Tiger Woods Putting Grip

[TeeTime907]

Who has copied this grip?

Ok, I know what your saying. It's traditional, nothing really to copy.

Also, I realize there are a million different ways to hold the putter and get the ball in the hole. Its personal feel and preference, however, I would like to know those people that really do copy his grip and their results. I will be honest I thought my grip was VERY close to TW, I was dead off. I wonder if some of you think the same.

I hold the grip traditional, however, I was not that very close on how Tiger hold the putter. So I decided to go online and look for some pictures.

When I hold the putter I do the left hand finger where it overlaps the right hand on the second finger. Up to this point its an exact copy of TW or Traditional.

It's the right hand where things are different. I tend to hold the putter in my right hand towards the top of my fingers by the palm. My right hand is to the side a little.

When I look at this picture, I did NOT realize how ON TOP his right hand is. He is definitely holding it in his fingers.



So I give this a try. Man, I tell you its a different feeling. I don't have the longest of fingers and at first I was holding the putter way to tight. After some practice it feels really good (still strange, but good). I have seen where Tiger practices with his only his right hand to get feeling releasing that putter and I have always been saying (no freaking way, I try to get my right hand out of it).

I'm going to continue to practice with this. I can see some good things from this.


Those that have their right hand on top, how do you like it. What improvements have seen?

[TeeTime907]

When I hold the putter I do the left hand finger where it overlaps the right hand on the second finger. Up to this point its an exact copy of TW or Traditional.

 

English, please. Your left index finger is on top of your right ring finger? Is that what you mean?

 

Also, tiger's putting grip isn't traditional, even it looks that way from a face on view. He holds the putter grip under the heel pad of his left hand, where as a more orthodox way would be to have it running along the lifeline of his left hand.

 

The difference is this allows him to unweight the club and put a little extra pop on it with his right hand (his own words, from his book). Most people, however, are trying to get their hands from getting too involved in the stroke and suffer from mere mortal nerves, so should avoid tiger's grip.

 

Who knows if my new way of gripping is totally the same at TW. However, the way it feels to me I would disagree with the grip being too handsy. I fill that my hands are Less involved with the stroke then it was before. Also the grip doesn't necessarly mean that is handsy. If you take the putter away with a shoulder move then your less handsy. if you take the putter away with more your arms and hands then your more handsy. I personally think the traditional grip can be either way, depends on your takeway.

 

Thank you for the English lesson also :tongue: I think most people knew what I meant.

[TomWilliamDavis]

I think Woods uses the reverse overlap grip which I use now but at the beginning it didn't feel very comfortable

[GatorNate11]

I hold my putter with the exact same interlock grip I do my irons and driver and everything else in the bag. It's just the way I learned to do it and it works for me. As for copying TW idk how close mine is to a copy of his, haven't really payed attention to it tbh lol

[atlanta golfer]

This picture looks to me like the grip is down the lifeline of the left hand and the lifeline of the right hand, with both thumbs on top. Pretty traditional, I think .... the way I putt, also the way Stan Utley prescribes. imho, from that basic position, you can overlap, double overlap, interlock, etc...whatever feels comfortable. I happen to interlock, just because that is what I do for all clubs, and it feels more secure.

[DNice26]

I know exactly what you are talking about.....I noticed that too and I tried it but just can't get used to it. feels like the right hand takes over and everything wants to go left. I typically have a much stronger right hand grip (i.e. the V made by my right hand thumb and index points more to my right).

[RookieBlue7]

I put the putter down near the base of my fingers, both thumbs down with my left index finger overlapping the last 2 fingers, falling between my ring and middle finger. Who's is it like? I don't know but my palms directly oppose each other and it works for me.

[mcfet]

That is my grip to a t. Slight variation is that I have my left wrist straight. I like my right hand more on top. I concentrate on keeping the angle in my right wrist. That keeps the "hands" out of the strike. I do try to keep the putter low to the ground both back and through ala Dave Stockton.

[Jay4]

That grip some what like Greg Norman, which I copied years ago...

[PuttingDoctor]

[quote name='GatorNate11' timestamp='1297549040' post='2971465']
I hold my putter with the exact same interlock grip I do my irons and driver and everything else in the bag. It's just the way I learned to do it and it works for me. As for copying TW idk how close mine is to a copy of his, haven't really payed attention to it tbh lol
[/quote]

+1 +2 !!

Thank you GatorNate11.

Why change the grip you use for the other 13 clubs in your bag, for the one you use the most?

Using a left hand high grip allows you to take aim with only the left hand on. Once commited and set up to the ball the last thing my students do is to add the right hand. We elevate the intensity of the putting routine and the commitment to the line, perfect our aim, and then we DON'T mess with this finite aiming of the face with a wiggle of joining hands into overly complicated grip positions.

Keep it simple. Try an overlap or interlock conventional grip with left hand high. Watch the club face as you join hands. Now try your complicated grip and see if you don't see the movement of the aim you established prior.

