How to Hold a Golf Putter Right Handed
For a right-handed golfer, the standard way to hold a putter is the reverse overlap: left hand at the top of the grip with the shaft running down the lifeline of the palm, right hand below it, and the left index finger laid over the fingers of the right hand. That grip quietens the wrists, keeps the face square through impact and is the one most tour players reach for. This guide covers the grips that work for a right-hander, how tight to hold the putter, the faults that creep into a weekend stroke, and the grips and practice aids that help the habit stick.
- The reverse overlap is the default right-handed grip: left hand on top, right hand below, left index finger overlapping the fingers of the right hand.
- Keep the pressure light and even, closer to holding a tube of toothpaste than squeezing a club, so the hands stay quiet.
- Left hand low and the claw both suit golfers who flick or twist the face, so try them on the practice green before you settle.
- A grip that matches your hand size steadies the stroke, and a putting mirror shows whether the face is square.
🔑 Best budget putters for beginners · 📚 How to measure for a broomstick putter
Why the grip decides the putt
Your hands are the only part of you touching the putter, so the grip controls how the face arrives at the ball. A grip that lets the wrists hinge will twist the face open or shut, and a putt that starts a fraction offline misses from ten feet. The evidence points the same way: a small study of seven novice golfers compared a conventional grip, a cross-hand grip and putting one-handed, and found the grip you choose changes how much the eyes and head move during the stroke (PubMed Central). Quiet hands make a quiet head, and a quiet head makes a straight putt. That is the whole reason the grip is worth ten minutes of your time.
The reverse overlap, step by step
Left hand first. Sit the grip in your left hand so the shaft runs from the base of the palm up along the lifeline rather than across the fingers, then close the hand so the thumb points down the top of the grip, just left of centre. The heel of the palm should cover the top of the handle, which keeps the shaft in line with the forearm.
Right hand below. Bring the right hand in under the left, palm facing the target line and thumb down the front of the grip. The two palms should face each other, because that sets the shoulders square without you thinking about it.
Overlap the index finger. Lift the left index finger and lay it across the last two fingers of the right hand. That overlap is the reverse part of the name, and it locks the hands into one unit so they cannot work against each other. If the finger feels cramped, the grip is too thin for your hands.
Left-handed golfers mirror all of it. Right hand on top, left hand below, right index finger doing the overlapping.
Left hand low and the claw: when to change
A right-hander who flicks the right hand through impact often finds the answer in left hand low, also called cross-handed. You swap the hands so the left sits below the right on the grip. It feels odd for a round or two, then the shoulders take over and the face stops moving. UK coaching write-ups such as Golf Insider UK recommend it for players who pull or push short putts under pressure.
The claw is the other fix for a lively right hand. You hold the grip normally with the left, then rest the right hand on the side of the handle with the thumb and forefinger forming a pincer, so the right hand can steady the putter without adding power. It has become a common choice for golfers who fight a face that shuts at impact. Try both on the practice green for a week each, because the right grip for you is the one that holds up when the putt matters.
How tight to hold it
Grip pressure is where most weekend players go wrong. Squeeze the handle and the forearms tense, the shoulders stop turning and the stroke becomes a jab. The check that works is to hold the putter about as firmly as you would hold a tube of toothpaste you do not want to burst, with the same light pressure in both hands. Brad Faxon, a renowned putter of his era, keeps the pressure light and lets the putter swing rather than steering it (Titleist). If your hands ache after nine holes, you are holding it too tight.
The faults that creep into a weekend grip
The right hand takes over. If your right hand feels like the working hand, the face will shut on the way through. Lighten it and let the left hand lead, which is the whole point of the overlap.
The grip is too thin. A thin handle makes you squeeze to keep hold of it, and the tension travels up into the forearms. If the fingers dig into the palm, go up a size.
The hands get ahead of the ball. Pressing the shaft forward with a putter that has little loft delofts the face and turns a good roll into a skip. Set the hands so the shaft leans only slightly, and let the putter sit flat.
The grip changes every week. Pick one and keep it for a month. A grip that changes with every bad round is a grip you never learn to trust.
Grip size, and picking the grip itself
Putter grips come in three rough sizes. Standard suits small to average hands, midsize is the safe middle for most weekend golfers, and oversized is the steadier choice for anyone whose wrists roll the face shut. Shape matters too: pistol grips give the right thumb a spot to sit, round grips feel neutral in the palms and flat-sided grips lock the hands square.
