Putter Grips

The putter is arguably the most important club in any golfer’s bag.  The putting grip would then be one of the most important grips in golf.  Putting is said to be one of the most personalized aspects of any golfer’s game.  There are a few standardized putting grips which are recognized as being fundamentally correct, however every individual golfer has their own spin on the standardized putting grip.

Putting

Putting is the most precise action that golfer will encounter on a golf course.  These particular shots are said to be the money shots (along with chipping) and they can determine whether a golfer will win or lose the hole.  Golfers need a certain amount of discipline, foresight, and experience to be able to putt well.  Professional golfers practice their putting year round for many hours each and every day in order to become more proficient players.

The Grip

The reverse overlap putting grip is the most common of all the grips.  In this grip you would grab the club with your right hand with your thumb lying straight on the shaft and the rest of your fingers curled around the shaft.  Then you would take your left hand and place it above your right hand having your left thumb in the crevice of your right hands fingers and then lying your left hands index finger over the top of your right hands fingers (for right-handed golfers).  This grip is so common because it takes out a lot of the other unnecessary motion that interlocking grips are said to cause.

It is said that golfers who have trouble putting fail to make the transition from a regular golf grip to the putting grip.  The majority of golfers are in agreement in that you should not use the same grip for putting that you use for other aspects of your game.  You do not want to grip the putter with a with a tight or strong grip.

The Feel and Touch

Putting is a very personal and individualized part of any golfer’s game.  Each shot requires a certain amount of finesse and feel from the golfer in order to be successful.  Learning how to properly putt is something that takes a great amount of time.

Putting encompasses more than 50% of any golfer’s game; hence the importance of becoming a better putter is imperative.  Golfers focus more on their short game (and putting in particular) than any other aspect of their game.  This is a very difficult aspect to master, being how there are many variables to consider such as: slope of hills, the conditions outside i.e. wet dry, wind, etc. and putting requires the exact amount of acceleration, speed, and follow-through to be perfected.