Putt for dough 💵

A high definition picture of Tiger Wood’s putter has been floating around the web this week. The ‘Elder wand’ is wondrous to behold, with deep gouges and that precise wear mark dead center on the face. Makes me want to stroke some balls right now.

40% of the average golfers strokes are made on the putting green. 

USGA statistics states the average male golfer shoots a 98-99 and has at least 40 putts per round or 2.2 putts per hole. Most recreational amateur golfers are well above this number while professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round.

I notice the majority of amateurs on their lunch break banging drivers and long irons as far as they can when they can get some reps in. Why? because it’s fun as hell to watch that max spin yellow range ball hit the fence.

I would by no means call myself any kind of expert with rolling it pure on the greens, but I’ve always been obsessed with putting. Studying the games greats and trying to emulate pre-shot routines.

Remember Camilo Villegas crawling down in all white reading putts in his ‘Spiderman’ pose?

Sometimes putting can come natural. I knew a buddy who’s first time playing since his Pop-Pop took him out that was draining everything with a spray and pray stroke. Goofy, but effective.

Others can’t putt for shit and they mind-fuck themselves with golf magazine articles or gadgets. If I have to watch one more donkey use aim point on a 3-footer, I’m going lose it.

I know most of us have tried a lot ourselves, so I’d love to hear what grip is working for you these days. I’ve added a poll that we’ll be posting the results from this next week on our Instagram.

First, let’s talk about stroking balls.

The Grip

Trad Man 👨‍🦰

For the guys who orders the same thing at Chili’s and only fuck with the lights on. It just works for them. Leave the glove on, who cares! Keep the same grip your club pro taught you in 3rd grade.

Advantages: It provides a balanced and natural feel, making it the most commonly used grip among golfers.

Cross-hand 🫰

Left-hand-low can bust a guy out of a slump like a bloop single or a pigeon goal in hockey can. For the wristy stroker this grip helps maintain a solid pendulum with a stiff lead arm.

Advantages: It helps to level out the shoulders and can improve stroke consistency by minimizing wrist action.

Reverse overlap 🤌

Tiger’s grip and my personal go-to. For right handed players, your left hand (top) index finger overlaps the pinky on the right hand (bottom). Start hitting more holes just like the man himself.

Advantages: Helps maintain a more lead hand putting stroke that is repeatable and similar to a traditional balanced natural feel.

Lobstah 🦞

The claw grip separates the functions of the two hands, with the left hand (for righties) gripping the putter normally and the right hand adopting a position akin to holding a pencil. This grip varies significantly among golfers in terms of exact hand placement.

Advantages: It reduces wrist action and can help golfers struggling with putting consistency.

Prayer hands 🙏

Spray and pray. Both hands are positioned opposite each other directly on the putter grip, palms facing each other as if in prayer.

Advantages: This grip promotes symmetry and even pressure from both hands, leading to a smoother stroke.

Arm lock 🔒

This seems to be what a lot of long shafted mallet players go with when I see it. The putter grip sits up against the inside of the leading forearm (left arm for right-handers), essentially locking the putter to the arm to create a single unit. This guy has no feel. Banish them.

Advantages: It stabilizes the wrists and arms during the stroke, offering a very consistent putting motion.

Inbetweeners 🌭

Gave Jim Furyks double overlap a try once. Think a trad grip but he had his third and fourth fingers overlapping his top left hand. It does take out some of the right hand overpowering the club face but it feel as unnatural as drinking laying down. Gets the job done but you won’t do it again if you don’t have to.

We’d love to hear what our community is working with.

The Stroke’s the Word

So many ways to stroke balls. It’s key in bringing consistency to scoring.

Straight Back, Straight Through (SBST)

Many teaching professionals advocate for a SBST approach, where the putter head moves directly back along the target line and then directly through along the same line. This method aims to minimize side spin and maintain the ball's true roll.

Arc Stroke

Some golfers naturally have an arc in their stroke, where the putter head moves slightly inside the target line on the backswing and then back inside on the follow-through. This stroke type can still produce consistent putts if executed with a square putter face at impact. Jordan Spieth is a good example.

Consistent Follow-Through

Since everyone else is stroking Tiger this week, so I will too. He said the key to a great putt is keeping your head absolutely still and holding the finish. A good rule of thumb is for the follow-through to be slightly longer than the backswing, ensuring positive acceleration through the ball.

