Putting benefits cross handed grip

One of the best things about putting is that the grip can be manipulated a bit to work for your needs. When using a conventional grip on a putter, you may find that your hands don’t sit right, or your stability in the left wrist is not quite what you need it to be.

Luckily, a cross-handed grip can help. Let’s take a look at the important benefits of this left-hand, low grip and whether it could help your putting stroke. 

What is Cross-handed Putting?

Cross-handed putting is when you take your left hand, typically at the top of the club, and put it down below the right hand on the golf clubs. The left-hand low grip will not look quite like a traditional grip, and it creates a different feel. The grip can be used on shorter putts as well as lag putts.  Most players will switch when they are looking for extra consistency in their game. 

What Are the Benefits of a Cross-handed Grip?

The main benefit of the left-hand-low grip is the fact that your putting stroke is going to be much easier to keep consistent. The grip style you choose for putting, whether it be a normal grip, reverse overlap grip, claw grip, or cross handed, the goal is to make more putts. Here is how the cross handed putting grip can help you make more putts. 

More Stability 

The cross handed putting grip is more stable than other grips. The putter head needs to stay stable to produce better distance control and ensure that golf shots are predictable. Since your hands will be a little less involved in the putting stroke than with a standard grip, the overall stroke feels much more stable. 

Confidence

One thing that players quickly learn about the game of golf is that confidence can only help you succeed. Sometimes the people that struggle with confidence are those that are continually trying to move their hands around and find the proper position. 

The cross handed grip makes it easy to find your proper positioning and feel confident about where your hands are on the club. 

Better Alignment 

One of the natural things that happen when you adopt a cross handed putting grip is your shoulders square up. It just becomes easier not to be as open to the target, and therefore the alignment process is easier. 

When you have better alignment and your putting stroke is consistent, the golf ball roll will be purer and head toward the target with a chance of going in. A consistent putting stroke and improved alignment will, without a doubt, help you make more putts. 

Decrease in Wrist Action

Improper wrist angles and action in the putting stroke can cause inconsistencies and make it difficult for players to make putts. However, when you decrease the wrist movement and focus on things being more square and stable, the chance of making a putt is significantly increased. 

Using shoulder rotation and arms in the putting stroke will keep the club head from moving around so much. This is seen when watching professional players and the way they manage their putting stroke. 

When you decrease wrist action, you will notice better speed control, shoulder alignment, and setup. This is perhaps the first benefit of the cross-handed putter grip, as it just helps stabilize things and discourages this wrist action altogether. 

Do Any Pros Use a Cross Handed Putting Grip?

The cross handed or left hand low putting grip is quite popular on the PGA Tour. Players like Jordan Spieth, Kevin Chappell, and Billy Horschel are among some of the most well-known right-handed golfers with this cross handed grip. 

It takes quite a bit of time and thought for a professional to switch their putting style. The key benefits of the process are essential for all players to understand, and the cross handed putting grip is one of the more common methods for players to switch to.

From time to time, a professional may practice with this on the putting green to see if it works, but a true change to the game is a big decision. Just like with any change to your game from regripping a golf club to choosing the right size golf grip, there is a time and place for everything.

Who Should Try the Left-hand-Low Putting Grip?

There are several players that should consider the left hand low putting grip. Here are some key reasons to switch to this style. 

New Player

New golfers should absolutely consider using the cross handed putting grip. This grip style helps establish putting as being a different part of the game that requires an entirely different skill set. As a new player, you should gain some confidence in your golf game by using a cross handed putting grip. 

Inconsistent Stroke

One of the most significant issues that golfers face with putting is inconsistency. Do you have 36 putts one day and 25 another? This is a huge difference in our score. Of course, the chipping and approach shots will impact this, but an inconsistent stroke is the significant indicator of large fluctuations in putts. 

With an inconsistent stroke, you will need to make adjustments to the game that can help simplify the putting stroke, and this is undoubtedly one of them. 

Too Much Wrist Action 

Too much wrist action in your putting stroke is typically relatively easy to see. Take a quick video of your golf putting stroke and see how it is impacted by your wrists. You will notice that the putter’s head turns and manipulates like crazy, and it causes some poor putts. 

Final Thoughts 

Having made many adjustments to our putting strokes over the years, we can tell you with complete confidence that the left hand low concept is a good one, and it’s not the most challenging adjustment to make.

If you are smart about approaching this and take time to ensure your fundamentals are correct, the cross-handed putting stroke should help you make both long and short putts. The key here is to get as much confidence as possible in your stroke, and this style can certainly help.

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