Cross Handed Putting

Wombatman · 10-12-2014 6:41pm #1

Trying this out at the moment and getting very good results. Will probably switch over for the first part of 2015. Good to see cross handed putters Danny Willett and Jordan Speith winning at the weekend.

Anybody on here tried\adopted cross handed putting?

Kingswood Rover · 10-12-2014 8:00pm

Never putted any other way, its the dogs and it never ceases to amaze me that when i pick up the putter and my hands know to go cack, have tried it the more orthodox way but it feels so alien. Go cack and you will never go back......cack is the same as crosshanded isnt it?

aster99 · 11-12-2014 9:09am

Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player both said if they were starting over again they would putt cross handed. They spoke about getting shoulders level etc

the lawman · 11-12-2014 10:18am

I was fully cack handed and changed to orthodox last year but I kept the cack hands for the putter. Tried the other way but just don't get the same control.

slave1 · 11-12-2014 10:28am

aster99 wrote: »

Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player both said if they were starting over again they would putt cross handed. They spoke about getting shoulders level etc

Yeah, Gary was raving about it when he popped into the Sky commentary box during the Nedbank last week

n2o · 11-12-2014 11:23am

aster99 wrote: »

Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player both said if they were starting over again they would putt cross handed. They spoke about getting shoulders level etc

I don't get the level shoulders argument. If your shoulders aren't level with one hand below the other, why would they be level with the other hand in the lower position? Surely the only way to have level shoulders is using a fat grip and having the position of both hands mirrored.

slave1 · 11-12-2014 12:57pm

n2o wrote: »

I don't get the level shoulders argument. If your shoulders aren't level with one hand below the other, why would they be level with the other hand in the lower position? Surely the only way to have level shoulders is using a fat grip and having the position of both hands mirrored.

try it out yourself

n2o · 11-12-2014 1:22pm

slave1 wrote: »

try it out yourself

I have done but never for more than a few strokes. Just didn't feel natural. I guess it's one of those things you'd need to commit to before being comfortable with it.

newport2 · 11-12-2014 3:52pm

n2o wrote: »

I don't get the level shoulders argument. If your shoulders aren't level with one hand below the other, why would they be level with the other hand in the lower position? Surely the only way to have level shoulders is using a fat grip and having the position of both hands mirrored.

It's due to the ball generally being forward in the putters stance, so it's closer to the arm that grips lower. If it was in the middle, then your point would hold true.

n2o · 11-12-2014 3:53pm

newport2 wrote: »

It's due to the ball generally being forward in the putters stance, so it's closer to the arm that grips lower. If it was in the middle, then your point would hold true.

That makes perfect sense. Cheers.

Senecio · 11-12-2014 3:58pm

I've tried it and found it works well for me on short putts. I just lack the distance control on long putts putting cross handed.

One thing I've wanted to try is moving to a left handed putter and putting cross handed (right hand low). I am very right hand dominant and this seems like a good idea to me to use my dominant hand to pull the putter through low rather than pushing.

Any lefties have a spare putter I can try with?

benny79 · 11-12-2014 4:08pm

aster99 wrote: »

Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player both said if they were starting over again they would putt cross handed. They spoke about getting shoulders level etc

I heard them the other nite too, so they have convinced me! as i'm always chopping and changing my putter grip, have been practising on my matt at home and has been good, yet to take it to the course but will next time out I will be. like everything these things take time to bed in...

yettie1701 · 11-12-2014 11:38pm

Ive never putted any other way other than a few putts on the practice green. It's just how I started and felt more natural to me. Putting is a very personal thing IMHO and each to their own. What ever gets the ball in the hole I suppose.

saintastic · 12-12-2014 9:16am

I'm pretty sure 7 of the top 10 in The Masters this year were putting left hand below right.

OffalyMedic · 28-02-2015 9:42am

My putting is an abysmal of late and seriously thinking of changing and going cack handed, even if its just for mental side of things and confidence. Any suggestions of videos or something with cack handed putting tips or should I just take out the putter hold it cack handed and putt for hours?

Has anyone one else been in my situation? Sick of pushing and pulling putts and just bit the bullet one day and changed? Glad ye changed or not?

G1032 · 28-02-2015 10:55am

I've not hit a golf ball for 18 months but I did play for 25 years or so before that.
In my early years my putting was excellent and I putted cack handed. For some unknown reason I switched to conventional grip and never putted as well again, apart from the odd good spell.
If/when I go back playing I'll definitely go back to putting cack handed from the off.

