Find A Putting Grip That Works... And Then Change It

Recently, a player in a Champions Tour event used seven different putting grips in three days. He ended the tournament putting with a 3-iron. This player also practices putting with a 3-iron, regardless of the grip he uses to putt with. His rationale: You have to concentrate on striking the ball with the clubhead's leading edge. If you hinge your wrists, the ball hops instead of rolls. That extra bit of concentration smoothes out your stroke and improves your putting.

This player's thinking is different. But it's worth considering because it could dramatically impact your putting and your golf handicap. For example, practicing with a 3-iron improves your putting because it provides great feedback. If you're a "wristy" putter or you have the yips, practicing with a 3-iron (or even a 4-iron) tells you instantly you're doing something wrong. As strange as this suggestion seems, it may be just as helpful as attending golf lessons or reading golf tips on putting, and maybe a lot less expensive.

Alternative Putting Grips

Putting is probably the most individualized of all golf activities. Golfers have different pre-shot routines, different clubs, and different ways of reading a green. They also have different grips. In fact, there are several different putting grips out there. The most popular is the reverse overlapping grip. It's been around for decades. Most instructors teach this grip in golf lessons, and many sports magazine provide golf tips on putting this grip. It's an effective grip that works well for many golfers.

The most popular alternative is the cross-handed grip. With this grip you simply reverse your hands. Instead of gripping the putter with the right hand (left hand for lefties) below the left (right for lefties), you grip the club with the left hand below the right. This encourages a more pendulum action back and through. More importantly, it locks the left wrist through the stroke, preventing miscues and problems like the yips.

Another popular alternative grip is the paintbrush or claw grip, where the putter's shaft is wedged between the thumb and forefinger, like you'd hold a paintbrush. Like the cross-handed grip, this grip prevents you from breaking your wrists. It's also used a lot with belly putters and long putters. Then there's the left-hand low grip that Vijay Singh uses and the underbelly grip that players use with long putters. These grips have all been effective for golfers to some degree or other.

Keeping The Subconscious Out

Most players settle on one grip and use that until they get dissatisfied with the results. Then, they make a change. But there's a theory out there that suggests changing your grip now and then helps to stay ahead of the length/tension curve. What's that? If you use the same grip all the time and start missing putts, your brain tries to help. Once that starts, bad things happen. Your subconscious creeps in and your putting goes south. By changing your grip every so often, you keep your subconscious out of the stroke and avoid running into the length/tension factor.

See The Line, Stroke The Putt

Regardless of your grip, there's one thing that won't change when it comes to putting. The rocking motion of your shoulders propels a good putting stroke—not your hands. The hands stay still as the front shoulder rocks down in the backswing and up in the follow through.

Other golf tips on good putting include: keep the wrists firm when you putt and strike the ball on the upswing. In addition, make sure your follow-through is at least long as your backswing. Follow these suggestions and you'll whittle strokes off your golf handicap no matter how you grip the putter.


Copyright (c) 2009 Jack Moorehouse