Ban on anchoring long putters proposed from 2016 Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:51am EST (Reuters) - A ban on players anchoring long putters, to come into force from January 2016, has been proposed by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA). "The proposed Rule 14-1b, which follows an extensive review by The R&A and the USGA, would prohibit strokes made with the club or a hand gripping the club held directly against the player's body, or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point that indirectly anchors the club," the two bodies said in a statement on Wednesday. The proposed new rule would not alter current equipment rules and would allow the continued use of all conforming golf clubs, including belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke. The R&A and USGA said they would consider comments from the golfing community before making a final decision on the proposed change. Writing By Alison Wildey, editing by Ed Osmond; Editing by