Fitting a Big Grip to Your Putter is a Big Plus to Improving Your Putting

Fitting a big grip to your putter is a quick way toright hand out of play. These are only partial
improve your putting without taking a lesson.solutions and ignore the even simpler solution of
Tilt forward from the hips and let your arms hangarranging your hands on the grip in a prayer-like
naturally under your shoulders. You will notice thatfashion.
the palms of your hands are level with eachAnother advantage of this neutral positioning of
other. This is how your body balances itselfyour hands is that it automatically brings your
without interference.shoulders in line. The standard reverse-overlap grip
This is also how you should place your hands onhas a tendency to bring your right shoulder
your putter - the best anatomical fit, so to speak.forward changing your parallel alignment to your
Up until now this side-by-side position has notaimline. You can correct this, but it is just another
been possible as the circumference of thething to remember.
standard putter grip is too narrow. There is notThe problem with the big grip has always been its
enough bulk in the grip to comfortablyweight. The standard grip weighs around 60
accommodate your hands.grams, but the big grip has been well over the
In putting you want your hands to be neutral -150 grams. This has thrown out the swingweight
ideally not involved in your putting stroke at all.of the putter and changed the feel of the putter
The age of using your wrists has given way tohead. Of course, you can add back weight to the
using your shoulders as the means to power theputter head, but this increases the overall weight
stroke. This has come about as a result ofof the putter.
smoother and faster green surfaces.Putting with a different swingweight is not
However, each of us has a dominant hand. In theinsurmountable as K.J. Choi has shown us. But now
case of most people, it is the right hand. Byat last there is a 'BigLite' putter grip on the
placing your right hand below your left on yourmarket that is only marginally heavier than the
putter, you are promoting this dominance.standard grip.
Your right hand is controlled by the left orThere is no excuse to grip your putter in a
analytical side of our brain when you really wantsub-optimal way. The only negative to the big grip
to be using the right or creative side of your brainis that it does not fit into the putter tube on your
when you putt. You certainly don't want to begolf bag. Get to it. It may feel strange in the
thinking when you are over the ball.beginning and you will hear the skeptical
As a counter-measure some golfers have takencomments that it takes away the feel. Baloney.
to using a left hand low position. Others haveTo paraphrase the words of the song by Queen
adopted a claw grip which in effect takes the'You can have it All, and You can have it Now'.