Golf Tips: Putt Left-Hand Low?

MOST (RIGHT-HANDED) GOLFERS START OUT PUTTING WITH THEIR RIGHT HAND BELOW THEIR LEFT ON THE SHAFT.

It’s only natural since that’s the way right-handed golfers grip the other clubs in their bag. According to short-game guru Dave Pelz, that putter grip can actually cause missed putts for many golfers. Those golfers should consider the left-hand low method to help them putt more consistently.

According to Pelz, positioning your dominant hand low on the putter grip can cause problems. He explains that, in putting, the low hand is the power hand – it dictates the action when you putt. For some the right hand can becomes too dominant, flicking the putter head through impact or shutting the face, or both. The result is missed putts that should be made.

He goes on to explain that the right-hand low grip tends to drop the right shoulder significantly below the left at address. Tilted shoulders work well with a driver, that setup helps you create an upward strike promoting ideal launch conditions. With your putter, tilted shoulders can cause a jabbing action with an inability to follow through instead of a smooth stroke.

If you miss too many putts you think you should make, or you tend to jab at the ball when putting, moving your left hand low may be the answer. You dominant hand no longer overpowers your putting stroke. What’s more, your shoulders tend to be more level at address which can help promote a more pendulum stroke that’s smoother. Your right hand has the freedom to extend the putter down the line which can help with speed control, too.

Pros on every tour use this putting grip. Jordan Spieth has had a pretty good year putting left-hand low. If you’re not happy with your putting, give it a try and give it some time. If left-hand low doesn’t produce the desired results, you can always go back to a conventional grip. But for some golfers the improvement in their putting is dramatic once they try the left-hand low grip.