THE PRACTICE RANGE: Righty or Lefty?

By Daniel Island Club Head Teaching Professional, Ron Cerrudo

Are you a right hand or left hand putter? What I mean is which hand do you use to control your putting stroke?  The best way to discover which category you fall into is to place five balls approximately five feet from the hole. Grip your putter with just your right hand and then putt the five balls. Do the same thing with your left hand. You will soon discover which hand is best for you.This is important because there are different fundamentals for different hands.

If you are a person that feels control with the right hand you might need a putter that is a little longer than your present one. You will stand taller with a longer putter, which will cause your elbows to point slightly out. This in turn will create a crook in your right wrist with the palm facing the target. When you stroke the putt be sure the crook remains throughout the stroke and the palm swings lower than your target.

When you control the putter with the left hand your fundamentals are different. You want your arms to hang almost straight and this is why a shorter putter might be better. When stroking the putt pull the putter through the stroke with the back of the left hand toward the target. If you use the wrong fundamentals for these methods you are in trouble as far as being consistent in your putting. If your putting is good, stick to what you are doing. If you are having trouble, try these suggestions – what do you have to loose!