The fewer putts that you take the better and lower your score will be. However, the converse is also true. The more putts you take, the higher your score becomes. So being a good putter is the key to becoming a good golfer.

Being a good putter involves being able to strike your putts along the correct target line, at the correct speed. If you do this, you will hole the putt and to be able to do this you need to swing the putter head along the target line with the putter face aiming along the target line. If you achieve this you will roll the putt directly along the target line.

In order to be able to play your putting stroke and have the putter face aiming along the target line, the hold that you employ is crucial. If you place your palms on to the grip in a parallel manner, this neutralizes any rotational movement in your hands. With no rotational hand movement during your putting stroke, if you aimed the putter face correctly along the target line when you set up, then the putter face will remain square to the target line as you putt. If you now swing the putter head along the target line you will putt extremely accurately and hole a great deal of putts.

You will notice when you look at your putter grip that it is not circular but in fact square in shape. To place your hands on so that your palms are parallel you simply need to position your right hand so that your palm is on the right hand side of the putter grip, with your fingers pointing directly downwards. You then need to position your left palm on to the left hand side of the putter grip, again so that your fingers are pointing directly downwards. Your palms are now parallel on the putter grip and this will reduce any rotational movement in your hands.

If you allow your hands to rotate when you swing the putter, then the putter face will be opening (aiming right) and closing (aiming left) as you putt. Your accuracy will obviously improve if you simply keep the putter face aiming at the target. Set yourself up with your feet shoulder width apart, the ball in the middle of your stance, your eyes positioned directly over or just inside the golf ball and your arms dangling directly under your shoulders, with your arms fully extended – so not bending at your elbows.

A great drill to work on when practising with this parallel palm grip would be to set up ready to putt, but just play your putts across the green and not at the hole initially. Play the putt with your eyes closed and focus on the feeling in your hands and arms. Work on maintaining the same pressure in both of your hands as you make your swing from your shoulders. Once you are keeping the same pressure in both of your hands, begin putting at a target. Create a bullseye around a hole, by placing tee pegs one putter away from the hole in a north, east, south and west position. Play a putt with this hole into the bullseye from 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 and 27 feet away from the hole. Count how many balls finish in the bullseye, then change position and repeat again, working on scoring a higher number.

Using this grip will definitely improve your putting accuracy and with some work on your distance control to complement this, you will become a much better putter, hole more putts and as a result lower your scores.