Putting Grip Awareness

As winter has made its arrival in Minnesota, and my move to a warmer climate has been postponed, I've been practicing and experimenting with the putter on the living room rug, 30 - 45 minutes a day, is all, to keep the touch.

I've been putting crosshanded for 30+ years and I'm comfortable with the left hand low style. There have been good and bad putting days, of course, but overall I'm satisfied and would never use right hand low again. The yips that preceded the left hand low change over im-mediately disappeared and are 99% gone to this day. Other than reversing the hands vertically on the shaft, grip positions are exactly like my standard right hand low grip style of years earlier. 

The left hand grip position on the set of 2 pictures on the left is a replica of my right hand low days. The shaft is tucked under the heel pad ensuring the last three fingers kept a firm left side ahead of the right coming into the ball. For me my right hand was becoming too active and the left hand weaker. Other pros kept telling me to "...firm it up, grip harder with the last three fingers". But this was awkward. 

So I changed to left hand low but kept the old left hand grip.

30+ years ago.

I recently remembered advice I had heard or read somewhere years ago that the shaft should embed in the lifeline thereby aligning the shaft more inline with the forearm (right). A couple putts was all I needed to feel Square and Path like never before. Balls are struck more solidly and the sound of solid contact is great! And it seems very repeatable, simple; the club is literally locked in. And I don't get the feeling that I have to watch the club so much during the stroke. 

This is a huge change.

My putter: RayCook M1-X

Phil