Step/Jump Putt rule change?

[Casey 1988]

Originally Posted by Karl

I would LOVE to have everyone play 100% by the rules. But if we were to do so, a round of dg would take WAY longer than it does now*. Tacitly, I believe players know this and "let the 'little ones' slide a bit" to keep things flowing.

*I did an experiment on this about a decade ago - on a short (4000') course. Three experienced players and I started a round of 18 holes with the intention of 'playing by the book' as completely as we knew how to. 30sec clocks were 'at the ready for every shot;. Every shot was watched by every player. All foot placements were gotten close enough to be seen by every player every time.
Always the 'furthest out played next...and no one went looking for their errant shot off to the side unless it was 'furthest out', etc., etc., etc. And there are a lot of etcs. You could tell around the 4th hole this was wearing on a couple of the players. By somewhere in the middle of the 7th hole, someone said "We'll be here all day! This is stupid." And the experiment dissolved.
If you think playing by the rules 100% - in an 'acceptable time frame' - is easy, try recreating this experiment (with players knowledgeable in the rules...not newbies who don't even realize half the rules that exist exist)!

Ps: Again, I'm for calling everything...but we better plan on longer rounds.

The ones I am taking about are the obvious rounds where the players are clearly not doing the rules right like not making the lie, leaving a disc for the round or finishing first drive off the Tee Pad, even the guy who will use distraction for a longer then 30 second putt and clearly there was not much not even visual, just chains of a basket rattling or an animal, both things that can't be claimed.

[glassila]

Originally Posted by Jay Dub

Isn't #2 easier to learn than #1 on your list?

For sure. I've tried step putting maybe 10 times and it just felt uncomfortable trying to release the disc before the front foot hits the ground.

[Casey 1988]

Originally Posted by glassila

For sure. I've tried step putting maybe 10 times and it just felt uncomfortable trying to release the disc before the front foot hits the ground.

I am same, I tried jump putts and can only do them right about 10% of the time so that is why since 2016 I did the kick, having watched a player in 2000's who does not need a jump putt until past 40-50 feet depending on how he is putting.

[Discraft Dad]

Originally Posted by Keller

I do

And jump putts too

I feel like jump putts are ok. At least they are behind the mini. Step putts are at the very least borderline cheating.

[BeRReGoN]

To me jump putts look worse or at least as bad. It's the only time you see players with both feet up in the air, it looks strange to me no matter if the putt was legal or not.

[Casey 1988]

Originally Posted by Discraft Dad

I feel like jump putts are ok. At least they are behind the mini. Step putts are at the very least borderline cheating.

Like the illegal Step putt you see a young Eric McCabe when on team Discraft make at the time in the long putt video for one of Discraft's older videos?

[Nick Pacific]

Originally Posted by disco40

Happy to disagree here, and your point is well-taken. It isn't all that easy for me to hit my mark on the course on fairway shots. It's a skill I'm developing and it's actually something I feel good about when I hit my foot plant just right all day.

My point was that the advantage a player gains in the fairway in terms of "is this shot itself easier or harder due to the specific placement of the feet?" is basically none, in almost any situation (exceptional situations in wooded courses are worth noting). The advantage around the circle is much bigger when you foot fault on a step-putt.

But your point that the act of throwing the fairway shot legally is harder, well that is true. It's good to consider that.

It isn't easy for me either. This is something I have been practicing a lot this year because I have noticed on the post production, since I have been paying attention, that the top guys foot fault on fairway throws a lot more than you might think they do and it is almost never called, and that might change in the future. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about it, I like the idea of giving players more leeway and perhaps the lie should be expanded even larger outside C2 so we can have exciting golf. Maybe outside C2 the lie should be a disc big/deep on each side of the disc. This way only egregious faults are called.

But as it stands now, with the rules, players are faulting left and right on the big championship courses on the big par 4 holes on their second shots. Don't take my word for it, watch the post production, pay attention and see for yourself.

And it does make a huge difference. I think if this rule was very strictly enforced, people would either be standstilling fairway drives or going with the very short, slow run up that we see McBeth do on his short approaches. Either way it would drastically cut down on the scoring we see on par 4 holes and really change things up.

[robdeforge]

Originally Posted by Karl

Always the 'furthest out played next...and no one went looking for their errant shot off to the side unless it was 'furthest out', etc., etc., etc. And there are a lot of etcs.

here's a rule that might have helped speed up your round, if you had been aware of it

To facilitate flow of play, a player who is not next may throw if the player who is next consents, or if throwing will not impact the player who is next.

https://www.pdga.com/rules/official-...isc-golf/80202

[Smigles]

Originally Posted by BogeyNoMore

The only problem I have with step/jump putts is that way to frequently, you simply can't tell if there was or wasn't a foot fault.

I still think that if the call is too close to be made by the players present (like in "you need a slow motion video to be sure") it should be automatically called a fault.

I think the whole idea of "in doubt benefit the player" has gone too far. If you can't demonstrate that your technique is within the rules, why should the opther players support this?

[Karl]

Originally Posted by robdeforge

here's a rule that might have helped speed up your round, if you had been aware of it

https://www.pdga.com/rules/official-...isc-golf/80202

We were fully aware of that rule (and used it maybe once during) as we had 60+ years of tournament experience among us, but you have to note that it does 'impact' the other player as said player has to be in position to watch (and discern if any) for potential violations, etc. So that rule rarely comes into play IF everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing.