Alright, let’s talk about putter grips, specifically Patrick Cantlay’s. I got kind of obsessed for a bit watching him on TV. The guy looks so solid over the ball, hardly any movement, especially with the putter. My own putting felt shaky, lots of wrist action creeping in, so I thought, why not see what he’s doing?
Figuring it Out
First thing I did was just watch. Paused the TV, looked up some pictures online. Trying to really see how his hands sat on the club. It looked like a pretty standard setup in some ways, but maybe a little left-hand low? It’s subtle sometimes. He also uses one of those thicker grips, you know, the SuperStroke kind. Seemed like that might help keep the hands quiet.
Hitting the Practice Green
So, I headed out to the practice green. Didn’t change my actual grip on the putter yet, just wanted to mimic his hand position first. Let me tell you, it felt weird. Holding it left-hand low, even slightly, felt unnatural. My shoulders felt tilted, my arms felt stiff. It was like learning to hold the club all over again.
My first few putts were just awful. Rolled them way past, left others short. Couldn’t get a feel for the distance at all. My hands wanted to revert back to my old comfortable grip immediately. It took real concentration just to keep them in that Cantlay-style position for a few strokes.
Sticking With It (Sort Of)
I decided I had to give it a proper go, not just five minutes. So, I dedicated a few practice sessions purely to this grip. Here’s what I focused on:
- Keeping the hands super passive. Trying to use my shoulders more, like a pendulum.
- Feeling the connection between my arms and chest.
- Maintaining that light but firm pressure he seems to have.
After a while, maybe the third session, something started to click just a little. The putter head definitely felt more stable going back and through. On the short ones, like inside 6 feet, I felt like I was starting the ball on line more consistently. That was a plus.
The Downsides and What Happened Next
But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Distance control on longer putts was still a mess. It felt like I had less feel, less touch. Maybe it’s the thicker grip idea, or maybe just the unfamiliar hand position. Also, breaking putts felt trickier, like I couldn’t naturally swing the putter along the curve as easily.
So, where am I now? Honestly, I didn’t fully adopt the Cantlay grip wholesale. The completely quiet hands idea? I’m trying to incorporate that feeling more, using my shoulders. That part seemed helpful. But the full left-hand low position, day in and day out? It just didn’t mesh perfectly with my stroke or my feel, especially on those lag putts.
It was a worthwhile experiment, though. Made me think more consciously about what my hands are doing during the stroke. Sometimes you try these things the pros do, pick up one small piece that helps, and leave the rest. Guess that’s golf, right? Always tinkering.
