[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "Claw Grip" Is the Latest Trend

Phil Mickelson is a representative golfer who uses the claw grip.

Recently, a “claw grip” craze has been sweeping among amateur golfers.

In English, it is called the claw grip, and is also known as the pencil grip. The word “claw” refers to the talon of a bird or the pincer of a crustacean such as a crab. The putting grip is named because it resembles a bird gripping its prey tightly with its claw (claw on a hammer).

The originator of the claw grip is American professional golfer Chris DiMarco, who was among the early adopters of the claw putting grip. The claw grip trend took off after Sergio Garcia of Spain claimed his first major victory at the 2017 Masters. In fact, after the Masters ended, many weekend golfers began to imitate the claw grip.

Along with Garcia, Phil Mickelson and Lexi Thompson (both from the United States), and Justin Rose (from England) have adopted the claw grip. Among Korean players, Kim Siwoo, Wang Jeonghun, Lee Taehui, Lee Junghwan, Lee Dongha, Seo Hyungseok, and Lee Jungmin are known to use this grip.

To use the claw grip, grasp the grip with your right thumb and index finger. Keep your left hand in its usual position, and hold the right hand upside down toward the target. Place the shaft between your thumb and index finger, then perform the backswing and stroke (right hand upside down on the grip and wraps those fingers around the top of the putter). It is important that the right palm always faces the hole. The shaft should be about 1 to 3 inches longer than a standard putter, which is advantageous for making a pendulum motion (back and through).

The main advantage of the claw grip is that it offers almost no wobble. This is because the power generated by torso rotation is delivered directly to the putter through the wrists and hands. Above all, by minimizing wrist movement, the putter head travels vertically, resulting in better directional control. It is especially effective for short putts of 2 to 3 meters and on fast greens (The claw grip works on fast greens). However, there are drawbacks. For long putts over 15 meters, it is difficult to control distance and get the ball close to the hole. On slow greens, the ball often stops right in front of the hole.

A: How do you usually grip your putter?

B: Now, I use a claw putting grip.

A: What are the strengths of the claw grip for putting?

B: It decreases the amount of wrist action and helps get the ball rolling online correctly. That is why it works well for short-distance putts and on fast greens.

A: Who uses the claw putting grip?

B: Players like Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood, Webb Simpson, and Lexi Thompson.

Written by Kim Maengnyeong, golf columnist