Is the Next Putting Grip the Best Putting Grip?

Jul

2008

Is the Next Putting Grip the Best Putting Grip?

Posted by Double Eagle in Mental Game, Putting Tips

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I’m always fascinated at the number of different variations of putting grips I see. It isn’t just down at my local course, either.

Tune in to any PGA Tour event and look at the number of variations you see. Fingers overlapped and interlocked in different ways. Hands rotated around the shaft to different degrees. And that’s just variations on the conventional grip.

Then you have all sorts of unconventional grips: left hand low, the claw, the saw. There seems to be a construction theme going, so somewhere out there, I’m sure there’s a player putting with the jackhammer or the wrecking ball.

What this tells me is that the putting grip is virtually irrelevant.

It’s pretty widely accepted today that the wrists should stay firm during the stroke, but this was not the case in the past when greens were bumpier and not cut so low. There’s some debate about whether the putter blade should stay square or open and close slightly during the putting stroke, but many players putt well with either of those styles. Most players try to make some sort of pendulum-like stroke.

If a player’s grip allows those fundamentals to be achieved, then all is well. From where I’m sitting, I can count dozens of grips that let that happen.

So why are there so many putting grip styles?

Simply, because putting is about the confidence that comes from mental and physical comfort. No matter how much time you spend practicing a solid putting stroke, you will never putt well without being mentally and physically comfortable while doing it. And it’s possible to do that and meet the technical requirements of good putting with any number of different grips.

There are times in a player’s life when that mental and physical comfort zone breaks down. It happens to most at one time or another. Putts just aren’t dropping.

So, what happens then? Many players will spend time on the practice green trying to work out out. Sometimes that’s effective. Other times it’s not. Once confidence begins to break down, it begins to snowball. It starts to go lower and lower on its own.

At that stage of lowered confidence, the player will usually do one of the following: change putters or change putting grips.

Some players change putters like it was going out of style. And many see immediate improvement in their putting games – for a while. It’s not necessarily that one putter is technically superior to another. It’s the confidence they gain from the switch. They think it’s a better putter for them, so it is. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it really is a better putter. But the fact that the player putted will with it for a while is the telling sign. The putter didn’t suddenly wear out or lose its magic.

Changing grip style accomplishes the same thing: a boost in confidence.

We’ve already established that there are so many possible putting grips out there (even at the highest levels of play) that there’s no correct way to grip the putter. Therefore, unless there’s a specific technical flaw that needs to be addressed, changing putting grips is simply a way to trick the mind into getting back that mental and physical comfort that was enjoyed previously.

In my case, I putted with a conventional-type grip for years. It served me well. At times, my putter was automatic. In the last couple of years, for some unknown reason, that stopped. It probably happened when I was out of commission for a couple of years with a bad back. It’s easy to lose the touch during a long layoff.

Late last year and early this year, I was really struggling. I just couldn’t get any putts on line. My pace was OK, but I wasn’t making solid contact as much as I need to.

Early this year, I tried something radical. I went with “The Claw” putting grip. You may have seen Mark Calcavecchia using it. It felt physically comfortable. It also felt mentally comfortable.

Right away, my putting improved. I was dropping more putts. Most importantly, my confidence increased a lot. I putted that way for almost four months.

Recently, though, I’ve been struggling again. So, I made a change at my last putting practice session. I went back to my old grip.

To my surprise, the result was exactly the same as when I abandoned it for The Claw. From the first putt, it felt more comfortable, both physically and mentally. I started making putts and was hitting the ball more solidly.

The only conclusion I can draw is that the change gave me a boost of confidence. It was like my subconscious was thinking, “OK, we just did something different, so we’re back on track.”

It isn’t that one putting grip is better than another. It was just the confidence that can come from something new. It’s same the reason why players keep the golf club industry afloat by buying new drivers every year.

Certainly, there are some things I need to fix in my putting stroke still. I need to get some more work in on my Pelz Putting Track. Really, I have to find that confidence without the need to change things up.

Changing grips to correct a technical flaw is one thing. But changing for the sake of change, just because that somehow boosts confidence, is not something I’m a fan of.

I guess I have to admit that if it works, then who am I to argue? That’s why I asked in the title whether the next putting grip is the best putting grip. Is it simply that change of scenery that brings about some improvement?

Have you changed around your putting grip recently? Did it work?

