How to Experiment with Your Putting Grip and Stroke

If you want low scores on the golf course, you have to be able to putt well. It’s as simple as that. Even the best ball-striking in the world won’t result in good scores unless you are able to roll the ball into the hole with some consistency. Putting has been known to ruin more than a few good rounds, and many golfers have nearly driven themselves crazy trying to unlock the putting puzzle.

Experimenting with your putting grip and stroke in an effort to perform better on the greens is nothing new. Golfers have been doing this for decades, and there is no end in sight. However, there is a right and a wrong way to experiment with your putting grip and stroke. Doing it the wrong way can cause more harm than good and you might end up being a worse putter than when you started. If you are going to experiment with how you hold and swing the putter, follow these three golden rules:

  1. Never do it during a round of golf. No matter how frustrated you are with your putting during the round, stick with it until you are finished and you can head to the practice green to iron out the problems. By trying to make changes ‘on the fly’, you are giving up on yourself before you have a chance to turn it around. Trust yourself to use your regular grip and stroke, and make changes later on the practice green if you so choose.
  2. Try a new stroke for more than a day. The worst thing you can do is try a new grip or stroke each and every time you come to the course. By doing this, you will never be able to get comfortable or confident with any of them, and you will forever be searching for ‘the answer’. Once you pick a new grip or stroke-style to use, give it some practice and on-the-course time before you give up and move on to another method. Hopefully, you will be able to adapt after a few rounds and the new style will stick for the long run.
  3. Watch the pros. Turn on a golf tournament on TV and take note of what kind of grips and putting styles the best players in the world are using. If it is good enough to get them around the course, it might be worth your time to give it a shot.
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