Are You Sure You Know How to Hold the Putter? Here’s What Most Amateur Golfers Get Wrong.

You’ve got to know how to hold the putter if you want a real chance at improving your performance on the green.

And honestly? Most amateur golfers are missing the mark. 

I’m about to walk you through a four-step process that’ll ensure you’ve got total control of your putter…

…and significantly reduced odds of having to battle twitchy short putts and even the dreaded yips.

I’ll also share a bonus tip that will help you understand why that “tried and true” putting motion isn’t working for you. 

Let’s get to it.

How to Hold the Putter: Key Points

• Gripping your putter properly is the first step in mastering the perfect putting motion.
• To hold your putter correctly:
  • Align the putter with your forearms
  • Rotate your palms upward while allowing your thumbs to track down the putter shaft
  • Hold the putter in your palms instead of gripping with your fingers.
  • Position your hands together instead of using a split grip.
• When you swing the putter back, there should be a slight arc in your motion. This is more natural and gets better results than a straight-back-and-through putting stroke.

How to Hold the Putter in Four Simple Steps

Step 1: Get the putter in line with your forearms.

When you hold the putter, you want the grip to be on the same plane as your forearms. If it’s sticking out above or below them, you need to adjust.  

This is important because you want the putter to naturally swing on a nice little arc along with your forearms. (You’ll see the importance of this when we get to the bonus tip.)

Step 2: Rotate your palms up and your thumbs down.

Let me explain.

First, when you grip the club, your palms should rotate up so you feel your elbows naturally shift inward, closer to your body. That helps you get the putter grip in line with your forearms.

As for your thumbs, you want to feel them pointing straight down the shaft. This locks your wrists in—a huge win if you struggle with the yips or you’ve constantly got muscle twitches sabotaging your short putts. By locking your wrists, you keep those small muscles under control.

(Side note: this thumbs down trick works wonders for chipping as well)

Step 3: Hold the putter in your palms.

A lot of golfers have a tendency to grip their putter with their fingers. This allows for too much wrist action, causing more movement than you want. That leads to poor accuracy and loads of frustration.

Instead, settle the grip into your palm. You’ll find it’s a lot easier to keep your putter face square and tracking down the target line.

Step 4: Slide your hands together.

I’m not a fan of the split grip. 

Get your lead hand in place with your palm up, thumb down, and the grip settled into your palm. Then position your trail hand the same way and slide it up to meet the lead hand so you’ve got both hands together.

And remember to make sure your putter grip is in line with your forearms. This next tip will clarify why that’s so important.

Bonus Tip: Use the Knuckle Drill to find your perfect putting motion.

I’m betting someone taught you to swing the putter straight back and straight through. Most golfers are told this is the ideal putting technique, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the biggest putting myths.

A straight-back-and-through motion is not natural, and the Knuckle Drill proves it.

You don’t need a club to perform this drill. You don’t even need a putting green. You can do it standing in your living room. Here’s how it works:

The Knuckle Drill

1. Get into your regular putting setup position, but without your club or ball.
2. Position your hands out in front of you where your club would be, but instead of holding them like you’re gripping the club, just hold them out flat, side by side, with your finger pointing downward. Tuck your thumbs under your palms so your index fingers are right up against one another with your knuckles lined up.
3. Make sure your elbows are tucked against your sides.
4. Now move your knuckles back and through as if they were tracking a putting motion.

Where do your knuckles go? Not straight back and straight through, right?

No. Because it’s not natural. On your backswing, they want to go in and up—create an arcing motion. 

This is important to understand, because it explains what can go wrong when you force the putter to travel straight back. You have to allow your hands and elbows to separate from the body, which in turn compromises your control over your clubface orientation.

And as every golfer knows all too well, the margin for error is razor thin when it comes to aim on the putting green.

This is why I advocate for allowing a little arc into your backstroke and why getting the grip in line with your forearms is a key part of how to hold the putter. If you keep the club moving with your forearms, you’re unlikely to ruin your aim.

How to Hold the Putter: A Checklist

Here’s the short version for the next time you’re on the putting green:

1. Get the putter in line with your forearms.
2. Rotate your palms up and your thumbs down.
3. Hold the putter in your palms, not your fingers.
4. Slide your hands together.

To get a feel for the proper putting stroke, do the Knuckle Drill.

Some of these tips might feel a little different from what you’ve been doing. They might even feel counterintuitive if you’ve been using the same technique for a long time.

But that’s kind of the point. Amateur golfers get a lot of over-complicated advice that only makes their short game worse.

That’s why I’ve developed a putting system that ditches the bad putting tips, keeps it simple, and keeps you in control with a movement that actually feels natural.

This lesson is only the beginning. If you want to take your putting game further…

Discover a Putting System That Actually Works

It’s my ALL-Go putting system, and you can learn all about it in my new bestselling book, The Easy Break: A Radically Simple System for Better Putting, Chipping, and Bunker Play.

You’ll learn a putting stroke that’s way easier and more effective than the one you’ve been using. You’ll also discover foolproof practice strategies, learn how to diagnose and cure your biggest putting problems, master the trickiest putting situations, and a lot more.

If you’re looking for a handicap-smasher this season, this book is it. Get The Easy Break on Amazon today.

About the Author

I’m PGA Teaching Professional Todd Kolb—a four-time Golf Digest Best-in-State Instructor, Amazon Best-selling Author, and Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year. I’ve worked with students of all ages and skill levels in my 30 years of coaching, from first-timers to an LPGA major champion. I’m also the Director of Instruction for VLS Golf and USGolfTV.

My work with VLS Golf and USGolfTV revolves around helping the everyday golfer cut through overcomplicated traditional instruction to find solutions that actually work for them.