9to5 · 28-02-2015 11:09am

shaunac93 wrote: »

My putting is an abysmal of late and seriously thinking of changing and going cack handed, even if its just for mental side of things and confidence. Any suggestions of videos or something with cack handed putting tips or should I just take out the putter hold it cack handed and putt for hours?

Has anyone one else been in my situation? Sick of pushing and pulling putts and just bit the bullet one day and changed? Glad ye changed or not?

I went through the same problem. I tried everything and the only thing that worked was cross handed putting. Just work away at home. Doesn't take long to feel natural.

stockdam · 01-03-2015 12:57am

I went through a bad period where I missed a lot of short putts so I went to cross handed. It worked for short putts but I found that a traditional grip was better for the longer putts.

galwaylad14 · 01-03-2015 9:34am

stockdam wrote: »

I went through a bad period where I missed a lot of short putts so I went to cross handed. It worked for short putts but I found that a traditional grip was better for the longer putts.

Nick Faldo said if he was starting his career again he'd putt cross handed for everything inside about 20 feet or so and conventional for everything outside it.

Personally I putt with the ball just a fraction behind the middle of my stance so putting conventional makes sense for me in terms of the shoulders level argument.

PARlance · 01-03-2015 10:07am

galwaylad14 wrote: »

Nick Faldo said if he was starting his career again he'd putt cross handed for everything inside about 20 feet or so and conventional for everything outside it.

Personally I putt with the ball just a fraction behind the middle of my stance so putting conventional makes sense for me in terms of the shoulders level argument.

Wasn't watching golf when Faldo was around but wasn't he one of the best putters around? If that's the case then telling people he'd have done it differently, without knowing the results, is a bit daft imo.

Sometime's the people that can do things struggle to explain how to do things. It wouldn't be the first time with Faldo.

I watched him explaining how to hit a draw on the US coverage last year.... Aim out right and make sure the face is closed... That may have been the teaching decades ago but it has been long since rubbished.

galwaylad14 · 01-03-2015 10:06pm

PARlance wrote: »

Wasn't watching golf when Faldo was around but wasn't he one of the best putters around? If that's the case then telling people he'd have done it differently, without knowing the results, is a bit daft imo.

Sometime's the people that can do things struggle to explain how to do things. It wouldn't be the first time with Faldo.

I watched him explaining how to hit a draw on the US coverage last year.... Aim out right and make sure the face is closed... That may have been the teaching decades ago but it has been long since rubbished.

Well to be honest I can't remember him playing either but I read his book (very good read actually, his practice schedule was just insane) but he mentions that towards the end of his book.

He was a great putter by all accounts but I think I'm right in saying that in later years when he was semi retired he switched to the cross handed method (or at least at the time of writing that book he had) and he felt that it made him a better putter then than he was when he was in his prime.

Although to be fair it's still comparing apples with oranges as by the time he switched it was when he was no longer competing at the top level and thus wasn't putting in nearly as high pressurised situations

BigChap1759 · 02-03-2015 10:21am

shaunac93 wrote: »

My putting is an abysmal of late and seriously thinking of changing and going cack handed, even if its just for mental side of things and confidence. Any suggestions of videos or something with cack handed putting tips or should I just take out the putter hold it cack handed and putt for hours?

Has anyone one else been in my situation? Sick of pushing and pulling putts and just bit the bullet one day and changed? Glad ye changed or not?

Have you tried one of the Superstroke grips? It improved my putting over night.

benny79 · 02-03-2015 12:08pm

I changed recently Shauna and my putting has much improved! normally when Im putting bad I was just buying a new putter

so decided against this bought a fat grip and changed to crossed handed.

My only advise would be to lock 2 hands together so its 1 unit, and a bit of practice. It feels weird putting the normally way now and I only changed a couple of months ago.

benny79 · 02-03-2015 12:13pm

It was Gary Player who said if he was starting again he change to cross handed he said he while commentating a couple of months back while Jordan Spieth was putting & convinced me to change

whitefoot · 02-03-2015 9:32pm

Padraig Harrington wins today at The Honda Classic using a Cack Handed grip which is Left Hand Low.

OffalyMedic · 02-03-2015 9:45pm

Ye have all convinced me to change

But most of all the main man Padraig

not sure bout fat grip just yet. will try cack handed on regular grip first and if still no improvement i'll invest in superstroke grip

Keano · 07-03-2015 5:19pm

I tried this today after we knew we had no chance of winning the comp and the results were good. Seemed to be able to control the pace better. Not sure though I'll commit fully to it without a bit more practice

Cross Handed Putting

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