Putting Greens News & Blog

The Cross-Handed Grip

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006

Your putter grip is very different than the grip you would use with your irons. Traditionally with a putting grip, you would use your dominant hand to control speed and direction. The non-dominant hand is used to stabilize the dominant hand and the orientation of the putter blade. A right-handed golfer grips the putter with their right hand so that the thumb on the right hand is placed straight down the top surface of the putter grip. Then the golfer takes the left hand and uses it to stabilize the right hand and the putter. A common problem golfers face with this traditional-style grip is a break in the wrist through the stroke. To avoid this break in the wrist, there are other grips you might try. One in particular, is the cross-handed grip.

The cross-handed putting grip is generally the same set-up as a normal right-handed putting grip, just in reverse. Instead of placing your left hand at the top of the shaft, your right hand is placed at the top of the shaft, palm in, and thumb toward the bottom. Your left hand would then be placed below the right hand, stabilizing the left hand and controlling the orientation of the putter blade. This change in grip can offer better control throughout the stroke.

For beginners, the cross-handed putting stroke may not be the best grip. It encourages the putter to hit down on the ball and can be difficult to develop direction and feel. However, for more advanced players that are struggling with their putting, changing their grip to the cross-handed style might help their stroke. The cross-handed grip gets the shoulders more square and it provides a new look on the putt. Because putting is so mental, changing to the cross-handed grip could be just the difference needed for a golfer to attain better focus.