To have and hold a putter

By T.J. TOMASI

There are myriad ways to hold a putter, but if you’re just starting out as a golfer, I’d stay with a few basics. Unlike the hold you use for your full swing, when you putt, the handle of the putter should be ­positioned in your palms rather than your fingers. Once both hands are on the club, your palms face each other so that your hands work as a unit.

Also make sure that both thumbs are on top of the grip. This prevents your hands from twisting during your stroke and allows the handle and the putter head to move in sync.

Force and face

If you want to be a good putter, you’ve got to ­produce the right combination of distance and ­direction. There are two things you must do to ­accomplish this:

1. Force: Your putter must strike the ball with the appropriate force in the center of the clubface with the putter head horizontal to the ground.

2. Face: Your putter face needs to be looking ­directly down the intended line of roll.

The grip may vary as long as it promotes the above.

The stroke that I’d recommend (assuming the greens you putt on are in decent shape) is a back-and-forth pendulum action where the arc of the putter head is of equal length in both directions. Remember that pendulums swing from a central pivot point, and in putting, your pivot point is located just under your throat. This point must not slide back and forth; it should remain a center around which your shoulders and arms swing the putter back and forth in a rocking motion.

Here’s a tip that will make your stroke more consistent: Starting at address and continuing from start to finish, keep the space between your elbows the same. When you maintain the distance between your elbows (neither narrowing nor widening the gap between them), your putter head will always strike the ball at the exact bottom of its arc.