There are so many different putting grips used on Tour that it gives the impression that there is no “right” way to hold the putter.
While we don’t get too prescriptive with the minutiae of our students’ putting setup, and we’re not suggesting that you should necessarily change your grip if it’s working well for you, we would argue that there is a single best way to grip the putter.
The putting grip described here is simple to master and suitable for anyone who wants to improve their putting. It provides amazing touch and feel, and it enables a truly world-class putting stroke that you can rely on, at any level of the game, for as long as you play golf.
What the Grip is Not
Where most amateur golfers go wrong is in assuming that the putting grip is about control. It’s not.
The putting stroke isn’t complicated. Indeed, it should be as simple as possible. The primary aim of the putting grip is to enable a simple, natural, and highly stable stroke; and not to try to control the putter. Your grip on the putter should stay out of the way, not interfering in any way with your natural stroke, while providing maximal feedback – feel and touch.
Any attempt to control the putter with your hands will destroy your touch and your consistency on the greens.
So much instruction talks about keeping your hands quiet in the putting stroke that many poor putters go to the opposite extreme, trying to freeze their hands completely, and losing all of their feel in the process. Consciously trying to fight extraneous movements is also a great way to ensure that they do occur when you’re under pressure.
Likewise, many of the weird and wonderful grips that you see are designed to take the wrists out of the equation.
Whilst it is true that active hands and wrists are a disaster for the putting stroke, causing all manner of pushes, pulls, and miss-hits, as well as making consistency almost impossible, we argue that trying to limit the involvement of your hands and wrists in this way is counterproductive.
Your hands are the most sensitive source of feedback during the putting stroke, providing astonishing levels of feel and touch, enabling you to fire up your senses and fully engage your instincts and imagination. Why would you not want that? The putting stroke may be simple, but it’s an athletic movement – touch and feel are everything in a great putting stroke.
A great putter is an athlete, not a robot – don’t let your grip get in the way of your talent!
Harmony
The putting grip described here is designed to enable your body and the putter to work together, seamlessly, naturally, in total harmony.
Great putting should, above all else, be “comfortable” – relaxed, effortless and free from tension – a sure sign that you’re moving in harmony with your natural stroke…
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…Changing your grip is difficult, it takes time and effort, but if you are dedicated to improving your putting then it is worth every moment. Work on your grip every day, in conjunction with building a natural putting stroke, as part of Putting Practice Session – Week 1: Technique, and you will very quickly start to sink a lot more putts.
This article forms part of the Golf Loopy Putt like a Champion series, the sensational new putting game improvement system that will help you to improve every aspect of your performance on the greens. The improvements will be dramatic, and they will be permanent.
