Who here putts with their pointer finger pointing down?

[Bomber_11]

So I was watching The Haney Project 3-4 years ago, and it'll always stick out to me that he said "I've never seen a good putter use the grip where your low hand pointer finger points down toward the club head". So that day I switched away from that and never went back. Does anyone here putt like that? I see tons of guys at my local course who do.

 

 

[Creedo77]

I do....never had a lesson and never thought about changing. Putt pretty well if I do say so myself

[jacot23]

Me

[BrianMcG]

Since Haney advocates against it, I'm going to start doing it not only with putting but with all my clubs.

[ZeeJizzle]

This is funny, cuz when i see somebody with their index finger down I automatically assume they're terrible haha

[Mitchell]

Guess Hank never watched Seve putt? ?

[KarstenK]

I've done it forever. I try to move away from it but it always creeps back in during the season.

[jslane57]

Nope. I'm with Hank. I get twitchy with the finger down the shaft. And I don't know that one could say that Seve putted that way. He had his finger separated, pointed downward, but the pad of his index finger was never really on the line of the shaft...

[rawdog]

I'm more perplexed how he's able to putt with that watch on in the photo.

 

Never felt comfy wearing one while swinging a club. Maybe I'll work on that this year.

[Rosco1216]

I do but my hands are more even. Not right hand so low like in the photo.

[e36er]

i do.

but only left hand tho. lol

(i used to have both pointer finger down but recently changed to right hand to grip "normal" but still keep my left pointer finger down.

it improved my putter stroke alot)

[A.Princey]

I putt(righty) this way and will never putt traditional again; it stabilizes the shaft lean through impact and on the take-away. Every time I try a normal grip the head feels like it dictates the shaft angle entirely, and I can feel an uneven pressure in my lower right hand(thumb & index finger) as it shifts on take-away and thru-stroke. I have a SBST path, and I feel the index finger down the trailing edge promotes a square face during the entire putting stroke. I also putt with a slightly quicker rhythm and this method makes the putter more stable/square, otherwise, the trad. method feels as if the putter grip is rocking laterally in my hands as I swing.

 

Edit: I putt well, too...

[Circaflex]

This was one of the first things my coach pointed out to me. He said everyone he has seen us this grip, flips their wrists or does weird hand movements when putting and it throws everything off.

[DaRiz]

I do this am I am a terrible putter.

 

I'll stop for a few rounds and see what happens

 

 

[KYMAR]

My son does this and I hate looking at it. Tried getting him to stop. But only for like 5 minutes. Like THAT would be the thing to make him start listening to me.

 

I don't know how anybody putts like that, but the good news there is I don't have to know.

[A.Princey]

In addition, if I ever went to a strong arc, fluid stroke(backstroke length determining my distance control, ie Tiger), I would consider using a traditional putting grip.

[Jersey golfer]

Guess Hank never watched Seve putt?

 

or Mark McNulty

[Mitchell]

Anybody else have OCD kicking in over stated length sticker still on grip in photo??

[jslane57]

Anybody else have OCD kicking in over stated length sticker still on grip in photo?

LOL! If the photo is of the OP, he has no worries in this world. Not only is the sticker still on the club, his watch is on his wrist setting too low for playability, and the putter in play is not the one in his sig. This person can handle the finger down the shaft, the rest of us, no way!

[2clubs]

Can I comment if I use my driver on the greens as a putter?

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i think there are two reasons why you would use this grip.....you have an overly quick tempo and you need the finger down the shaft to keep control on the club head or you use the finger to power the stroke which could lead to a flip. i doubt either are very good but i'm sure before long someone will point out the one guy on tour who does this and it will give everyone reassurance this is a good grip.

[jslane57]

It is interesting to think, why this grip? I think most folks who point the finger down the shaft to putt learned to putt without ever getting a short game lesson. They took their full swing grip to the putting green and tried to stabilize it with the finger. But heck, if works best for you, why not?

[nitram]

I'll do this when I'm facing a delicate down-hiller where I need just a scosche more touch.

