# Putting Grip - in the palms or fingers?



## Albanach (Mar 15, 2017)

I've been mucking about with my putting grip for a wee while now and checking out instruction videos online and the general consensus is in the palms but there a few videos with some of the best putters ever (Crenshaw and Faxon) saying keep the putter in the fingers for better feel.  
I originally had a grip more in the fingers but moved toward the palm given the apparent benefits of face rotation/forearm but, for me at least, there is a lack of feel or touch. Maybe I'm not doing it right but palms just doesn't feel comfy or natural. What's the consensus?  Is a grip in the palms going to make me a better putter?


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 15, 2017)

I was told it should run through the life lines. Ask your local pro to have a quick look and he'll give you something that's neutral and works


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## the_coach (Mar 16, 2017)

with the flat stick a big point is being able to control of the 'face' 
meaning there's no big face rotation wanted & also the hold of the handle is not about creating speed as in the hand hold through the rest of the big is all about being able to create speed with hand and wrist mobility

biggest issue in how the putter handle 'lies' in the hands with the rest of the bag driver through wedge the handle lies at near 90Âº to the hand - with the putter the handle lies much more in the direction of the arm hang so vertical as been mentioned above along the lifeline of the lead hand

lead arm hanging down naturally from shoulder if hand is open the fingers point vertically at the ground - if the handle is just introduced to the lead hand in that position it will run more vertically down the length of the palm with the fingers pointing the same ways
lead thumb pad then sits on top of the handle if then the fingers close will find although it runs down the length of the palm the fingers are still very much in contact with the handle so it's not a case of palm & no fingers - in fact this was means the it's the top half of the fingers to the tips that are in contact with the handle the area of the fingers that have more delicate 'feel' receptors

trail hand also joins with the finger pointing to the ground if lead hand is top hand then the trail thumb sits atop the lead thumb so both thumbs on top of the handle pointing straight down the shaft the trail hand fingers just close around either with overlap or not

one of the biggest issues often times see with how folks have the putter handle in the hands is it is lying to much across the palms (so more like a 'normal' hand orientation is with the rest of the clubs in the bag) doing that with the handle more 'across' and high in the palms means that the feel area near the top half to the tips are not really being involved any

but as with any change of grip and particularly with the flat stick as this is pretty much completely different to how all the other clubs are held it's goin to feel a good ways 'uncomfortable' and 'unusual' - if changing best ways is to keep the putter in the house and keep putting the hands on the putter to build the grip hold so it becomes familiar


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## Albanach (Mar 16, 2017)

the_coach said:



			with the flat stick a big point is being able to control of the 'face' 
meaning there's no big face rotation wanted & also the hold of the handle is not about creating speed as in the hand hold through the rest of the big is all about being able to create speed with hand and wrist mobility

biggest issue in how the putter handle 'lies' in the hands with the rest of the bag driver through wedge the handle lies at near 90Âº to the hand - with the putter the handle lies much more in the direction of the arm hang so vertical as been mentioned above along the lifeline of the lead hand

lead arm hanging down naturally from shoulder if hand is open the fingers point vertically at the ground - if the handle is just introduced to the lead hand in that position it will run more vertically down the length of the palm with the fingers pointing the same ways
lead thumb pad then sits on top of the handle if then the fingers close will find although it runs down the length of the palm the fingers are still very much in contact with the handle so it's not a case of palm & no fingers - in fact this was means the it's the top half of the fingers to the tips that are in contact with the handle the area of the fingers that have more delicate 'feel' receptors

trail hand also joins with the finger pointing to the ground if lead hand is top hand then the trail thumb sits atop the lead thumb so both thumbs on top of the handle pointing straight down the shaft the trail hand fingers just close around either with overlap or not

one of the biggest issues often times see with how folks have the putter handle in the hands is it is lying to much across the palms (so more like a 'normal' hand orientation is with the rest of the clubs in the bag) doing that with the handle more 'across' and high in the palms means that the feel area near the top half to the tips are not really being involved any

but as with any change of grip and particularly with the flat stick as this is pretty much completely different to how all the other clubs are held it's goin to feel a good ways 'uncomfortable' and 'unusual' - if changing best ways is to keep the putter in the house and keep putting the hands on the putter to build the grip hold so it becomes familiar
		
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Cheers the_coach for the reply.  

Itâ€™s the likes of this video  which seems to go across the â€˜rootsâ€™ of the fingers and palm but with thumb pad on top:
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/gca-grip-your-putter-properly/

or this advice from Dave Stockton to grip it in the fingers http://www.golfdigest.com/story/putting-dave-stockton  and video from Faxon http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-instruction/tip-week-adjust-your-grip-hole-more-putts/  and this http://www.golfwrx.com/88913/the-case-for-putting-instruction-part-2-fundamentals-and-drills/ which totally throws me.


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## the_coach (Mar 16, 2017)

Albanach said:



			Cheers the_coach for the reply.  

Itâ€™s the likes of this video  which seems to go across the â€˜rootsâ€™ of the fingers and palm but with thumb pad on top:
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/gca-grip-your-putter-properly/

or this advice from Dave Stockton to grip it in the fingers http://www.golfdigest.com/story/putting-dave-stockton  and video from Faxon http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-instruction/tip-week-adjust-your-grip-hole-more-putts/  and this http://www.golfwrx.com/88913/the-case-for-putting-instruction-part-2-fundamentals-and-drills/ which totally throws me.
		
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yep there's a whole world of stuff out there for sure

with the flat stick there's a bunch more room for individual styles & if they work then all good

though if there are some issues with folks putting techniques that are causing whole bunch of problems on the green then to start with have gotta kinda look at what really are the major problems - sure missing putts but not meaning that - more into what's the biggest issues -break down of hand/wrist control which is resulting in a real unstable putter face
or tempo and 'hitting at' issues
too much body movement
that kind of detailed look around what is really goin on with the stroke

as said most common issues have seen often are when folks assemble a handle hold that is pretty much like the normal hold on clubs through the bag - which often times then means there's a bunch too much 'use' of the hands/wrists

my take to be real honest don't like anything much from the 1st video from the golf channel there - her missing the hole 'completely' to leftfield from that distance with the handle in that position in the lead hand not really that surprising

& never much liked Stocktons insistence of where the lead wrist travels to either - (as a side note think his work with Rory did him no real favors at all - wasn't a big surprise when Rory parted company)

but as said it's an area with the most room for many differing styles

but on technique alone (so leaving out green reading & the mental side here) have found a hold that helps to reduce active hands/wrists my take on that would be as in the earlier post - with the 'engine' of movement for the stroke being the shoulders by that meaning not just moving the putter with the arms alone 
as more of just arms controlling the motion have mostly seen folks struggle with rhythm/tempo & moving the puttered ways too far back for the distance of the putt so leading to decels & bad contacts

look at the best putters around on Tour, and for the most part bar a few outliers most control the motion/engine through the shoulder movement most have a hold that they are looking to reduce/eliminate hand/wrist action

look at there lead shoulder and it moves as soon as the arms/hands/handle/putter move & importantly that lead shoulder moves through impact - and with all of that is an individual tempo that is pretty constant putt to putt - lower half of body is rock still with heads that are pretty much virtually rock still


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## Albanach (Mar 19, 2017)

Thanks for the advice!


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## matt611 (Apr 12, 2017)

Following on from this - I get a sore inside right elbow when putting.  Any thoughts?


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