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There are currently 16 responses to “Is the Next Putting Grip the Best Putting Grip?”

1
Greg B. said:

I have not switched putting grips, but I have changed putters. I don’t think the changing grips or changing putters restores confidence. In my opinion when you make a change like that, you must fall back on trust. With a new grip, or a new putter (or a new club, or driver), you really don’t know what to expect, so you simply trust your swing and see what happens. If you are fairly technically sound, you get good results and it’s the good results boost confidence.

The problem comes when we get lazy or try to do too much. We play well for a span, then we start to expect good results. Somewhere along the way, bits of focus and concentration get lost and results begin to wane.

The mental game is a tough nut to crack. I’ve found that I play best when the only thing I concentrate on is having fun.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 at 9:41 am
2
Double Eagle said:

Good points, Greg.

I think you’re probably right that the simple act of changing putters or grips doesn’t restore confidence by itself. But it doesn’t make a player a better putter either (assuming the original grip or putter weren’t simply bad in the first place).

Sometimes change for the sake of change makes us slow down and do things a little better, because you’re right – we don’t know what to expect so we have to fall back on trust and fundamentals. That’s where the improvement comes. And when improvement comes, confidence is right behind.

And that’s also why the boost that comes with these kinds of changes is sometimes short-lived.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 at 10:59 am
3
TP Golf Online said:

Look at Berhard Langer and look at the number of grip and style changes he went through in the 80’s and 90’s.

When I used to practice putting during time where I lost my confidence I would putt with my sand wedge. I would try to intentionally blade the ball to get the ball to roll like a putt. It is amazing how easy putting feels with a putter after using a wedge.

Somewhat related I remember playing in a club championships and was putting horribly. While reading a putt on the 12th hole the putter broke as I was standing up. So I putted with a wedge for the remainder of the round and putted much better sinking a couple birdies. For some reason I was able to get a better roll thatn with the putter.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
4
Boston Whaler said:

I think most of your readers that have experimented with different grips will agree that the weirder ones are just ‘confidence gimmicks’ – simply a plain old trick you try and play on your own mind. Of course golf is almost all played between the ears. I’ve played golf for 30 years now. I’ve putted quite well at times, pretty well most of the time and down right lousy on occasion. How many grips have I had? Exactly one. You just hold the putter square and make a nice pendulum swing, it’s not freakin’ rocket science. Those who put well consistently will tell you it’s all about reading speed (green conditions) and break. Grip has very little to do with this skill.

Bruce

Posted on July 14th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
5
Double Eagle said:

TP, I definitely had Langer in mind while I was writing this. I’ll never forget the one grip he used to use where he would grip way down with his left hand and then using his other hand, he’d “clamp” the putter grip to his forearm.

Putting with a sand wedge often has an interesting result. I had to do it not that long ago when I left my putter home (sitting next to my Putting Track). It has a way of making the stroke more sound, I think because the margin for error is small.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
6
Rob Green said:

Yea, I remember when Langer went through those changes with his putting techniques. He was suffering from his 3rd spell of health problems and was out for about 5 months. Gotta hand it to him though, he came through it, and after 20 to 30 different putting techniques he finally settled on the one we all laughed at. It seemed to work though, as I recall, he won the most prize money that year than anybody else had done ever before.

Posted on July 15th, 2008 at 10:28 am
7
golfgirl said:

I always find it funny that putting is either really good or really bad. Almost never varies once it’s started in a round. Whereas other elements of the game do.

Posted on July 15th, 2008 at 10:49 am
8
Double Eagle said:

Interesting observation, golfgirl. I think you’re right on. It probably has something to do with finding the right tempo and confidence early (hopefully on the practice green). If you can do that, you putt well. If you don’t, well – let’s not talk about those times.

Posted on July 15th, 2008 at 10:55 am
9
Hole High said:

Hi Guys,
first post from across the pond.
Played against our club Pro last summer and although he said that I had a sound swing he thought that my putting grip was a bit unorthodox. I immediately changed to a more conventional grip. The new grip felt strange and uncomfortable and within 2 weeks I returned to my old grip.
I changed putters about 4 years ago from a Ping Zing to a Scottsdale nickel and the result probably didn’t convert to a lower score, but I felt a new sense of confidence in my putting stroke. Like you say it’s all in the mind. Even putting with a strange ball (we play a few foursome comps at my club) is enough to have an effect on my ability to feel fully comfortable over a putt.

