Going Left Hand Low

[platgof]

Told a buddy years ago to use left hand low, and he loves it. Now I am going in that direction, and for a good reason. I am pulling short putts, and found out it is a natural reaction to the arms and wrist movement. When I put a putter in my hand and turn right and left, the face always wants to close naturally. When I have a short putt the ball always goes left on me for obvious reasons. So I used a left hand low grip, and the club face is neutral, naturally, meaning left and right wrist action is the same! For this reason I am going to start using it, and I also notice better pace control. Last week the short putts cost me dearly.

[Technoguru]

I have been putting left hand low for 40 years. It always felt more natural than a conventional grip

[moehogan]

Switched to LHL 35 years ago ... best change in my golf game that I’ve ever made.

[buckethat72]

I switched about 12 months ago for exactly the same reason. However I was confused about how to grip it LHL so one day after I played a round with a scratch player who was deadly LHL at my club I spent 2 minutes with him making sure I had the grip correct. Since that day my putting was immediately transformed to one of the best parts of my game. I barely need to practice it and I feel like I make most putts inside 6 feet.

[TightStick]

I switched about 12 months ago for exactly the same reason. However I was confused about how to grip it LHL so one day after I played a round with a scratch player who was deadly LHL at my club I spent 2 minutes with him making sure I had the grip correct. Since that day my putting was immediately transformed to one of the best parts of my game. I barely need to practice it and I feel like I make most putts inside 6 feet.

Can you please tell me how you are gripping the club?

[buckethat72]

Right handed golfer. Grip sits in palm of both hands. Thumbs down the front of the grip. All 4 fingers of left hand on the grip. Index finger of right hand sits on top of and in the groove between ring finger and smallest finger of the left hand. result is only 3 fingers of the right hand plus thumb are on the grip. These 3 fingers sit just above the wrist of the left hand. This position creates a slight bow of the left wrist and delofts the putter.

 

I was told that this left wrist position should stay constant throughout the stroke and this works very well.

 

Hope that helps not easy to describe in writing.

 

I also found for me that the superstroke slim 3.0 grip was just the right width to make all the above comfortable.

[platgof]

I tried your grip and wrapped both index fingers under the grip, placing the right index under the left hand. I was having issues with the right index finger down the right side, but underneath, it was fine. My bad, i am doing it your way and it is great, thanks. I really like the distance control I get from this, amazing. I play a course with fast greens, and a regular grip is murder.

[platgof]

I found it necessary to place the right thumb on the left side, and this eliminated the closed face entirely.

[NeedAJoker]

Went LHL about 2 years ago. Would never go back. When people ask why, I simply show them how the shoulders level out once you take the grip, and its a simple pendulum rocking from there. Most see and get it, yet keep their traditional grip and miss 4 footers the rest of the season.

[diablocrusher]

Right handed golfer. Grip sits in palm of both hands. Thumbs down the front of the grip. All 4 fingers of left hand on the grip. Index finger of right hand sits on top of and in the groove between ring finger and smallest finger of the left hand. result is only 3 fingers of the right hand plus thumb are on the grip. These 3 fingers sit just above the wrist of the left hand. This position creates a slight bow of the left wrist and delofts the putter.

 

I was told that this left wrist position should stay constant throughout the stroke and this works very well.

 

Hope that helps not easy to describe in writing.

 

I also found for me that the superstroke slim 3.0 grip was just the right width to make all the above comfortable.

 

I grip it almost exactly the same way but a slight difference in the finger placement. Instead of the index finger of right hand sitting on top of and in the groove between ring finger and smallest finger of the left hand, I reverse it and have the pinky finger of the left hand resting in the groove between the ring and pinky finger on the right hand.

 

Still left hand low and the wrist of the left hand is still bowed but I've found doing it this way, with a light grip of the fingers, creates a slight angle in the wrists and if you maintain this angle throughout the stroke it gets the ball rolling on its intended target line very consistently, with good end over end roll.

 

Supserstroke 3.0 grip here as well.

 

Note, I'm a left handed golfer so I hope my explanation made sense. I was trying to reverse it for right handed golfers since you are the majority :golfer:

[Matt J]

Practice your longer lag putting. It's stable for short putts, but even some of the pros say they switch back to conventional for long ones.

