, we do see other techniques used.
The claw grip is a famous one which is meant to take away any wrist movement, while players still use the longer belly putters to good effect as well.
However, while those methods are very much within the rules of golf, the same can’t be said for what the legendary Sam Snead used to get away with during his prime years.
How Sam Snead managed to get his putting style banned
With Snead holding the joint record with Tiger Woods for wins on the PGA Tour at 82, it’s little wonder that he had his ways of making it work for himself.
Remarkably though, Snead was also responsible for making the powers that be in golf actually change the rules to ban his putting stroke.
At the time, Snead was using a croquet style putting stance and stroke, standing square onto the ball and gripping the club with his second hand just inches from the club head.
However, while Snead enjoyed success, the USGA soon took action in 1968 to ban his stroke.
Rules of golf that no longer exist in 2025
Golf is an ever evolving sport and as the decision to ban Snead’s putting method shows, the powers that be are not shy in acting if needed.
Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of rule changes and in the main, it’s made golf better.
One of the key rule changes came in 1984 when players would take a drop by dropping the ball behind and over a shoulder. This was changed to knee height drop we see today.
Slow play has tried to be combated by a change of the five minute search rule being brought down to three minutes, while another major change came in 2023, with players allowed to replace a club if it was accidentally damaged or broken.
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