How to grip your putter using claw
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To grip your putter using the claw, start with your normal grip (left-hand photo), then “hang” your trail arm off the handle. At right, the web between the thumb and index finger of the right hand touches the handle just below the left hand and the right wrist is cupped. The goal is to retain this cup throughout the putt. Note how the palm of the right hand points at the ground in order to seal in the wrist angle. To make sure he has the correct path, our model practices with two tees to create a gate, then he pushes his right hand through the gate.
By T.J. Tomasi
The claw is an unorthodox grip that an ever growing number of players on the PGA Tour use to cure their putting woes. And now that the rules make it illegal to anchor the putter to your body, the claw and its offspring are even more popular.
There are many variations of the claw, but this is the "normal" version:
First, hold the handle using a standard grip. Then let go with your right hand and let your right arm hang naturally by your side with the fingers pointing toward the ground. Stretch your right thumb out so that the webbed area between the thumb and the forefinger is taut and each finger on the right hand is extended.
Next, slide the right hand toward the target until the web gently touches the handle of the putter below your standard left-hand grip. Keep some bend in your right elbow and the fingers in your right hand extended.
To be a good putter, you need to get both the distance and direction right. In the photos below, our model handles the direction by sealing the cup of his right wrist so that it and the clubface are one ― every place the right hand goes, the clubface goes.
While it takes a bit of practice to get used to this unusual-looking putting technique, it is well worth the time and effort, especially if you play the majority of your golf on fast greens.
Dr. T.J. Tomasi is a teaching professional in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Visit his website at tomasigolf.com.