Are You Using the Wrong Grip?
If you're not putting as well as you'd like, your grip might be the problem. Here's something many golfers don't realise: there are two grips in golf—one for putting and one for everything else.
The mistake? Plenty of golfers bring their normal full swing grip to the putting green. Watch the professionals on TV and you'll notice they're doing something different when they putt. They're using specialised putting grips designed to improve control and consistency.
The Reverse Overlapping Grip: The Standard Putting Grip
The most common putting grip among professionals is the reverse overlapping grip. If you're not already using it, this could be the change that transforms your putting.
How to form the reverse overlapping grip:
- Place all ten fingers on the grip, like a baseball grip
- Take your leading hand's index finger (left hand for right-handers) out from the grip
- Lay it down the outside of the fingers of your trailing hand
- Snug everything up close together
It looks a bit unusual at first—almost like a modified ten-finger grip—but there's a crucial reason the pros use it.
Why the Reverse Overlap Works
That leading index finger coming out and down the side firms up your leading side. This restricts your ability to get too wristy, which is exactly what you want.
In putting, you want your shoulders to do the work with very little (if any) hand and wrist action. The reverse overlap naturally encourages this by stabilising your lead side.
Important Setup Difference
Note that with the putting grip, the putter sits up across your palm—this is different from your full swing grip. Get that leading index finger out and firm up that left side.
If you haven't tried this grip before, it could make a massive difference to your putting, particularly on those tricky short putts. But you need to practise it first. It's going to feel strange initially, so spend time on your carpet at home or on the practice green before taking it to the course.
Already Using Reverse Overlap? Try Left Hand Low
If you're already using the reverse overlapping grip but still not putting as well as you'd like, there's another excellent option: left hand low (or leading hand low).
This grip is used by many elite players, including Jordan Spieth. For right-handers, it's left hand low. For left-handers, it's right hand low.
How to form the left hand low grip:
- Simply swap your hands around
- Take your top hand off and bring it down
- Bring your bottom hand up
- Your leading hand is now low on the grip
There aren't many strict rules about this grip—you can adapt it to what feels comfortable. A common setup is to have your top thumb snug down into the lifeline of your bottom hand, with everything nice and close underneath.
Why Left Hand Low Works
Again, this grip firms up your leading side and restricts wrist action. You'll feel like you're pulling the putter towards the hole, which stops you from doing that dreaded flick—the enemy of good putting.
With both grips, keep these principles in mind:
- Let your shoulders do the work
- Keep hands and wrists out of the stroke altogether
- Avoid any flicking or scooping action
Practice Before You Play
This is crucial: don't just try a new grip on Sunday morning's first hole. It'll feel terrible and won't work well. You need to practise first.
Spend time on the practice green or even at home on the carpet getting comfortable with the new feel. Once it becomes natural, you'll see the benefits on the course.
Which Grip Should You Try?
Start with the reverse overlapping grip if you've been using your full swing grip for putting. This is the foundation putting grip and might be all the change you need.
Move to left hand low if you're already using the reverse overlap but want to eliminate even more wrist action and improve your consistency.
Either way, give yourself time to adjust. The right putting grip could be the missing piece that takes strokes off your score.