[nitram]

[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1297604443' post='2972725']

Why change the grip you use for the other 13 clubs in your bag, for the one you use the most?

Keep it simple. Try an overlap or interlock conventional grip with left hand high. Watch the club face as you join hands. Now try your complicated grip and see if you don't see the movement of the aim you established prior.
[/quote]


EXACTLY

Well-said Doc

[DNice26]

Am I correct that you are implying that the putter grip is NO different than your grip with say your irons?

If so, I completely disagree......my putter grip is quite different. My grip is more in my palms with the putter and my left hand index finger comes out away from the club and rests on top of my right hands fingers (exactly as above in the picture).

I believe the OP was focusing on the fact that Tiger's right hand is very on top of the club. Look at Tiger's right thumb....it sits right on top of the putter grip. I personally don't do that. My right hand thumb is a bit more on the right side of the putter grip.

Anyway, if it works for you.....all the better.

Funny enough.....I'm likely switching to left hand low this season. Tried it last year and I'm pretty impressed with the feel and consistency.

[PuttingDoctor]

[quote name='DNice26' timestamp='1297606580' post='2972790']
Am I correct that you are implying that the putter grip is NO different than your grip with say your irons?

If so, I completely disagree......my putter grip is quite different. My grip is more in my palms with the putter and my left hand index finger comes out away from the club and rests on top of my right hands fingers (exactly as above in the picture).

I believe the OP was focusing on the fact that Tiger's right hand is very on top of the club. Look at Tiger's right thumb....it sits right on top of the putter grip. I personally don't do that. My right hand thumb is a bit more on the right side of the putter grip.

Anyway, if it works for you.....all the better.

Funny enough.....I'm likely switching to left hand low this season. Tried it last year and I'm pretty impressed with the feel and consistency.
[/quote]

Because of the shape of the putter grip the fundamentals of hand position may vary somewhat. More to the point the simplicity of placing hands on is the focus vs. overcomplicating the application of overlaps and such after committing to aim and address.

When you swich to left hand low be sure to view your shoulder angle and ball position in a full length mirror. Too many LHL players have a desending shoulder plane leading to a decending angle of attach through impact.

[DNice26]

thanks Doc....I'll keep that in mind when I'm going LHL....

[will1994]

He uses the reverse overlap....I've used it for a good 8 years, highly reccomended.

[atlanta golfer]

[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1297604443' post='2972725']
[quote name='GatorNate11' timestamp='1297549040' post='2971465']
I hold my putter with the exact same interlock grip I do my irons and driver and everything else in the bag. It's just the way I learned to do it and it works for me. As for copying TW idk how close mine is to a copy of his, haven't really payed attention to it tbh lol
[/quote]

+1 +2 !!

Thank you GatorNate11.

Why change the grip you use for the other 13 clubs in your bag, for the one you use the most?

Using a left hand high grip allows you to take aim with only the left hand on. Once commited and set up to the ball the last thing my students do is to add the right hand. We elevate the intensity of the putting routine and the commitment to the line, perfect our aim, and then we DON'T mess with this finite aiming of the face with a wiggle of joining hands into overly complicated grip positions.

Keep it simple. Try an overlap or interlock conventional grip with left hand high. Watch the club face as you join hands. Now try your complicated grip and see if you don't see the movement of the aim you established prior.
[/quote]

Because the putter is the only club where you don't want any wrist break. That's why, for me and many others, we gain more stability by placing the (putter only) grip into the lifeline of the left hand instead of underneath the left hand heel pad. For me, everything else is the same, for example, I use interlock grip for putter and all other clubs as well.

[Beastmode Broker]

read Stan Utley's book on putting - the art of putting

this is how i grip the putter......since switching to his "methods" i have been putting MUCH MUCH better

in the fingers, not palms, and i run me left forefinger on the outside of my right hand

 

 

 

if you look in this pic as well, you see how the shaft follows his "lifelines" in his forearms?

this is something that i never paid attention to...until now

it felt a little wonky at first, but trust me - IT WORKS

 

IMO best method for putting is his

[divot46]

Tiger's grip looks pretty much standard to me from head on. And as Putting Doc said, I pretty much grip my putter the same way I do my other clubs. Left index finger between right ring and pinky fingers. The only change I make is that my left middle finger rests on the back of my hand instead of being on the grip. I found this on my own one day and it seemed to stabilize my hands even more and keep my wrists out of it at the same time. And it's an easy grip to just "fall in to".

I still remember the grip I used when I first started playing. Basically a ten finger grip ( like a baseball bat ) but I used to stick my elbows straight out and just rock my shoulders back and forth. I tried it again a while back and I have no idea how I ever used to putt that way......

[eboos]

I noticed immediate improvement after recently switching my putter grip to a reverse overlap.

[hunter24]

I have found that no matter what grip you use, the lightest pressure possible will give the best results. We have more feel in our fingers than palms.

[Golfer4Life]

Basically the Utley grip.....

[newportbeach]

Yes the Utley grip which is supposed to be neutral in relation to the club.