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Date: 27 Mar 2007 21:34:17
From: John van der Pflum
Subject: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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After reading your post about this, Randy, and your comment on people
who putt with their index finger down the shaft (like me) I decided to
try your reverse overlap grip suggestion.
Initial results have been excellent. Putts are much better struck and
the grip and motion feels a lot more solid. The hardest part has been
trying to get out of the habit of the old grip!
Thanks.
--
jvdp
RSG Cincinnati July 13-15, 2007
http://www.rsgcincinnati.com
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Date: 29 Mar 2007 13:03:08
From: cja
Subject: Re: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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Randy - have you read Stan Utley's book, "The Art of Putting"?. I've
just about finished it, and I think it's excellent. His technique
isn't too far off what I was already trying to do, but the subtle
changes are enough that I can feel the difference.
The results so far have been good, but it's still early in the season.
Utley is the anti-Pelz, and I'm a new disciple. Since you are
evidently a knowledgeable and effective wielder of the flatstick, I'd
be interested to hear what you think of Utley.
- cja
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Date: 30 Mar 2007 02:11:23
From: \R&B\
Subject: Re: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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"cja" <cja@excite.com > wrote ...
> Randy - have you read Stan Utley's book, "The Art of Putting"?. I've
> just about finished it, and I think it's excellent. His technique
> isn't too far off what I was already trying to do, but the subtle
> changes are enough that I can feel the difference.
>
> The results so far have been good, but it's still early in the season.
> Utley is the anti-Pelz, and I'm a new disciple. Since you are
> evidently a knowledgeable and effective wielder of the flatstick, I'd
> be interested to hear what you think of Utley.
>
> - cja
I haven't read his book or any of his writings (if they've appeared in any
publications). So I won't opine about what he has to say.
But I can tell you that Stan Utley is considered one of the putting gurus by
several pros on TOUR.
Funny, but I don't recall him being an exceptional putter when he was
playing on TOUR regularly. But maybe I missed it. It's not like his name
was on the front page of many leaderboards. That's not an indictment of his
credibility as a teacher of the artof putting; only a reason why I don't
recall much about his stats.
Randy
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Date: 28 Mar 2007 12:25:16
From: \R&B\
Subject: Re: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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"John van der Pflum" <nowhammymyspammy@bite.org > wrote ...
>
> After reading your post about this, Randy, and your comment on people
> who putt with their index finger down the shaft (like me) I decided to
> try your reverse overlap grip suggestion.
It's not *my* reverse overlap grip. It's the grip used by darn near every
professional golfer in the world, except for those few who are psychotic and
have to resort to some form of unconventional grip, like cross-handed, the
claw or some Langer-esque contortionist's grip.
> Initial results have been excellent. Putts are much better struck and
> the grip and motion feels a lot more solid. The hardest part has been
> trying to get out of the habit of the old grip!
I'm not surprised that you're getting better results. And yes, it will feel
awkward for a while, just like it felt awkward as a child when you stopped
crawling and started walking. Anything new always feels a little awkward
until you get used to it.
The reason most pros use the reverse overlap grip when putting (instead of
their normal grip -- Vardon or interlocking) is that it puts the left wrist
in a stronger position, thereby allowing it to resist breakdown somewhat.
The more unconventional grips like crosshanded and the claw only take that
same concept to the nth degree by placing the hands on the club completely
differently. But the more conventional reverse overlap can achieve much the
same thing.
With the left index finger laying on top of the right fingers (which is
reversed from how you have it in a Vardon or interlocking grip, hence the
name "reverse overlap") you put the left wrist in a somewhat more dominant
position, more prone to resisting breakdown during the through stroke.
Personally, I find that it also has the added benefit (and a huge one at
that) of placing the left hand in a position where it can sort of "push
back" the entire putting apparatus (hands, wrists, forearms) to initated the
backswing in the putting stroke.
Your old method of having the right index finger point down the shaft does
exactly the opposite. It puts the right hand firmly in control of the
stroke, something that 99.999 percent of all professional golfers do
everything they can to AVOID, even going to the extreme of using those
unconventional methods. They're all about getting the right hand out of the
stroke.
There are two ways to do the reverse overlap, and they both work well. It's
really a matter of personal choice. Either the left index finger points
straight down (laying on top of the right hand's knuckles, pointing more or
less down the shaft), or the left index finger lays on top, but relaxes and
bands to rest in the crease between either the ring and pinkie or ring and
middle fingers of the right hand. I much prefer the
left-finger-straight-down grip, as it tends to restrict left wrist breakdown
a little more, thereby firming up the feel of the wrists just a little (I
can still hinge them by simply relaxing the grip a little). But the more
common method is the laying of the left index finger between the creases of
two of the right hand's fingers (Tiger, Jack, and many others do it this
way), but I find that it allows for somewhat more freedom of motion of the
wrists, which, for me, doesn't work quite as predictably.
You're welcome. Stay with it. Once you get used to it (and it won't take
long), and start noticing that this is how almost all the pros putt, you'll
wonder why you didn't discover it sooner.
Randy
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Date: 27 Mar 2007 18:43:46
From: Dene
Subject: Re: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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On 27, 5:34 pm, John van der Pflum <nowhammymyspa...@bite.org >
wrote:
> After reading your post about this, Randy, and your comment on people
> who putt with their index finger down the shaft (like me) I decided to
> try your reverse overlap grip suggestion.
>
> Initial results have been excellent. Putts are much better struck and
> the grip and motion feels a lot more solid. The hardest part has been
> trying to get out of the habit of the old grip!
>
> Thanks.
> --
>
> jvdp
> RSG Cincinnati July 13-15, 2007http://www.rsgcincinnati.com
Do you put your left index finger down the shaft?
-Greg
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Date: 27 Mar 2007 22:04:08
From: John van der Pflum
Subject: Re: Reverse overlap putting grip (Thanks, Randy)
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On 27 2007 18:43:46 -0700, "Dene" <gdstrue@aol.com > wrote:
>On 27, 5:34 pm, John van der Pflum <nowhammymyspa...@bite.org>
>wrote:
>> After reading your post about this, Randy, and your comment on people
>> who putt with their index finger down the shaft (like me) I decided to
>> try your reverse overlap grip suggestion.
>>
>> Initial results have been excellent. Putts are much better struck and
>> the grip and motion feels a lot more solid. The hardest part has been
>> trying to get out of the habit of the old grip!
>>
>> Thanks.
>> --
>>
>> jvdp
>> RSG Cincinnati July 13-15, 2007http://www.rsgcincinnati.com
>
>Do you put your left index finger down the shaft?
>
>-Greg
Nope.
It's not a left hand low grip. It where the fingers of the left hand
overlap the fingers of the right hand -- opposite to the Vardon grip.
--
jvdp
RSG Cincinnati July 13-15, 2007
http://www.rsgcincinnati.com
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