The simplest test is to grip a putter and look at your fingertips. If they press hard into the palm, the grip is too thin; if they barely reach the palm, it is too thick. An oversized grip also adds a little weight to the top end, which can help a golfer with a quick, jabby stroke settle down. If your putter is already heavy, read our guide to putter weighting and lead tape before you add more. These are the grips worth a look for a right-handed golfer:
- SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 Putter Grip – about £34.00, SuperStroke.
- SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 2.0 Putter Grip – about £35.03, SuperStroke.
- SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0 Putter Grip – about £32.99, SuperStroke.
- Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Putter Grip (Midsize) – about £29.99, Golf Pride.
- Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Textured Grip (Large) – about £27.99, Golf Pride.
- Golf Pride Pro Only Cord 81cc Putter Grip – about £21.75, Golf Pride.
- Golf Pride Pro Only Blue Star 81cc Putter Grip – about £18.25, Golf Pride.
- SAPLIZE Midsize Pistol Putter Grip – about £16.99, SAPLIZE.
- CHAMPKEY CT2 Pistol Putter Grip (Standard) – about £12.74, CHAMPKEY.
- Full Choice Pistol Putter Grip (Midsize) – about £12.99, Full Choice.
- PuttOut Magnetic Putting Mirror with Adjustable Gate – about £49.99, PuttOut.
- PuttOUT Pro Putting Gates – about £24.99, PuttOut.
- PuttOut Slim Putting Mat (240cm x 25cm) – about £39.99, PuttOut.
The grips in more detail
SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 Putter Grip
A 3.0 size pistol-profile grip with a non-taper shape that takes the wrists out of the stroke. The pick for a golfer who wants a chunky, stable handle. See the SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £34.00 at the time of writing.
SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 2.0 Putter Grip
A slimmer pistol than the 3.0 with a flatter front, which gives the right thumb a repeatable home and keeps the hands quiet. See the SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 2.0 Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £35.03 at the time of writing.
SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0 Putter Grip
Flat-sided profile that sits square in the palms, which suits a golfer whose hands tend to roll the face shut. See the SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0 Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £32.99 at the time of writing.
Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Putter Grip (Midsize)
A round midsize grip with a reverse-taper shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, that settles the hands without feeling bulky. See the Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Putter Grip (Midsize) on Amazon. Around £29.99 at the time of writing.
Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Textured Grip (Large)
The large, soft-feel version of the reverse taper round, for bigger hands or anyone who wants the face to stay quiet through the hit. See the Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Textured Grip (Large) on Amazon. Around £27.99 at the time of writing.
Golf Pride Pro Only Cord 81cc Putter Grip
A corded surface in a traditional 81cc size, so it keeps the feedback a lot of golfers still want while adding grip in wet weather. See the Golf Pride Pro Only Cord 81cc Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £21.75 at the time of writing.
Golf Pride Pro Only Blue Star 81cc Putter Grip
The smooth, classic-shape version at a lower price, an easy first regrip if you like a standard-size handle. See the Golf Pride Pro Only Blue Star 81cc Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £18.25 at the time of writing.
SAPLIZE Midsize Pistol Putter Grip
A budget midsize pistol with an anti-slip pattern, for anyone who wants to try a bigger grip before spending much. See the SAPLIZE Midsize Pistol Putter Grip on Amazon. Around £16.99 at the time of writing.
CHAMPKEY CT2 Pistol Putter Grip (Standard)
A cheap standard-size pistol grip with a firm, textured feel and plenty of feedback, a good fit for a lightweight blade. See the CHAMPKEY CT2 Pistol Putter Grip (Standard) on Amazon. Around £12.74 at the time of writing.
Full Choice Pistol Putter Grip (Midsize)
A 66g midsize pistol with a cushioned EVA core, so the hands stay relaxed without the grip feeling vague. See the Full Choice Pistol Putter Grip (Midsize) on Amazon. Around £12.99 at the time of writing.
PuttOut Magnetic Putting Mirror with Adjustable Gate
A mirror plus an adjustable gate in one, so you can check the eye line and the face angle at the same time. The most useful single practice aid for grip work. See the PuttOut Magnetic Putting Mirror with Adjustable Gate on Amazon. Around £49.99 at the time of writing.
PuttOUT Pro Putting Gates
Three gates in different sizes that show whether the face returns square. Put one down and the grip faults show up straight away. See the PuttOUT Pro Putting Gates on Amazon. Around £24.99 at the time of writing.
