When you play the putting stroke you use the energy from your body, transfer it through your hands to the club, which transfers it to the ball. So, the grip you have on your putter is very important.
The two main factors you have to consider when you are gripping your putter are the placement of your hands on the putter and the amount of pressure you apply to the putter.
Hand Placement On The Putter
If you have ever watched golf on TV you will have noticed that there are many different styles and techniques for holding the putter.
The biggest reason there is such variation for the putting shot is that it is one of the easiest shots in golf.This allows golfers to experiment with different styles and techniques to find what works best for them.
However, this does not mean that you can hold the putter any way you want to.
Your hands must always work together to make sure the club face is as square as possible throughout the entire putting shot. Try this experiment.
Grip the putter about 12 inches from the head of the club.. Grip the club so that your palms are facing each other. Make the putt. Pay attention to the fact that the clubface stayed square throughout the entire putt.
Now, hold the putter again in the same place along the shaft. This time make it so that your palms are not facing each other. Make the putt and notice how hard it is to keep the club face square throughout the entire putt.
So, to keep the club face square throughout the putt it is important to keep you palms facing each other.. There are a lot of different ways to accomplish this. Some golfers will use the same grip that they use for a full swing. Other golfers will use a cross handed grip. Try to find the grip that works for you, but at the same time keeps the club face square to the line of the putt at all times.
Golf Putting Grip Pressure
The next thing to keep in mind when you are making a putt is the grip pressure.
A good grip pressure would be somewhere in the center as far as tightness is concerned. If you are tense your putting stroke will be wristy and choppy. If you hold the putter loosely you will have no control over the putt.
For more experienced golfers looking for Golf Tips it will not hurt to experiment with a grip that might be firmer than your current grip. One of the best golfers of all time, Tom Watson, gripped the putter extremely tight and claimed success with this grip, but late in his career he fought a battle with the “yips”. (A term for missing short putts all the time)