[scomac2002]

I know several people that putt that way. They certainly aren't the worst putters of the group of folks that I play with.

 

I chuckled when it was suggested that the only people who putt like that have never had a short game lesson. I remember I was told to find a comfortable and relaxed grip and then practice because there was no one right way to putt. Things have changed I guess, but that seems to be part and parcel with the methods espoused by the teaching fraternity today. Lessons beget lessons.

[BillyZ2]

I putt this way with my index finger of my right hand pointing down. I Incorporated that grip without anybody else's input it's just something I tried and that's what I feel comfortable with. I have tried putting with the finger retracted but feel very uncomfortable and can't seem to control the putter face as well.

For what it's worth, my biggest issue with putting is closing the putter face when I am a bit under pressure that causes a pull to the left. It's like I choose a line to putt on and don't trust my decision. I don't think this has to do with my pointer finger pointing down?

[jslane57]

I putt this way with my index finger of my right hand pointing down. I Incorporated that grip without anybody else's input it's just something I tried and that's what I feel comfortable with. I have tried putting with the finger retracted but feel very uncomfortable and can't seem to control the putter face as well.

For what it's worth, my biggest issue with putting is closing the putter face when I am a bit under pressure that causes a pull to the left. It's like I choose a line to putt on and don't trust my decision. I don't think this has to do with my pointer finger pointing down?

I'd think closing the putter face under pressure is exactly what finger down the shaft could produce. Rather than a pull to the left, it is more likely a mini right wrist flip. Just for fun, feel the difference in the tension in your right forearm when the finger is extended down the shaft vs. when it is relaxed around the grip. This added forearm tension can give an illusion of control, but in actuality that's not the case most of the time...

[TravisG]

I putt this way with my index finger of my right hand pointing down. I Incorporated that grip without anybody else's input it's just something I tried and that's what I feel comfortable with. I have tried putting with the finger retracted but feel very uncomfortable and can't seem to control the putter face as well.

For what it's worth, my biggest issue with putting is closing the putter face when I am a bit under pressure that causes a pull to the left. It's like I choose a line to putt on and don't trust my decision. I don't think this has to do with my pointer finger pointing down?

I'd think closing the putter face under pressure is exactly what finger down the shaft could produce. Rather than a pull to the left, it is more likely a mini right wrist flip. Just for fun, feel the difference in the tension in your right forearm when the finger is extended down the shaft vs. when it is relaxed around the grip. This added forearm tension can give an illusion of control, but in actuality that's not the case most of the time...

 

+1 to this.... It does feel like you really control the face angle of the putter with the right index finger extended, but when you do that you almost have to 'hold off' through the stroke. I do it sometimes to mix things up but when I extend the index finger on the right hand I have to watch toe'd putts going left on me.

[benno_r]

This was one of the first things my coach pointed out to me. He said everyone he has seen us this grip, flips their wrists or does weird hand movements when putting and it throws everything off.

 

My coach said the same thing. Something to do with your wrist being in the wrong position when your finger runs down the shaft. The change certainly turned me from a crap putter to a mediocre one, so I stuck with it.

[BIG STU]

Guess Hank never watched Seve putt? ��

 

or Mark McNulty

McNulty and that beat all to hell Bulls Eye wonder how much money that thing has won over the years?

[BIG STU]

The main thing regardless of what ever anyone else thinks of it is that your hands are comfortable on the grip. ANY discomfort at all will cause tension and tension in the hands will cause trouble on ANY golf shot not just putting

 

BTW I grip my putter the same as all my clubs and drop the right index finger down some as in Ray Floyd's "Trigger Finger" I also tape my finger like he does. I copied it from him because I was around him some when I was young and my old man and a lot of those old timers did the same thing

 

For the record I will state I could care less what Hank Haney says of course he has made a lot of money shooting folks a line of BS. But I can look at myself in the mirror when I shave every morning too!

 

Remember there is no one set in stone way to play or execute this game. If you are relaxed putting the finger down the club like that by all means do it!