When it comes to putting, player preference is everything – and it’s by no means a one-size-fits-all.
Head sizes, lengths, grip sizes and the stroke are just some of the variables that make the art of putting unique.
Putting well is an essential part of improving for all golfers, from the pros to high handicappers and beginners.
You will see a player using a certain putting stroke and mallet head one week on the PGA Tour, and the same player using a long blade putter the next.
Ultimately, golfers will go to great lengths to find micro improvements around the greens, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t try something new on the putting greens if you’re leaking strokes.
Just last week, I was watching golf youtuber Grant Horvat and Phil Mickelson take on John Daly and his son, John Daly II, in a match that I can only recommend to any fan of the game looking to roll back the years with a blast from the past and unmatched insight into two greats.
And it wasn’t the timeless nature of Mickelson’s or Daly’s combined eight-time Major-winning precision off the tee or the latter’s ability to smoke a cigarette a hole that stood out.
It was instead the fact that they were both still playing and incorporating new putting styles on the greens despite their immense success in the past.
The two techniques differ in their appearance – Lefty’s, a controlled ‘claw grip’ and Daly’s, on first glance, a frivolous one-handed putting stroke, which he often uses in tournament play.
But their purpose is the same, promoting complete steadiness and lead hand commitment in the putting stroke.
So let’s take a closer look at why incorporating one of these styles on the putting greens will help you remove any unwanted trail hand interference in your stroke…
The Claw Grip
This grip involves lead (top) hand as you regularly would on your putter grip while the trail (bottom) hand is rotated so that the fingers point down the shaft and create a pinching movement with the idea being to minimise the influence of the trail hand.
Why will this help my stroke?
Improved face control will come as a result of less manipulation to the putter face, allowing for better directional control and a better chance of hitting the desired line and giving your putts more chances.
The position of the pinch (claw) on the lower half of the grip will help reduce pressure and the chance of you strangling the club, cutting out sudden jerks or unwanted movements that will affect the flow of the stroke.
By minimising the impact of the trail hand and subsequent wrist motion, the claw grip will encourage a more stable stroke with a smooth pendulum shape.
Statistically, the claw grip increases consistency in short putts, especially 10 feet, and has a great impact on reducing the regularity of scorecard-ruining three-putts.
One-handed stroke
While you may feel using the one-handed putting technique is lazy and will appear strange when put into practice, there is actually method to John Daly’s madness – which can be hard to believe.
And if Mickelson sees the method to that madness as he stated in their recent match, there is very much some merit in giving it some consideration.
The one-handed stroke completely isolates the trail hand to help golfers develop feel and tempo in their lead hand, ensuring they have to fully commit to the flow of their stroke.
Why will this help my stroke?
The enhanced feel of the stroke is what this technique encourages, with the golfer being forced to use their feel more and consequently improve their pace and directional control as well as touch.
It means a smooth, controlled motion is absolutely needed to minimise jerking and remove the mental barrier in your head that encourages the overuse of the trail hand, leading to strangling the putter.
While using this technique in open play is certainly not for everyone, it will undoubtedly promote muscle memory and diagnose any flaws, likely leading to more confident strokes when you add the trail hand.
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Article Link: Phil Mickelson and John Daly putting styles that can increase accuracy