My Favorite Putting Grip And A Common Misconception To Avoid

James Jankowski hitting a putt using his favorite grip, on an island green at Salgados Golf Club, with an inset image of how to address a common grip misconception by perfecting hand position — Our putting expert's grip guide is a great tool for amateur golfers looking to improve in 2026 (Image credit: Howard Boylan)

As amateur golfers we all go through tough periods on the greens from time-to-time, but rather than tackle the problem and attempt to improve our putting, we often just get our head down and power through - which isn't really the best course of action.

Our putting improvement guide is packed with expert tips and drills, curated by some of the most well-respected coaches in the business including flatstick guru James Jankowksi, so it's usually a good place to start for guidance on the greens.

Putting Expert's Grip Guide

You might think you've tried everything. You've bought one of the best putters on the market, gone through some putting drills on the practice green and even watched a few YouTube videos, but for some reason the flatstick is still not firing.

Taking a look at your grip is a great way to explore a new avenue to potential improvement, just as Golf Monthly's instruction lead Baz Plummer did when he carried out a putting experiment to see which worked best for him.

So, with a bona fide expert on our roster of Top 50 Coaches, we thought it was best to reach out to James Jankowksi so that he can guide you through this process and set us straight on a common misconception relating to his favourite grip...

My Favourite Putting Grip And A Common Misconception About It

Tips by...

Tips by...

James Jankowksi

James has been coaching golf for more than 10 years and specialising in putting for well over half of that time. In the past few years James has worked with more than 3000 golfers, including more than 200 professionals. If he was to single out a success it would be seeing Jamie Rutherford win the EuroPro Tour order of merit this year after working together for the past three years. His philosophy is simple – 'We do whatever it takes to make each individual better on the greens.’

The conventional grip is my favourite, when positioned properly. This is where many amateurs go wrong. They blame the conventional grip for their lack of face control, which is a common misconception, when really it's how they position their hands when doing it.

With a neutral, conventional grip, the hands oppose each other with the palms facing the sides of the grip. The back of the left hand points towards the target and the back of the right hand points away.

A key reference point is the intersection of the life line at the base of the hand. The left hand should see the life line run along the front left edge of the grip, with the thumb pad on the front and thumb straight down.

Once in place, remove the trigger finger for a reverse overlap and feed the right hand fingers underneath. From here the right hand should have this lifeline intersection on the knuckle or finger nail of the left hand middle finger.

Feel like you're hinging the right hand into the grip. This lengthens the trigger finger away from the middle finger and shortens the thumb. See the rectangle created by the right thumb and trigger finger below.

James Jankowski demonstrating the correct position of the right hand on the club for a conventional putting grip, with the blue rectangle focusing on the position of the right thumb on the grip — Getting this position correct with the right hand in the conventional grip will help amateur golfers immensely to putt better with this method

Again, the thumb travels down the front of the grip. The wrist joints, forearms and elbow joints should all be parallel to each other and the target.

The reverse overlap is really important, as it allows you to get the right hand (for right-handed golfers) on the putter in the right position.

Be careful not to move the fundamental low hand position as you wrap it over onto the front of the grip, which is a common misconception, but instead try to move the thumb independently as you stretch over to ensure the thumb faces down the grip.

This is the most common starting grip because most golfers are trail-hand dominant, and the lower trail hand helps to provide a strong sense of feel and awareness.

This might not suit every amateur golfer, so I have shared a few other options below for you try as you search for what feels right for you on the greens.

Lead Hand Low Grip

James Jankowski demonstrating the left hand low putting grip — A left-hand-low grip has been used successfully by multiple Major champions

This is a good option for lead-hand-dominant strokes or those who prefer a more lead-side holding technique.

You will likely need a shorter putter to help you retain the same trail-arm structure as in a conventional set-up and stop the trail arm bending more and drifting along the side of the torso.

The lead arm hangs straighter than in a conventional grip, with shoulders fairly level. Keeping the lead wrist flexed in the hitting zone helps prevent the putter head from overtaking too quickly.

Claw Grip

The claw is an excellent option, especially on short putts, for golfers who struggle to coordinate face rotation and suffer from pushes or pulls.

It works by altering the trail-hand position through forearm pronation, which often stabilises the rotation of the trail arm.

To set it up, start in a conventional grip and remove the trail hand, then pronate the forearm (turn it anticlockwise for a right-hander) until the back of the hand faces away from you.

Let the trail arm hang long, with the thumb placed on the back of the grip and the trigger finger resting lightly along the front. These are your feel receptors.

Prayer Grip

James Jankowski demonstrating the prayer putting grip with both hands facing inwards and level on the grip — You may not have tried the prayer grip before, but could help if you struggle with a co-ordinated arm motion

The prayer grip encourages a torso-driven stroke, which may help golfers who struggle to coordinate arm motion.

Place your hands on either side of the grip in a palm-to-palm ‘prayer’ position and wrap the fingers behind – you may overlap or interlock the fingers at the back.

You will probably need a larger grip for this style. Grip and shoulder tension typically increase with the prayer grip to promote stability and a sense of connection, though this can slightly reduce feel.

Keep your tension consistent and allow your head to stay centred as you pivot through the stroke.

What Grips Have You Tried?

The putting grip is a very personal thing, but crucially important to success on the greens, so we'd love to know which method you currently use and which you have tried in the past.

Also, If you have any question for James, or you want to share your experience of how his advice has helped your game in the 2026 season, drop us a comment below and we'll get back to you!

Location: Old Fold Manor

James has been coaching golf for 10 years and specialising in putting for more than six. In the past three years James has worked with more than 3000 golfers, including more than 200 professionals. If he was to single out a success it would be seeing Jamie Rutherford win the EuroPro Tour order of merit this year after working together for the past three years. His philosophy is simple – 'We do whatever it takes to make each individual better on the greens.’

A typical lesson:

It almost doesn’t exist, due to each session being catered to the individual. However, the general structure of a new client may be similar. I would start with an analysis of their current putting game. This would involve using video analysis, Capto and Quintic data, hitting putts from varying distances and break directions, asking appropriate questions the whole time. My goal in the opening 15-20 minutes of a session, is to understand the areas within which the client can find the biggest and fastest gains. I’m not just looking at their technique, I’m looking at their process and routines, asking them about their approach, and more.

Analysis of performance:

Keeping putting stats is extremely important to be able to notice tendencies and trends. My favourite stats app being Spider Putt. This allows me to notice these trends for specific putts, by both distance and slope amount. I have also composed a document of performance games for students to do during sessions or in their own time. This allows for in depth assessment over time in specific areas.

Most common problem:

Probably speed control. This usually starts with a lack of understanding of what they should be trying to achieve. More often than not, if they can fully understand what their goal is with acceleration in the stroke, they have a far greater chance of achieving it. I also have a bunch of great drills to help them improve their technique and enhance their skills.

With contributions from

Mark TownsendContributing editor

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