#101 Web TV: What Is The Best Putting Grip?

What is the Best Putting Grip?

Which grip should you have when you putt?

Grips.  Which is the best putting grip?

Well, you know, they all work.  That’s what I am going to tell you to begin with. They do all work.

The problem that people tend to have when they are putting is not really to do with the grip as such.  It’s actually what happens in the actual stroke.  When people are actually hitting the ball they tend to get quite wristy with their putts. When they putt through they tend to push at the ball.  I’ll move back a bit so you that you can actually see me.  When they do the stroke they will come through and then they’ll flick at it.  That is usually a big problem with the putts.

So, I’m going to show you some significant things you should be looking for in your putting grip and as long as you are applying those everything will work really well.

Okay.  If you are a right handed putter, whatever you do when you are putting the ball you want to make sure that your right hand is actually going in the direction you want the ball to go.

That’s a big thing that I see with people who struggle with their putts is that when they actually putt their hand tends to turn.  Now, if you think of the hand turning, what do you think would happen to the putter?

When you putt through, your hand turns.  You can see that the putter face turns as well.  We don’t want that to happen because when you putt, you want to make sure that the putter is going from here to there.  Everything is going nice and straight through it and then the ball rolls off the putter face.  You want to make sure that is actually happening.

So, with the grip.  You want to make sure, most important, the right hand is gripping the putter so the thumb is pointing straight down, but the palm of the hand, your palm of your hand should be facing in the direction that you want the ball to go and so should the putter face.

What to do with your left hand?  There are lots of different putting grips out there.  I get quite particular with grips.  If you don’t have the same grip as me do not freak out.  It’s okay, but you want to make sure that your dominant hand which is your right hand, if you are a leftie you want to do the opposite.  You want to make sure that the palm of your left hand is facing in the direction you want the ball to go and when you putt so is the putter face.

But, with your left hand as a right handed putter you would have learnt lots of different grips, I’ve experimented with lots of different grips especially when I first started playing golf to find the one that worked for me and I’m going to share that one with you.

Whether you use it or not is up to you, but for me I found it very secure for my left wrist. The thing that I see with people, like I discussed earlier in this video, was that they tend to get very wristy when they putt.  We want to eliminate as much wrist in a putt as possible.  Some pros do teach you how to putt with your wrists.  Personally, I don’t agree with that, I find it too much margin for error so I like to keep the wrists out of it.

For this exercise I’m going to show you what to do to keep the putter nice and secure so we’re not so wristy.

Let’s get the grip right.  I want you to think of your hand a bit like a gun (we’re not going to shoot anyone) but I want you to think of that because it’s a good visual for you. Now, with your left hand what you want to do is to put your finger down the side and then you put your thumb down the centre.  Your thumb goes straight down the centre of the putter.  Now what happens is that you now have your three fingers underneath but again, the palm is facing backwards.  The putter face is facing the target so therefore the palm on your left hand is facing the other way because in a putting stroke you want your palms to face each other when you putt.  It’s always palm to palm back and through.

Then what I actually do is to link, I stick my middle finger out and I link between the pinkie and the third finger and I link in and I hide my thumb in the lifeline of my hand and I actually let my thumb sit down the shaft and that’s my putting grip.  Now, that’s the grip that I personally use, I love it, it took me a long time to find this grip when I first started, it took me a few years to get my putting right but I find that it keeps my wrist more secure.

When you are doing your putt you will find that is actually secures the left wrist and then you go back and through and you can work on that area. I’m not saying that it’s going to create miracles for you instantly, you do need to work on it, it does require practice, golf requires practice but you want to make sure you are able to do that.

Now, if you don’t have the same grip as me don’t stress about it because it’s okay as long as you have your right hand doing the right thing and it’s staying nice and secure through the shot.

You want to really make sure that your dominant hand is always facing in the direction you want it to go because we want the ball to go where we aim it, correct?

If you are a leftie you want to make sure that then the left palm is facing the target.

Like I say, it doesn’t matter what kind of grip that you actually have it’s actually having some fundamentals in place and making sure that your dominant hand is doing exactly the right thing because you always want to think that your right hand and your putter work as a unit therefore whatever your right hand does your putter is going to do the same. We want to make sure that we are going back and through palm facing to where we want it to go.

I hope you get a lot of value out of today’s tip, go out there and practice that putting grip that I do, if you don’t, that’s fine, that’s not a problem but do make sure you have those hands especially that dominant hand in that secure position so that your putter face is coming through nice and straight.

Have an absolutely awesome day, take care, and remember; tee it high and let it fly.