- Grip the putter with your right hand, placing the left hand on your hip or behind your back.
- As you stroke putts, maintain a firm right wrist.
- Gently rock the shoulders back and through to move the right arm and club.
- After a series of short putts, switch to the left hand and repeat with the same method.
- Finally, resume putting with both hands.
The putting stroke bears little resemblance to the full golf swing. Yet just as it’s easy to let the dominant hand take over when hitting a full shot, many golfers suffer from the same tendency on the greens.
For a right-handed golfer, this means the right hand overpowers the left. Common results include pulled putts, hitting the ball too hard and generally poor pace. Too much right hand often causes the dreaded “yips,” too.
As with the full swing, the hands should work in tandem during the stroke. In fact, they should remain relatively passive as the shoulders and arms move the club.
If you tend to get “handsy” and overuse your wrists when putting, this simple drill could fix your problem:
After practicing with one hand at a time, you’ll find the shoulders and arms more engaged and the hands less active when you return both hands to the club. Your tempo should be greatly improved, too.
