Putting Techniques

Putting techniques can vary in the grip style, stance, and type of putting stroke. The most common putting grip is the reverse overlap. See my page on the Putting Grip to review the basics of a good grip. Some golf pros use the claw grip. This is an unorthodox grip that some golfers try when they have been struggling with their putting game. The purpose of using this grip is to eliminate unwanted hand action in your stroke. You do not want your hands to be involved much at all in your putting stroke.

The putting setup technique can vary with the width of a golfer's stance. Some pros prefer having a wider stance because this acts as a solid base and gives more stability. I recommend a putting stance that is about shoulder width apart, but slightly wider or narrower can be okay if you are more comfortable with it.

As far as the actual putting stroke goes, some players have a long and smooth putting stroke while others have a shorter and tighter stroke. An example of a tour player with a longer stroke is David Toms. If you ever watch him putt, you'll notice his stroke helps him with his longer distance putts. He may occasionally miss a shorter length putt though. The longer more free flowing putting stroke seems to work better for lag putting. Having a nice combination of the two types of strokes is probably the best if you want to be a good lag putter but also be solid with your shorter length putts.

As long as you review the keys elements of a fundamental Putting Stroke you'll be on your way to putting better and become more consistent on the greens.

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