Down the rabbit hole of is the putter grip on straight

[wolvverine]

I have over 10 putters, 5ish of them I have regripped, the rest are the original grip from the factory. They all sit slightly differently at address when I have the grip square or at least what I consider square. 
 

So after going from putter to putter trying to determine which grip is on the straightest, I don’t trust my eye anymore. 
 

Is there an objective way to get a grip perfectly aligned with a square face?

 

 

 

 

[Ri_Redneck]

I'll answer it this way..... there's a good chance your putter grip SHOULD NOT be installed straight. It should be installed to fit how you place your hands on the putter.

 

Think about it.

 

BT

[Phabs]

Bubble level is your friend.  
 

Square the face in the vice and bubble level the flats of the grip 

Edited June 14 by Phabs

[RSLP]

Level or lay the grip on the skinny side of a 2x4 with the face pushed up against the board.

 

[FirstFlight]

I went down this same rabbit hole and decided to try something and take the pistol style or reminder style putter grips out of the equation. Didn't want to go with super sized cylinder style(super stroke), so I went with a standard golf grip but in jumbo size. Worked great. didn't have myself concerned with the how and why the putter grip is lined up with the putter head...or where my hands were positioned. Now I could concentrate more on the putter head aiming in relation to the ball and the putting line. I now just use a standard sized golf grip in different colors from the rest of the bag(blown on, easy peasy). No looking back, I gotta be me.

[sui generis]

I do a little work now and then for a +4. I install the grip "straight" and hand it to him. He takes a few practice putts. We then twist the grip a little closed. He putts again and declares that it's now perfect. "Straight" is in the eye of the (be)holder. 😉

[Dan Drake]

23 hours ago, Ri_Redneck said:

I'll answer it this way..... there's a good chance your putter grip SHOULD NOT be installed straight. It should be installed to fit how you place your hands on the putter.

 

Think about it.

 

BT

100% this!  I've been putting putter grips on crooked for the last 10+ years and everyone looks at me funny when I hand the putter to them.  But, because I'm a cheap-o, I put my putter grips on with painter's tape so I can still wiggle them around a smidge until I love where they are at.  So I can often move a putter grip for someone and show them how good it feels to put your hands onto the putter in their own "natural" way.  

 

FWIW, I've currently got a NDMC +4 undersize on my putter du jour because it doesn't make me worry at all.  My hands are just on there however they are on there and it feels good.  

[mogc60]

I install…take my grip bend forward into my posture and adjust as needed. My lower hand and upper hand never match so yes my putter grips are normally twisted. It feels right to me and is square as can be when I take my address position. Like all things in this stupid game there is no standard. It’s what fits you 

[Socrates]

When I put on a putter grip for myself, I put it on square to a little bit open.  I immediately take my putting stance and grip the grip.  I usually have to make it a bit more open.  I grip the putter normally and then apply a greater force to simulate a tension filled stroke.  When I can hold the putter normally and then add in a lot of hand pressure and the face doesn't move - I know I have the grip exactly where I want it.  Face is square to the line on relaxed and tense putts.  If I miss, the "bad" is on me aiming it poorly or making a poor stroke.

[Grouchykona]

(Delete - images won’t post)

 

 

 

Edited June 14 by Grouchykona

[Mike412]

19 hours ago, FirstFlight said:

I went down this same rabbit hole and decided to try something and take the pistol style or reminder style putter grips out of the equation. Didn't want to go with super sized cylinder style(super stroke), so I went with a standard golf grip but in jumbo size. Worked great. didn't have myself concerned with the how and why the putter grip is lined up with the putter head...or where my hands were positioned. Now I could concentrate more on the putter head aiming in relation to the ball and the putting line. I now just use a standard sized golf grip in different colors from the rest of the bag(blown on, easy peasy). No looking back, I gotta be me.

You should check out the Edel round grips. They’re awesome!

[Grouchykona]

On 6/13/2024 at 5:22 PM, Phabs said:

Bubble level is your friend.  
 

Square the face in the vice and bubble level the flats of the grip 

This 

[Qegurezi]

1 hour ago, Grouchykona said:

This 

That's definitely impressive well done. The only downside is there's certainly no excuses among that lot lol  

Edited June 16 by Qegurezi

[Neo1]

well if you use superstroke grips some of them aren't even straight themselves! 

[AmateurAmateur]

This is a pretty redundant rabbit hole to go down. “Straight” is all relative. Do you sole the putter and then grip? If so, some draft may be causing your face to fall shut and while the grip is perpendicular to the face it gives the illusion of it being on crooked. 
 

Have it installed to whatever feels right. No rule in the book says it must be perpendicular to the face so don’t feel as if you have to conform to such. 

[Phabs]

3 hours ago, Grouchykona said:

This 

Correct this is what I was describing 

[rooski]

Bubble levels are objectively the best if you have the patience for it, but a really good way I've found is to look right down the grip and make sure the flat part of the grip is exactly parallel to the sightline of the putter, which is guaranteed perpendicular to the face

[PJE]

4 hours ago, Grouchykona said:

This 

That is amazingly precise.

[Cliffy2020]

Another reason air is your friend.  Blow it on straight for a couple of hours, open it, close it.  Find what works for you.  Ultimately, it’s what brings the face back square - is your secret sauce . 

The OG Garsen grip taught me this more than anything.

 

[Valtiel]

On 6/13/2024 at 8:57 AM, wolvverine said:

I don’t trust my eye anymore....
 

Is there an objective way to get a grip perfectly aligned with a square face?

 

 

 

 

 

On 6/13/2024 at 9:20 AM, Ri_Redneck said:

I'll answer it this way..... there's a good chance your putter grip SHOULD NOT be installed straight. It should be installed to fit how you place your hands on the putter.

 

Think about it.

 

BT

Yup this. Your eyes shouldn't he trusted here, your hands should. I install the grip, take my normal grip with my eyes closed before having any idea where the putter head is aligned, get my hands comfortable with the putter in front of me, then open my eyes. Do this a handful of times to confirm a pattern and then adjust the grip so the putter comes back square (or wherever you want it) when you open your eyes. This BTW demands a consistent "style" to your grip so you're always holding it the same. 
 

5 hours ago, Grouchykona said:

This 

It as actually going to similar lengths here that I even learned the above. To nail it to this milspec level here as @Grouchykona showed produces a putter face that sits about 4* open for me personally, and since I like to see the putter face fractionally open but not *that* much, I learned to offset my grip about 2* just trusting my hands. I suppose that's a small enough difference that I could still use a bubble level, just putting the bubble up against the first or second black line on the left. 

Edited June 16 by Valtiel

[joostin]

Bubble level is great but digital level is even better!  Hit perpendicular or any angle to +/-0.1° if you really want a precise number:

 

 

[wolvverine]

3 hours ago, joostin said:

Bubble level is great but digital level is even better!  Hit perpendicular or any angle to +/-0.1° if you really want a precise number:

 

 

 

Now that looks like what I’m after

[Streuner]

I play one of my putter armlock but trail arm, this gives me very impressive good results. That for I have installed a Superstrocke Flatso XL 13.5“ grip turned away from the top. The flat side is 180 degrees away from the clubface and is on my arm when putting. Looks strange, but feels good. 

Edited June 16 by Streuner