Tommy Fleetwood: Get your claws into it

Fleetwood works with renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon, take a look at their advice for using the claw putting grip…

Tommy Fleetwood on his claw putting grip

“When breaking down my putting the one thing I’ve always struggled with was the rotation of the putter face. The stroke and path were good but I would then leave the putter face open or shut it down.

This meant the consistency of my start-line when putting was always poor. We tried a few different grips at the end of last year and I found I putted so much better with the claw grip.”

“Phil Kenyon said ‘are you alright using that?’, some people are funny but I’ve used it all year. I played badly earlier in the year and my putting kept me going.

The longer putts are generally going to be tougher but that comes round very quickly and it now feels weird gripping it conventionally. I put my hands on it ‘normally’ and it feels terrible.

The left hand goes on the grip as normal, then with the right hand the grip slots between the thumb and the index finger. Once that is rested in place there that is basically your grip.

Your right hand should rest slightly on the grip, it’s not really doing anything in terms of control. From there my left side is pretty connected so I just let the putt go.”

• RELATED: How the putting grip preferred by the stars transformed my game

What are the benefits of the claw grip?

First and foremost, claw grip putting is widely believed to bring more consistency to those who could be considered ‘streaky’.

By gripping the putter in the crease of your right hand between thumb and forefinger, it allows the golfer to control the face better, making it easier to produce a consistent stroke and strike.

And the weaker position this creates between the putter and hands forces the shoulders and upper body to become more active in the stroke, creating a smoother tempo and improving the transition.

So if you’re struggling with your putting, why not give this a go.

It’s not always about being great on the greens, but if a fresh approach helps you clean up more often from that five, six foot range, your scores will tumble.