Shockingly, I went from a 2-handicap to an 8 within two years despite feeling like I was hitting the ball better than ever. Thankfully, I am somewhat on the way back and I credit that all to moving to a claw-style putting grip.
I still remember how my experience with the putting yips started. I'd always been a confident putter, but I had a 4-footer on the 3rd hole at my club with a tiny bit of left-to-right in it and completely yanked the putt left as I was worried about pushing it. That took me aback and before I knew it I had started doing it again and again. And I couldn't stop.
I was fairly scared of the short putts, as I’d always been to be honest, but really began noticing the yips affect my game on my birdie chances from 8-15ft. I knew what the putt would do, but for some unbeknown reason just could not start the ball on my intended line. I could literally feel myself yipping these putts, and it led to my scores going from around 75-78 up to 85 and beyond.
It leaked into my short game, too, as I felt pressure to hit my chips to gimme range as deep down I knew that getting up and down was becoming harder and harder.
I started toying with technique and my stroke, drawing a line on my ball and changing my grip almost on a hole-to-hole basis to try and find something that worked. One competition round, I didn’t even bother bringing my putter with me onto the 16th green and opted for a bladed wedge as I had no confidence in holing my putt with my flat-stick.
Time for a change
I missed a four-footer to lose an important match late last year that I was desperately hoping to hole, but deep down knew that I had no idea if I could actually hit my start line.
I’ve traditionally been a left-hand-low putter for most of my golfing life, but I was switching between that and orthodox reverse overlap in most of my rounds before I had to accept that nothing was going to work.
It was time to do something I always said I wasn’t going to do and go to the claw grip.
For years I’ve seen pros use the claw, or pencil, grip, but it isn’t seen very often at club level. I thought it was somewhat of an embarrassment and a sign to all your fellow golfers that you’ve reached last resort. In truth, I had. I'd even gone on record to one of my friends saying I'd never do it.
I actually switched to it mid-round in a roll-up and started to see the ball going in the hole. Since then, I have stuck to it. I seem to remember Branden Grace talking about how he didn’t necessarily love the look of the claw but wouldn’t stop holing putts when he tried it, so was forced into the change. That was similar for me.
Now a good eight to ten rounds later I can't imagine ever not using it.
A number of golfers use similar grips to very good effect, too, so perhaps it shouldn’t be as frowned upon as it once was. Collin Morikawa has just had an excellent season, as has Sergio Garcia.
Justin Rose’s putting transformed after going to the claw, as well as his Axis1 model, and while Tommy Fleetwood isn’t necessarily known for being a great putter, he had a positive strokes gained record this past PGA Tour season and currently ranks inside the world's top 10.
The proof is in the pudding
Since I've gone to it, my scoring has dramatically improved. I use Arccos to track my game and I was losing strokes vs a 7-handicap almost every single round on the greens, usually three-putting around four or five times each time I played. I was also averaging anywhere from 37 to 40 putts, bearing in mind that 7-handicappers take 32.6 per round.
In my last two rounds, I’ve had just one three-putt and my putting has been the strongest area of my game. Over the course of my last four consecutive rounds, I’ve gained strokes on the green vs a 7-handicapper.
Two rounds ago I gained a massive four strokes vs a 7-handicapper, which is the best I’ve performed on the greens since I started tracking my game in March. Back then, I was regularly losing four strokes on the greens vs a golfer of the same ability.
When I watch golfers who don’t use the claw grip now, I simply can’t fathom how on earth they manage to hole putts, and my playing partners have noticed that I am suddenly now able to hole putts again.
I can’t say I’m putting better than I ever have, but the claw grip has allowed me to look at putting like a normal golfer again - where I can imagine holing a putt instead of knowing deep down that I have no chance.
It used to be a real strength of mine and contributed to me getting down to an all-time low of 1.7, and I feel like I’m now on my way to at least getting back down to a 4 or 5 index in the next year.
My last six rounds all count in the best eight of 20 and I have to put it almost all down to changing my grip.
If you are really struggling with your putting and have never tried it, I can’t recommend it enough.
