Gripping a Putter: What's the best method?

Gripping a putter correctly isn’t hard…so you may as well get it right.

Your putting grip’s primary function is to enable you to putt consistently and comfortably.

To send the ball on your desired path, deliver the face of your putter solidly into the rear of the ball.

It’s over.

Is there “ONE” correct way to grip a putter, then?

Not really, no. Yet, depending on the style you pick, there are some fundamentals you should adhere to or at least be aware of.

Do you typically putt with your right-hand low (right-hand low is not a word you will frequently see or hear)?

a left-handed cross-handed or low putter (popularized by Jordan Spieth)

Use a long putter, do you?

We are going to focus on the two most popular putting grips for the purposes of this article

The reverser overlap: It’s how I, and likely 99% of golfers, hold the putter.
Left-hand low or cross-handed: The new kid on the block

More Related:

How to hold your putter grip: Putter Grip Styles

The Reverse Overlap Putting Grip

It’s Advantages

It prevents your hands from rolling over during a stroke.
Most likely, you already employ this grip.
Because of other sports, we are already accustomed to keeping our dominant hand low (baseball, hockey, cricket, etc.)
It is simple for you to imitate because all of your golfing role models employ it (this one is a tad shaky).

The reverse overlap grip is, by far, the most common putting grip. Golfers make a few little adjustments to this fundamental approach, but the principles stay the same.

The top players on the PGA Tour, like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, etc., use it.

Because I consider the claw grip and pencil grip to be band-aids or short-term solutions to problems, I won’t be covering them. However, in my opinion—feel free to disagree—they are unattractive.

It’s really simple to do it correctly. This is a modified version of your full-swing grip. In order to consistently return the putter face to the ball properly, we are shifting our grip from the fingers to the palms.

This story is told from the viewpoint of a right-handed golfer. If you are left-handed, simply swap your hands.

Left Hand

Your left hand should be placed on the putter grip’s butt end such that it rests in the crease of your hand’s heel and extends just past the first knuckle of your index finger.

Let your index finger lightly and softly wrap over the putter grip’s left side and rear.

Place your thumb in the grip’s middle.

Right hand

Almost identically to how we placed the left hand on the grip, we are placing our right hand there as well.

Put your right hand’s lifeline over the left thumb, which is already perched on the top of your putter grip.

Let your right thumb fall in the center of the grip, or slightly to the left of it.

Your right hand’s fingers will encircle the right side of the grip and tuck beneath your left index finger. This will naturally occur and create a phenomenon called the “reverse overlap.”

A straight line from your elbows, through your forearms, and down to the putter head is created by the reverse overlap grip. It also aids in reducing excessive finger and wrist manipulation of the putter head.

The goal is to simply rock your shoulders to power your putting stroke.

Even though most of us fall short of this pure putting action, this grip helps.

To provide a little bit more stability, I’ve experimented with sliding my right index finger along the right side of the grip, and it functions just well. But I haven’t persisted with it.

Since writing this blog has brought it to memory, I might give it another shot.

Left Hand Low or Cross Handed Grip (AKA the Jordan Spieth)

It’s Benefit

It makes it more difficult for your left wrist, sometimes known as the lead wrist, to fracture during a stroke.

Arnold Palmer reportedly stated that the one aspect of his strategy he would have changed is the preference for cross-handed shots over reverse overlap.

According to rumors, Jack Nicklaus indicated that he will begin teaching someone how to putt with a cross-handed grip.

Before Spieth, there may have been PGA tour professionals who used the left-hand low putting stroke, but I am unable to identify them. Definitely more professionals are now utilizing this technique.

Left Hand

The left hand should be placed farther down the grip and held in the same manner as the reverse overlap. Make room for your right hand to grab the putter grip’s top, which is located at the butt end.

Right Hand

Same to what you did with the reverse overlap, place your right hand on the putter. The only distinction is that you won’t put it on top of your left thumb. You can cross your index finger over the fingers on your left hand, or you can cross your right index finger over the final few fingers on your left hand. Use whatever makes you most comfortable.

You still want a straight line from each elbow and forearm down to the putter head and you still want to power the stroke with a gentle rocking of the shoulders.

What is the best putter grip?

You may surely play with both and either putting grip will work well for you, however…

I’ll continue to use the reverse overlap.

That is the most organic.

Baseball, hockey, cricket, and other sports are examples of how it translates (as mentioned earlier)

With relatively modest tweaks, it also smoothly transitions from your full-swing grip.

Do putter grips make a difference?

They do, indeed. The majority of the time, your stroke will rely on your personal preferences and the size of your grip.

In summary:

Fat grips: You will find it more difficult to maneuver the putter with your fingertips and easier to square the putter face for more reliable contact and outcomes.

Thinner grips: let your fingers rest more comfortably, which makes it simpler for you to twist or control the face. This can result in uneven contact and outcomes.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my quick putter grip instruction.

Once more, perfecting a putter grip is simple and requires little effort. Therefore you may as well carry it out. Don’t ignore it just because it’s easy. Competent golfers don’t.

More Related:

Gripping a Putter: What’s the best method?