Putting

[Spyder]

Lately my putting has been very inconsistent and questionable. I use a standard interlock grip and I am right handed. I hit my line fine and read putts really well. However I have fallen from a 4 Hdcp to a 12 due to putting. I have been really flippy and wristy on my putts. I would love to hear how others, including Erik, see the putting grip. Should I try and switch for next year to a cross hand or claw? Generally my putts are all long because of the unintentional wrist flip adding speed or loft. 5ft and in I'm fine but lately anything outside of 5 is a 2 putt. How do some of you grip the putter? Also, a belly putter is out of the question and conversation. My putter is fit for me and it is not the club. The issue I feel is grip. Just doing some field research here. Thanks in advance for sharing guys.

[BuckeyeNut]

I'm not sure how anyone can go from a 4 to a 12 on putting alone.  With that said, I'm not sure that I know any pros who use an interlocking grip with a putter???

I suggest you keep stats so you can diagnose where you're losing all those shots.  I doubt it's all lost on the greens......you're probably hitting fewer fairways and greens compared to when you were a 4hc.  I keep detailed stats and seeing them in black/white is an eye opening experience.

[Spyder]

I appreciate the honesty and opinion, however I did and do keep stats during my round. I am averaging 8 more putts per round and the majority are all missed by inconsistent putting. I can feel and see that I am playing the same from the approach and tees, as when I was hovering 3-4hc. As for the interlocked grip on putting, many tour professionals and legitimate amateurs use the interlock approach where the pinky is overlapping the back of the hand/fingers -  rather than pinky and index that is used on the driver and irons.

[rustyredcab]

By grip you mean the way you hold the club and not the end of the club, right?

Are you an arc guy or more straight-back and through guy? I'm the later. Not sure if that matters but I feel like I don't even want to get wristy if I'm straight back and through.

I have found a simple overlap -- much like my iron grip except with my trail index finger down the shaft -- is good. Palms square to the line. My instructor suggested that the putter grip differ from your iron grip even if just a bit. Thus the index finger which I have done since I was a kid. I have my trail wrist slightly cocked and keep my palm going down the line without breaking the wrist cock. I try and feel the club staying low on the follow through so, again, a wrist flip would hurt that feeling.

Even so, I am wondering if a larger grip will help me keep that wrist out of the stroke. I'm thinking mid-sized and not jumbo.

I spend a few years side saddle putting with a long stick and when I came back to conventional this year, I found the wrist issues were largely gone and my putting was better than ever (for me). Not sure why. Maybe sometimes you need to burn the prairie for healthy growth to come in.

[ghalfaire]

I have never been a four so you can ignore this if you want.  But I took 5 putts/round off my scores a few years back by using a left hand low grip.  Stopped me from flipping the club.  It takes some practice but was worth it for me.

[Spyder]

I would never disregard someone's advice when I'm asking for it!

I actually was previously typing on my iPhone so I did not explain my issue clearly. Rusty, yes I am referring to the Grip as the way that the putter is being held. Currently, I am using the same exact interlock grip as my irons - however my trail index finger is extended down on the shaft of the putter. I am also choked down on the putter as well so that the base of my index finger is only on the shaft (if I were to wrap it with my other fingers, it would be a choked down iron grip).

This how I have always putted for many years with great comfort. However, I recently made changes to my chipping stance/grip and my chipping is better than it ever has been. For some reason, my putting has dropped off as a result and I really am tired of the instructors that I've been with. To be honest, I'll never be a pro and I'm comfortable with my game to play for a few bucks or join a tourny, or just play for the first few rounds at the 19th hole without really caring if I ever drastically improve. HC is just a number, in my opinion, unless you're being paid to golf. I used it just to reference where my game was, to where it is now - not to throw it out there or have anyone uncomfortable to reply. Please, you're all more than welcome to throw in your advice. I've played with golfers of an 18 HC that were damn good on the green, they just played to an 18 because it took them more to get there.

Anyway, I saw some tutorials on the "lead-hand low" grip with the overlapped finger and it looks really interesting. I mentioned the claw because that is what a buddy of mine uses with great success but I have personally never seen anyone else in person use it. Maybe I'll give the left-hand low a try (I'm right-handed).

Edit: Is what I'm saying is, I would rather try someone's advice at this point rather than keep running through instructors this late in the season. I'm not trying to get to a certain HC but I'm frustrated that I've dropped off mainly due to poor putting. Fix one part of the game and another part collapses like dominos.

[mymizunosrock]

I had putting woes too just over 12 months ago. I was missing 2-3 footers on a regular basis. It was putting the brakes on my handicap when everything else was progressing. So, I went and did like anyone else would do, I got a new putter because its always the fault of the equipment, not the doofus holding it. While I was at it, I changed grips. I went to a claw grip, something similar to Allenby. It took the wrist movement out of my stroke. I began holing putts on the very first practice round I played with it, even from 15-20ft. I swing with a slight arc, so the head drops slightly inside with the face slightly open on the way back, square (hopefully) at impact then the face closes on the way past. I started tearing shots off my handicap within weeks. Its not for everyone, but it solved my problem having wrist movement.

[ggolokin]

change to a belly or a long putter, it'll help keep you penduluming instead of flipping

imo the other grips just look... well... silly.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by ggolokin

change to a belly or a long putter, it'll help keep you penduluming instead of flipping

imo the other grips just look... well... silly.

And the long putter doesn't???

To Spyder:  I know that you said you don't want to change putters, but that might be necessary.  I got the yips about 4 years ago now, and what cured me was switching from a toe hang, Anser type putter to a center shafted, face balanced putter.  I don't know if that would help you at all , but like you, I had always been a good putter (same interlock grip too), and suddenly I couldn't make a smooth stroke on a 6 foot putt.  Long putts were still okay, but short putts from 6 feet in were a mess - even a 2 footer was no better than 50-50, and a 3 foot putt was impossible.  I tried a lot of things, but finally it was changing the putter that finally seemed to affect the cure.  My average putts per round is right around 30-31, and I only 3 putt once in 3 rounds typically (every now and then a day happens when the feel just isn't there, but that is an aberration).  I still use the same grip I've always used.

[kevin.chan]

I have been really flippy and wristy on my putts.

I picked up an advice from a friend to fix the similar problem that you have . He says that we should locked the left wrist after setup , through the back swing and forward swing. The shoulder , arm , wrist and putter swing as one . Try and see if it works for you .:-)

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Spyder

I appreciate the honesty and opinion, however I did and do keep stats during my round. I am averaging 8 more putts per round and the majority are all missed by inconsistent putting. I can feel and see that I am playing the same from the approach and tees, as when I was hovering 3-4hc. As for the interlocked grip on putting, many tour professionals and legitimate amateurs use the interlock approach where the pinky is overlapping the back of the hand/fingers -  rather than pinky and index that is used on the driver and irons.

I'm just curious, what was your average putts/round both then and now?   A typical 4HC player should average near 30putts per round. On the other hand, a 100 shooter averages 38 putts/round.  Going from 4hc to putting like a 100 shooter is such a huge decline that I just can't grasp this concept..........

That aside, I use an overlap grip on the putter.  When you said interlock, I took it as a Vardon interlock. (not overlap)

PS.....

What is your current fairway and GIR%?  Now I am really curious and interested to know so I can try to better grasp this........