Note Sergio's putting-grip progression, from conventional to left-hand low to the claw. (Photos by Getty Images)
Sergio's comeback seems to have started with a tip he got from putting guru Dave Stockton, who recounted the story while visiting with a group of Golf Digest editors in our Wilton, Conn., office on Friday. Here's a short report from Assistant Managing Editor Jeff Patterson:
Stockton said that when he's asked to take a look at someone's putting stroke, he also likes to see their chipping motion. Naturally, Sergio Garcia was brought up. Senior Instruction Editor Peter Morrice asked Stockton why Sergio seems to have so much creativity around the greens, but little success on them. After saying Sergio looked all right in his 11-shot victory the weekend before at the Castello Masters, Stockton related an interesting anecdote:
Stockton was on the putting green at Firestone Country Club during a practice round for the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. While Dave worked with one of his tour pros, Sergio was within earshot. The message Stockton was trying to
get across was that putting is all about using the left hand. As with hitting a
low chip, the left hand is the key ingredient, as it never breaks down.
Later, while walking the course, Stockton heard Sergio repeating the lesson that Stockton had intended for a fellow competitor. Stockton approached Sergio and said, "Really, if it's the left hand, why do you still use so much of your right?" At that time, Sergio was using a traditional reverse-overlap grip, but still relied heavily on his bottom hand. Garcia soon had a brief trial of left-hand low at the end of the 2010 season, before he moved to the claw grip for the 2011 season.
The progression seems obvious: Sergio worked to take his right hand out of the stroke--first with the left-hand-low grip, and then with the claw grip. In the claw, the right hand is only a guide (like the non-shooting hand in basketball) and doesn't have much grip on the club.
-- Roger Schiffman, Managing Editor
Follow Me On Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Can Sergio carry this momentum into 2012, and win the major title he's always coveted? Let your opinion be heard on our partner site, GolfWRX.com.
Later, while walking the course, Stockton heard Sergio repeating the lesson that Stockton had intended for a fellow competitor. Stockton approached Sergio and said, "Really, if it's the left hand, why do you still use so much of your right?" At that time, Sergio was using a traditional reverse-overlap grip, but still relied heavily on his bottom hand. Garcia soon had a brief trial of left-hand low at the end of the 2010 season, before he moved to the claw grip for the 2011 season.
The progression seems obvious: Sergio worked to take his right hand out of the stroke--first with the left-hand-low grip, and then with the claw grip. In the claw, the right hand is only a guide (like the non-shooting hand in basketball) and doesn't have much grip on the club.
-- Roger Schiffman, Managing Editor
Follow Me On Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Can Sergio carry this momentum into 2012, and win the major title he's always coveted? Let your opinion be heard on our partner site, GolfWRX.com.
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