Posted on July 16th, 2008 at 6:42 am
10
Scotty Cameron Putters said:

Hate to say it, but I’m one that has two different putting grips depending on the greens and how I’m putting.

If I’m having a good day and not pulling, I will have a traditional (conventional) grip.

But, if the greens are tough or I’m pulling it, I’ll switch to a crosshanded.

Posted on July 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
11
Nick Fogelson said:

Have to say I don’t really agree with you on this one. There is a right way to hold a putter. There are good putters that hold it all kinds of funky ways, but they have practed long and hard to make up for deficiencies in their grips. The right grip promotes a good stroke.

There are two types of grips –

!) grips that allow the putter to swing along the proper arc when the shoulders rock

2) grips that don’t.

In order for #1 to be true, the putter shaft has to lie as an extension from the shoulder to the ground. This is typically accomplished by holding the putter in the palms of the hands, preferably with both hands opposed to each other. This can be accomplished by lots of different grips (left hand low, claw, conventional, etc.), but this fundamental must be followed.

If this fundamental is not followed, the putter head will _by necessity_ leave the proper arc during the swing. As such, the player will be forced to manipulate the putterhead with his/her hands in order to keep the putterhead in the position perceived to be the proper arc.

A lot of people inadvertently hold the putter in their fingers like they would hold an iron or wood, and create a situation where the shaft of the putter is at a flatter lie than their shoulders. This does not promote a proper plane, as by necessity the putter will swing on a flatter plane than the shoulders.

Now this all assumes that you want the putterhead to be on an arc. If you want to swing straight back straight through, you should hold that thing as upright as possible and have a really short putter to allow yourself to be right on top of the ball. To me that’s crazy, but it seems to be what Dave Pelz promotes, despite the fact that almost all great putters (faxon, crenshaw, woods) swing the putter on an arc.

Posted on July 29th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
12
Double Eagle said:

Nick, Dave Pelz advocates a pure, in-line, square putting stroke. The hallmark of that is the pure-pendulum motion. The setup simply requires that the eyes are over the ball, the hands hang freely, directly below the shoulder line, and that the stroke be employed with shoulders only, with no aid from the hands or forearms.

If this is done correctly the putter will stay square to the line. Further, if it is square to the line at address and a PILS stroke is properly employed, then the grip cannot have an effect on either the putter path or on keeping the putter square throughout.

In fact, the grip is so unimportant, Pelz hardly covers it in his Putting Bible, other than to say that a player should employ a dead-hands grip, much like his finesse wedge technique.

Now, with the “screen door” method, the grip may factor in *slightly* more. But the putter path should still originate from the shoulders with no influence from the hands, wrists, or forearms. The only difference between that approach and the PILS approach is that the hands are not directly below the shoulders. When this happens, it is impossible to keep the face square without making compensations with the hands and/or forearms so it opens and then closes naturally throughout the stroke. Pelz showed this in his book using his putting robot.

Posted on July 29th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
13
Double Eagle said:

I forgot to mention that in his Putting Bible, Pelz mentions some great putters over the years that have putted with a pendulum stroke: Bob Charles, Greg Norman, Dave Stockton, Andy North, Loren Roberts, and Phil Mickelson.

He also points out that during a 20 year period when he played against Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Watson, Crenshaw, Ballesteros, Faldo, and Norman, that George Archer holed a higher percentage of putts with a pendulum stroke.

Posted on July 30th, 2008 at 12:57 am
14
Joe said:

Excellent article! I am using the same putting grip I have always used. I did experiment some with others but, just like my trusty driver, I always come back to the way I have always done it. I believe the reason so many do return to their original style of putting is the “comfort factor”. Its a matter of preference. Watching golf on t.v. or at the course or range, you see many ways to “get it done”. Granted, some look better than others. But hey, as long as it works for you, so be it.

Posted on July 4th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
15
Double Eagle said:

Thanks, Joe, glad you enjoyed it. It’s interesting to note that in the year since I wrote this, I returned to my original grip and my putting is now (again, really) easily the strongest part of my game.

Posted on July 4th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
16
mark said:

Thank for the great putting grip tip.I never paid attention to putting
grip articles in the past.A slight change once a year probably does
give your mind and body a different way to putt.

Even something as simple as a putting grip.

Thank you

Mark Grove

Posted on January 15th, 2010 at 3:06 pm

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