The 1992 Masters champion was speaking to GM's Sam Tremlett for the Golf Monthly Clubhouse Podcast
Fred Couples Questions Arm Lock Putting - 'Can't Believe It's Legal'
Fred Couples says that armlock putting is anchoring and he cannot believe it is legal.
The 1992 Masters champion was a belly putter user himself before anchoring was outlawed by the R&A and USGA in 2016.
We asked him if there were any rules that he would change and he was firm in his disdain for the armlock method, saying that golf's governing bodies "really missed the boat".
"Well, so I was a belly putter and I honestly think they really missed the boat when they went from anchoring to letting people go a little bit like that [armlock] and just letting the putter swing," Couples told Golf Monthly.
"And if that’s not anchoring, I don’t know what is, how is that not anchoring?"
Couples also told us that he isn't keen on players using a line on their golf ball to aide alignment when putting.
"And if we get away from that, I think we need to outlaw these lines on the balls so for instance if I’m a good player I know its on the ball and everyone does it but if I can put a big line on the ball right here and I can put it right there [on the green] and I can do this [line up the putt].
"I mean I have been on Tour a long time in the 80s no one did this. They just put the logo down and stared at it.
"So why can't I on the next tee, I put my club down [to align feet], and then pick it up and hit?
"So that, but I also cannot believe this [armlock] is legal.
"That’s anchoring more than a belly putter.
"You know dropping the ball by the knee, I’m okay with all of those. But that [arm lock putting] is anchoring."
Listen to our Fred Couples interview in this week's Clubhouse Podcast (interview starts around 28 minutes) -
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