Forward Press

Good ol’ Phil fucked up so many amateurs. Rolling the hands forward to create the correct degree of loft to create a proper forward roll. It can be deadly if perfected, but disastrous to an average player’s consistency.

Old School stabbers

Watching old highlights of Jackie boy dipping his little golden bear balls into holes does something to you. These old players played on greens slower than modern day tee boxes. Adding a bit of backspin with a shortened stab down at the ball helped them stop it on a dime and roll at the cup for the final revolutions. I use this for really long putts sometimes.

Deaden downhillers with the toe

Another trick players from the past like Sam Snead talked about that Tiger is still doing is hitting putts off the toe when putting downhill to deaden the ball. Will Zalatoris might have more tricks up his size XS sleeves than we thought. Watch his ‘Zorro’ stroke from short distances and watch where it strikes the face.

Drills to help you drill more putts

Coin drill 🪙

Put a coin or ball marker on the back or top of your putter. The coin should not fall off until you make a move at the ball. If the coin falls off, your take away is too jerky.

Another method is to place a coin or ball marker short at the heart of the jar. Objective is to roll it right over the coin. Aim small, miss small.

Gate drill 🚧

Take a couple of tees and place them as a small gate where the ball enters the hole. You can add more gates for sliders too.

Get it to the Bucket 🪣

If you’re struggling with distance control on longer putts, put a bigger target around the hole. Objective is to get within 2 feet or an automatic two putt. I use powdered chalk to make a circle around the cup.

Chalk reel ✍️

Find a three to five footer that is dead straight on the practice green. Take a a chalk reel and some powdered chalk and snap a line from your mark and see if you’re rolling the ball straight and pure.

Pro drills ⛳️

🐅 Tiger does his own gate drill where he puts his putter head at address about 3 feet from the hole. He will marks he edges of the toe and heel with tees. See if you can square the face at impact without touching the gates. It’s kind of a fun game of golf Operation.

🎲 Phil’s gauntlet takes three balls at three feet from a marked spot with a tee. Make three in a row, move onto five feet. Make three from there, move to ten feet. See how far you can get. If you miss once you have to start over. Talk about a gamble.

🎰 Another one from Phil is taking your putter head and setting it in the cup, then drop a ball about one foot from the end of the grip. Rotate the grip end about two feet and drop another. Repeat until you’ve surrounded the cup. Make every putt.

Best putting stokes of all time 

Tiger Woods: Known for his clutch putting under pressure, Tiger Woods has consistently demonstrated incredible skill on the greens throughout his career, contributing significantly to his 15 major championships. Missing just three of 1,543 putts from inside of three feet from 2002 and 2005. A miss rate of 0.00194%. Madness.

Jack Nicklaus: The Golden Bear, with his 18 major titles, was not only a master of the long game but also exceptionally skilled with the putter, a critical component of his success on the golf course.

Ben Crenshaw: Often referred to as one of the greatest putters in golf history, Crenshaw's touch on the greens was almost unmatched, helping him to secure two Masters titles among numerous other victories.

Bobby Locke: The South African golfer was known for his unorthodox but highly effective putting technique, which played a significant role in his four British Open victories and numerous wins worldwide.

Tom Watson: With eight major championships to his name, Watson was known for his remarkable ability to sink putts from all distances, a skill that often gave him an edge over his competitors. Ask Jack how well Tommy could putt.

Jordan Spieth: Although one of the younger players on this list, Spieth has already demonstrated exceptional putting ability, especially in his 2015 season, where his prowess on the greens was a significant factor in his multiple major wins. I really miss when he’d get up to short putts and drain them without hesitation.

Brad Faxon: Regarded by many of his peers as one of the best putters ever, Faxon's skills on the greens have been highlighted throughout his career, including leading the PGA Tour in putting statistics multiple times.

Billy Casper: With 51 PGA Tour wins, including three majors, Casper was known for his exceptional short game, particularly his putting, which was a crucial element of his success.

Seve Ballesteros: The charismatic Spaniard was not only famous for his imaginative play but also for his exceptional skills on the green, contributing significantly to his five major championships and numerous European Tour victories.

Honorable Mentions: Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Sam Snead, and Jon Rahm

There is nothing worse than getting on the green in under regulation and three jacking. Then again not many things are better than shanking a drive on a par five and somehow drilling a long birdie from downtown.

Sometimes it’s the inches between the ears that make a great putter.

I’m going to go drip a few into the jar on the rug. Keep on rolling em’ pure you beauties.

Your boy,

Rex