Golf lessons are constantly evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new Timeless Tips series, we highlight some of the best advice teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back at our December 1988 issue for a putting tip from Paul Azinger.
Putting can be a maddening skill to struggle with. Although it usually involves the shortest shots, mastering the greens can sometimes seem impossible. Even the pros have trouble with it every now and then.
One such example? Twelve-time PGA Tour winner Paul Azinger. In the mid-1980s, Zinger had yet to win on Tour and was outside the top 100 in putting. So he turned to fellow pro Corey Pavin for help.
What Pavin shared with Azinger was an unconventional putting grip and technique to use on the greens. And although it looked a bit funky, it was very effective. After putting the grip into play, he started piling up wins, culminating in a big win at the 1993 PGA Championship.
He joined in the midst of Azinger’s revival GOLF Magazine to show our readers how the funky technique worked – and how they could implement it in their own games. Check it out below.
Azinger’s unique putting technique
This is my putting grip [below]. Pretty strange to see, right? It may look weird, but it works. When I took over from fellow Tour pro Corey Pavin at the end of 1985, I was 134th on the leader list; this year I am in fourth place.
I recommend this grip, especially if you think your putting stroke is too wristy or if you want the putter to feel like an extension of the left arm.
First I will explain how to take the grip. While you practice it, read on: I also have some unorthodox thoughts about the stroke and a strategy for making more putts that differs from that of most pros.
GOLF Magazine
To take over the grip, place your left hand in a very weak position on the club, with the palm almost below the handle. The right hand continues very strongly, also at the bottom, so that the fleshy heel of the hand covers the left middle and ring fingers. Stretch the left index finger across the back of the right hand so that the tip lies between the two middle knuckles. Make sure the left thumb falls over the right fingers, and not on the shaft.
The main benefit of this grip is that it stabilizes the left wrist so that the left arm and putter shaft work as one unit. When the wrist is locked, neither hand dominates the action. This keeps the clubface square on the target line as you pull the club back and swing through.
But the grip isn’t the only thing I do differently. I like to “sing” the ball with a short rap, not a long, smooth swing. I never worry about how long to take a backswing. Instead, I stand over the ball and imagine the line I want the ball to roll on as I run away from the front of the ball, and then I “pop” it along that line. I make sure I continue toward the hole, and I hold my finishing position—the blade up and away—rather than flinching.
My stroke may be firm, but I am not an aggressive putter, that is, I don’t try to hit the ball home by bouncing it off the back of the cup. To do that, you have to roll it right over the center of the hole, and if you’re even slightly off, the ball will most likely pop out. I stroke gently enough that if the ball doesn’t hit the hole right in the middle, it still has a chance to catch the lip and fall in.
Charging the hole has another disadvantage: a long second putt. If you miss an aggressive putt, you’ll likely face a three- or four-footer return. If my soft putts fail, I only have an eight to ten incher to negotiate. If my second putt takes longer, I feel like I hit too hard. My feeling is that if I miss my birdie, I’d rather have an easy tap-in left rather than a missable three-footer to grind on. I’d rather have a “give me” par putt than risk a three-putt bogey.
My plans change somewhat on long putts. With 40 feet or more to cover, I try to get the ball into a 2-foot wide bucket around the hole. And while I normally don’t like leaving the ball short of the hole, I don’t mind if a long ball ends up a little shy, as long as I’m left with nothing more than a two-footer for my second putt.
An argument sometimes made against rolling the ball gently on short bursts of pressure is that it is more reliable when you are nervous to make the strongest stroke possible and hit the ball against the back of the cup. I don’t buy that argument because you still have to hit the hole square to drop the ball. I still prefer to take a gentle approach even on the most crucial putts, thanks to a routine I developed beforehand to calm my nerves. I control my breathing: I inhale to a slow, relaxed count of four, then exhale to a count of four. If you’ve ever seen me walk into the fairway to face a pressure putt, you can bet that I do this, and that I continue to do it as I prepare for the shot.
This routine calms my pounding heart, keeping me from making nervous, jerky movements that could disrupt the stroke. The routine also gives me something to think about as I get ready, taking my mind off the pressure of making the putt.
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