Palm Springs Golf Schools Putting Grip (Palm of the Hand)

This video is the first in a three part segment on the Palm Springs Golf Schools putting grip series. This section and video covers the the placement of the hands on the putter and why to place it in the palm of the hand. .  View “putting grip 2” video that covers how and why to use a neutral hand position and “putting grip 3” covering the dual overlap grip and tying the hands together.  Come to one of our Palm Springs golf schools to learn more.

The putter grip is place correctly in the palm of the hand.

Why place the putter grip in the palm of the hand?

At our golf schools in Palm Springs when I have a student that is either a beginner or one that needs to improve their putting the first thing I look at is the grip.  The grip is the only part of the hand this touching the club and the placement of the hands on the putter grip will effect both putting set-up and the putting stroke.

The first thing I want to see in the putting grip is the grip being placed in the palm of the hand rather than under the bottom of the hand.  This simple change allows the shaft to act as an extension of the forearms.  This extension creates one long plane extending from the putter head to the connection point on the body.  If the grip is placed under the bottom of the hand (as we  would in the full swing) then two planes are created making the stroke more complex than it needs to be.

The putter grip is placed incorrectly under the bottom of the hand

The green line shows where the left edge flat top of the grip should be placed in the palm.

How to  place the putter grip in the palm of the hand.

When we teach the grip at our Palm Springs Golf Schools the left hand is starting point when placing the putter grip in the palm of your hand.  Take look at your hand with your palm of your hand facing you.  The bottom of your hand is facing the floor and your thumbnail is facing the sky.  Directly below your thumb is a large muscle or pad.  Now take your putter and with the the flat part of the putter grip facing the sky place it directly under the large pad under your thumb.  There is crease in your palm where this pad meet the muscle or pad on the bottom of your hand.  This crease is where we want the left edge of the putter grip to sit.  It should fit comfortable in the crease.  With your right hand mirror what your did with your left.  The grip is now placed in the palm of your hand correctly.

This grip  position is used by virtually all PGA and LPGA professional as well as top amateurs.   Go to the “Putting Grip 2” section to continue learning the correct putting grip from our Palm Springs Golf Schools video Putting Series.