You're Correct!

Steve Stricker is regarded as one of the greatest putters of the last 20 years, not only is this something that is spoken of by players and coaches alike but the PGA Tours putting stats back it up too. There are many things in his set up and stroke that you will see in the set up of many pros and amateurs, but there are a few unusual bits that may be the key to consistently holing lots of putts.

Firstly, his grip is running right along the life line of his left hand rather than through the base of the palm to his fingers. This is so he can unify the left arm and the shaft of his putter. The degree of pressure in the grip is fairly firm, around 7 or 8 out of 10 with the left hand grip much firmer than his right. This helps him to control the stroke with his left hand and arm while preventing the putter face from wobbling around.

Probably the most unusual things is that he actually bounces his putter up and down before taking the putter away to keep the stroke nice and smooth. Its only a little bounce but it helps to reduce the tension before making the stroke whilst keeping the position of the shaft the same. In his early days, he had a forward press but this would push the shaft into a different position.

One of the most noticeable traits of his set up is the high left wrist and the heel of the putter up off the ground. This is because he wants the shaft to be in a more vertical position to keep the stroke moving straight back and straight through. This also helps him to strike the ball in the same spot on the putter face consistently, resulting in a better roll on the ball. This putting stroke is statistically one of the best every year and if youre lo

As much as he wants to keep the stroke smooth, the forward press sets the position of the shaft differently to how it was at address. If you want to keep the shaft position the same but dont fancy bouncing the head then why not try to hover the putter just above the ground. This will prevent a jerky start to your stroke and help you maintain the putter square to the arc.

The standard position for your putter head would be to keep the sole flat to the ground, but because you stand to the side of the ball, you will have a slight in-square-in arc. If you want to keep your stroke square to square without any compensatory moves in your stroke then lifting the heel up off the ground will make this happen easier.

Grip pressure is a very important aspect of your putting set up, not only how firm or how light to grip the putter but also which hand to have the most pressure in. Many of the tour players will take a firm hold of the putter with the main pressure coming through the most dominant hand. In his case, its his left hand he grips firmer with but for you it may be your right hand.