PuttOut Slim Putting Mat (240cm x 25cm)
A roll-up mat with a graduated hole, long enough to groove the grip and the stroke in a hallway or garage. See the PuttOut Slim Putting Mat (240cm x 25cm) on Amazon. Around £39.99 at the time of writing.
Practising the grip at home
The grip only sticks if you rehearse it, and you do not need a green to do that. A putting mirror shows your eye line and the face angle at address, which is the fastest way to see whether the overlap is actually keeping the face square. A set of gates turns the mirror check into a game, since the ball only rolls clean through when the face comes back square. A longer mat lets you groove the whole stroke in a hallway or garage, so the grip feels normal before you take it to the course.
Ten minutes a day with a mirror and a gate will do more for your putting than a new flatstick, which is why a home practice aid is money well spent. Once the grip is automatic, the rest of the stroke has somewhere to build.
Where this fits in the rest of your bag
A putting grip is only one piece of the puzzle. If you are still choosing a flatstick, start with the best budget putters for beginners, and if you want to know whether the expensive options are worth it, read do expensive putters make a difference. Golfers with a long or awkward stance should check how to measure for a broomstick putter, and anyone whose putter feels too light or too heavy can weigh up whether a heavier putter suits fast greens.
Away from the green, the same habits apply. Keeping the gear clean matters more than most golfers think, so see our guides on cleaning your clubs and regripping them when the grips wear smooth. If your hands slip, check that your glove fits and that you know why golfers wear one. Knowing how far you hit each club and how to compress the ball with your irons rounds out the basics, and a pair of stable golf shoes keeps your base quiet on the greens too.
Products mentioned
- SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 Putter Grip – SuperStroke, about £34.00.
- SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 2.0 Putter Grip – SuperStroke, about £35.03.
- SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0 Putter Grip – SuperStroke, about £32.99.
- Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Putter Grip (Midsize) – Golf Pride, about £29.99.
- Golf Pride Reverse Taper Round Textured Grip (Large) – Golf Pride, about £27.99.
- Golf Pride Pro Only Cord 81cc Putter Grip – Golf Pride, about £21.75.
- Golf Pride Pro Only Blue Star 81cc Putter Grip – Golf Pride, about £18.25.
- SAPLIZE Midsize Pistol Putter Grip – SAPLIZE, about £16.99.
- CHAMPKEY CT2 Pistol Putter Grip (Standard) – CHAMPKEY, about £12.74.
- Full Choice Pistol Putter Grip (Midsize) – Full Choice, about £12.99.
- PuttOut Magnetic Putting Mirror with Adjustable Gate – PuttOut, about £49.99.
- PuttOUT Pro Putting Gates – PuttOut, about £24.99.
- PuttOut Slim Putting Mat (240cm x 25cm) – PuttOut, about £39.99.
Frequently asked questions
Which hand goes on top when you hold a putter right handed?
For a right-handed golfer the left hand goes on top of the grip and the right hand sits below it. The shaft should run down the lifeline of the left palm, and the left index finger then overlaps the fingers of the right hand in the reverse overlap grip.
Is the reverse overlap better than left hand low?
Neither is better in general. The reverse overlap is the standard grip and suits most golfers because it keeps the wrists quiet. Left hand low helps players who flick the right hand under pressure, so it is worth a trial on the practice green if you pull or push short putts.
How hard should you grip a putter?
Lightly and evenly, with both hands at a similar pressure. A useful check is to hold the putter about as firmly as you would hold a tube of toothpaste you do not want to burst. A tight grip tenses the forearms and makes the stroke jerky.
Does an oversized putter grip help?
A bigger grip reduces how much the wrists can hinge, which steadies the face for many golfers. It is not automatic, though, so try one for a few rounds before committing, and pick a size that still lets your fingertips touch your palm.
Can you putt with your normal full swing grip?
You can, and plenty of golfers do. A standard overlap or interlock grip works, but the putting grip usually has the hands closer together and the pressure much lighter, because the goal is a still face rather than clubhead speed.
Does the putter grip really matter if you already putt well?
It matters most when things go wrong. A grip that fits your hands and stays quiet is the cheapest way to make a good stroke repeatable, and it costs far less than a new putter.
Tom compares golf gear for WeekendGolfer - balls, clubs, bags and gadgets. He plays off 14 at a municipal course and says when the cheaper option does the same job.
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Last reviewed: October 5, 2026 · Evidence-based content · Contains affiliate links