The "Claw"!

[Sluggo42]

Or the pencil or whatever.

It seems like pro after pro is switching to something other than the traditional putting grip.

 

Why?

[THEZIPR23]

The art is gone, art of the swing is gone, it's just rip it chase it and rip it again. The art of putting is gone, yardage books, green grids etc. IMHO the "feel" of the modern golfer is gone. With the style that has taken over you lose that aspect. I believe that this is what has caused all the new grips in putting. I could be wrong but I haven't seen any data that confirms that the "claw" or other variations are better that the traditional grip.

 

All that being said, I too have fallen victim to the rip it and chase it style of play, but then again, I have always played this way. But my grip for putting has been the same for over 15 years. 

 

Of course, one could argue that all the tour golfers are in fact golfers and they see something working for someone else and think I might have to try that...

[PlaidJacket]

I'm a pretty traditional guy but I don't care how you hold a putter as long as it's legal. Same with the actual grip. I play with a guy that's been putting Claw forever it seems and he's good with it. I grip all my clubs 10 finger as it's commonly referred to. Made the switch several years ago and it was a game changer for me. I don't agree with or like the topographic survey books the pros use on the greens. That's BS IMO. I once witnessed a guy on the old Ben Hogan Tour playing cross handed.!! Apparently it didn't work out so well for him as he never moved up and eventually faded completely. But again... if it's legal go for it.

I do get bored watching the Pros play driver wedge all day. If I was in charge of the world I'd make the tour courses longer, narrow the fairways, increase the grass height on the fairways, corn-row the bunkers and keep the rough tall. When was the last time you saw a tour pro hit a 5i? Except on a 250 yd. par three I mean.

[GB13]

Well, I putt left hand low, with a Rickie Fowler like stroke. Looser grip with a little wrist break and a little forward press. Not textbook, I know, but I had 25 putts today and didn't miss inside 8 feet so I am okay with "not textbook". Left hand low gets my shoulders more level so I can release the club head better. The claw is supposed to take you wrists out of the stroke and help stabilize the club face. I think you need to find something that works for you and if that is an unconventional putting grip then that is what you should putt with.

[PING Apologist #9]

Or the pencil or whatever.

It seems like pro after pro is switching to something other than the traditional putting grip.

 

Why?

Dunno... But I bet a lot of it has to do with mob mentality. If someone finds some new "magic" technique and they win or show vast improvement quickly, their peers & fellow competitors will almost always try it to see if they can gain the same advantage IMHO. We saw this a lot when I was in competitive shooting. An example would be if a shooter was using "x" bullet with "y" amount of "z" brand powder and won the match with it, he "must" have some trick I don't, so why not try it. Same for gear. Success sells, simple as that.

 

I too have copied a new putter grip I saw many pros using earlier this year, and I'm really liking the "left-hand-down" grip. Not sure if that was just a fad, but it sure feels more natural to me on my PP62 grip than my standard interlock grip I always used for every club. Oh and I used to copy Rod Carew's swing back in the day too...

[fixyurdivot]

 When was the last time you saw a tour pro hit a 5i? Except on a 250 yd. par three I mean.

 

Rarely.  I like the long par 3 being played this week at The BMW.  Seeing some 4i's coming out of semi retirement. Perhaps in addition to some tougher hazards you describe around the new average fairway landing zones, more challenging par 3's should be added.

 

As for the "claw", I think its success is due to it being more a natural alignment path and minimizing the tendency to push or pull the putt.  I've tried it a few times on the practice green and it just feels goofy to me.  My putting has never been a consistent weak point so I've never really considered a wholesale change to that part of my game.  Reading putts better is what I've been working on.

[Peanut05]

I actually switched to the claw a year or so ago.  I had gotten to the point where I didn't feel comfortable over any putt (actually had about a 2 foot birdie putt on a par 3 at my home course during one skins game that I honestly had no idea if I would make it or not).  Before my next round, I was screwing around on the practice green with the claw grip and it actually felt really good.  Used it during that round of golf and make 5 birdies and won almost $100 and have never went back to the traditional grip. I still putt pretty well with it and have a lot more confidence in hitting my line. 

[Angry Yeti]

This is my reaction every time someone I golf with brings up the claw grip.

 

 

 

 

"There's more than one way to skin a cat" is most true in golf on the green. I've seen people trying the claw have great success on the green and I've seen it destroy a few rounds. It's about what helps you be most consistent and keep control to ease the space between your ears.

 

As to why multiple pros are switching - sometimes switching to the "new" thing that someone else succeeded with helps your confidence, and in turn your performance under pressure. 

[perseveringgolfer]

I'm prone to missing 18" putts and not even hitting the hole 

 

Tried the claw for under 3 feet and in, and missed 2 in a row 

 

Now I've adopted snedekers 'pop' putts for under 3 feet with great results- less backswing so less margin for error, in my head, and I dont have to change my grip. 

[Sluggo42]

I think I'll toy with it today and see what happens, although that would be stupid.

But......