• Las Vegas Golf

No matter what length the putt, and no matter if you’re a "wrist" or an "arm" putter, the blade of the club should never pass your left hand in the down stroke or follow through. The left hand is the key to good putting, just as it is to good striking of the ball on hitting shots. This is why I use a reverse overlapping finger and hand position in putting. With this hold the index finger of the left hand rides on top of the crevice formed by the second and third fingers of the right hand. You might want to ride it over the pinkie and third finger. Some people run the index finger across all the fingers of the right hand. There are many variations, but all are essentially the same and are designed to set up a stronger left hand that will allow it to be a better guide.

Now, you ask, why not use the same reverse overlap for the hitting shots? After all, you want the left hand to be the guide for all shots you play. You might do this, but because when hitting irons or woods there are naturally more and greater forces involved than reduce the possibilities of a sway. I don’t. I think the weight should be evenly distributed along your feet. In putting particularly, because there is not much, or any, body movement involved that could cause a sway. I believe that in putting, if you are going to go in any direction as regards weight distribution in the stance, it should be forward. This can help you get your eyes and head properly over the ball. But again, an even weight distribution is probably the most effective.

The Stroke

Whenever you let the blade of the putter pass your left hand you’re putting a false roll on the ball. You’ve used too much right hand and the ball jumps off the club head instead of beginning its forward progress on the ground-hugging the turf. Furthermore, I don’t believe the putter blade should go too far past contact. Most people don’t do this, because it is sort of unnatural, so it shouldn’t be of much concern.

The thing to remember about putting is that it is not a power shot. Power is not a factor as we generally conceive it. The momentum of the swinging club head can be enough to get the ball rolling for the short putts, and when you have one from fifteen feet or more you just accelerate the club head a little more with the left hand. Power is a right-hand business (for right-handed golfers). But in putting, the right hand more or less follows after the left and, above all else, provides club control and balance.

Line and Touch is all in Putting

The overall putting stroke I use is a kind of tap. It is not long and sweeping. It is relatively short both back and through. I think it is a better stroke under pressure, because the more the blade moves in distance the more chance it has to waver and move out of the desired swing plane. The tap stroke also gets the ball started well over the grass, particularly on bumpy greens.

It often appears that I close the blade of my putter when I take it back from the ball. I think this is more of an optical illusion than anything else. Actually, the blade is quite square. I’ve checked it often. I think what happens is, so many people see so many putting strokes in which the blade goes back farther than mine, and does open a little, that when they see my shorter tap stroke they think the blade is shut. The blade will open in any kind of stroke, however, if in putting, especially from the right hand, with the reverse overlap the left hand will be too susceptible to turning over. It gets overpowered.

Some people will use the reverse overlapping hold for chipping, which is also mainly a touch, not a power shot, and I don’t see anything wrong with it. I don’t myself, but that doesn’t mean it is not right for you. If it works.

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