[cj4501]

Anyone PM me a pic of how you hold it LHL. I'm a idiot and can't picture it

[macedan]

Went LHL for about a year and was much more fitting to me than conventional grip. My LHL consisted of an interlocking grip. I found, however, my short range left some to be desired. Earlier this year I toyed around with a hybrid of LHL/Claw. Right hand stays high with thumb running in line with shaft, LH stays low with thumb and index finger on shaft, and middle finger pressed against the side. Absolutley. Loving. It.

[blazman11]

Lefty here. Gonna try RHL on course for first time today. Was practicing last week on an empty practice green when the local pro happened to wander by. He saw me pushing short putts and suggested RHL while keeping the grip locked on my right arm. I’ve been working on it since but I have no illusions that today will be nothing but a you know what show.

 

Stroke is very stable and everything starts online. I get a nice release of the putter head. It’s the distance control I know I will really struggle with. But I’m gonna give it a chance at least for the rest of this month.

[musclefront]

went LHL last year on the first green on a Bandon trip. Not sure why but haven't looked back and feels way more natural. Two main benefits I've noticed is that it helps to keep my wrists quiet and it squares my shoulders up.....before the right shoulder was lower than left like in full swing which made me open to the putting line.

[jonsnow]

Does anybody setup differently when putting LHL? I recall reading (Dave Pelz maybe?) that you should play the ball more forward & have more weight on your left side when putting LHL because the center of the stroke is now the left shoulder rather than the sternum. Also, do you stand taller or bend more from the hips than when putting conventionally?

[DShepley]

> @jonsnow said:

> Does anybody setup differently when putting LHL? I recall reading (Dave Pelz maybe?) that you should play the ball more forward & have more weight on your left side when putting LHL because the center of the stroke is now the left shoulder rather than the sternum. Also, do you stand taller or bend more from the hips than when putting conventionally?

 

I've putted LHL since I saw Fred Couples try it years ago, (Honestly don't remember when but late 90s?). I use a blade style putter with very little offset, (Rife Caymen Brac), and putt with the ball forward in my stance and close to my toes. I've always putted best when I elevate the heel slightly, (like Stricker), and use more of a straight back and through stroke. The grip of the putter runs through the center of my palms more than being in my fingers. I would say looking down the line, the shaft would basically line up with my left arm. This was through trial and error and just felt best. This has me standing tall with the ball under my eyes or only slightly outside them. Also, my first two fingers of my right hand overlap my ring finger and pinky of my left hand. This is to allow the grip to run more vertically through my palms.

[thesamwise]

> @jonsnow said:

> Does anybody setup differently when putting LHL? I recall reading (Dave Pelz maybe?) that you should play the ball more forward & have more weight on your left side when putting LHL because the center of the stroke is now the left shoulder rather than the sternum. Also, do you stand taller or bend more from the hips than when putting conventionally?

 

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

No, just kidding. I had to say it when I saw your username.

That might be the case. The larger point, though, is that one of the benefits of this is that it's supposed to flatten out the swing plane (I think), so figure out how to orient your weight to encourage that and you should be ok (again, I think). Here's an article from golf digest that has some info about set up.

 

https://www.golf.com/instruction/2017/10/20/putt-spieth-heres-lowdown-left-hand-low

[jonsnow]

> @thesamwise said:

> > @jonsnow said:

> > Does anybody setup differently when putting LHL? I recall reading (Dave Pelz maybe?) that you should play the ball more forward & have more weight on your left side when putting LHL because the center of the stroke is now the left shoulder rather than the sternum. Also, do you stand taller or bend more from the hips than when putting conventionally?

>

> You know nothing, Jon Snow.

> No, just kidding. I had to say it when I saw your username.

> That might be the case. The larger point, though, is that one of the benefits of this is that it's supposed to flatten out the swing plane (I think), so figure out how to orient your weight to encourage that and you should be ok (again, I think). Here's an article from golf digest that has some info about set up.

>

> https://www.golf.com/instruction/2017/10/20/putt-spieth-heres-lowdown-left-hand-low

 

Thanks, samwise. I do, in fact, know nothing. Is your last name Gamgee? I've always noticed your avatar, "embiggens" is a great word...

 

 

[RainShadow]

I've been LHL for about 4 years now, inside 30 feet I love it, but I really struggle outside that getting the ball to the hole.

I often switch back to conventional for real long putts and from off the green.