Putting grip - Index finger

[RowingBoats]

What do all of you do with your index finger putting?

For a while now, I have been using what I think is called a modified fan-grip for most shots that are not max distance, including putting. My grip is the same for a 10 footer as it is for a 150' upshot.

I feel like it works for me, but I also know that almost no pros that I see putt with the index finger actually under the rim. I feel like this generates super easy power, and I just cant convince myself not to do it.

Sometimes though, I get frustrated and start putting with the index finger outside, and placebo myself into thinking that this makes releasing cleaner, etc...then I fix whatever I did wrong to get frustrated and get seemingly the same results with my preferred grip again.

What are the actual reasons people developed this non-index finger powered putting grip?

 

[Sheep]

mines kinda out side?
I think?
its not in the rim, but its not on the leading edge.

 

[RowingBoats]

mines kinda out side?
I think?
its not in the rim, but its not on the leading edge.

I know this sounds stupid but what do you do with it there? My take on a grip like that, is that you must be pinching with your thumb and middle finger on the plate right? To pop the disc, that is the point of contact that adds power, right?

I can see why that makes for an overall cleaner release, conceptually.

 

[Brychanus]

I went through a few and ended up with one very similar to this:

I heft the disc like a bean bag to connect to its weight and feel it pivot off the index finger, but still have a lot of control without it getting snagged on the finger on the release. My putting percentage started to go up when I started using the same kinetic chain as a full shot to swing and pop the putt and I stopped worrying about a lot of the details since I could trust the grip.

When I throw upshots I switch to a modified fan grip like Avery Jenkins' which feels like the same thing but with more contact with the rim and flight plate with the index finger and pinky.

 

[drk_evns]

Yeah, just like Paul's. I also focus most of my grip between the middle finger and thumb.

 

[twistedraven]

Mine is extended and the bottomside of my furthest out knuckle rests loosely on the microbead of my disc. The tip of my index finger extends to 11 o'clock on the putter, and the biggest knuckle is pointing towards 12 o'clock. For me, spin and momentum of the disc is generated purely off finger pop and elbow extension. I try to keep the wrist locked.

 

[Sheep]

I know this sounds stupid but what do you do with it there? My take on a grip like that, is that you must be pinching with your thumb and middle finger on the plate right? To pop the disc, that is the point of contact that adds power, right?

I can see why that makes for an overall cleaner release, conceptually.

I forget who it was. But somebody made a video about putting grips and making them comfortable.

They held the disc vertical in their hand and kinda poped it up and spun it. And it allowed you to really feel out a good comfortable grip that let you get that motion in there as youre more likely to do that motion with some sorta natural grip.

So, I kinda settled on however that worked out.

To me, it feels like a lot of the movement in the disc comes from the palm and the pinky.
The spin comes from the thumb and middle fingers. And you're kinda guiding it on target with the pointer finger.

When I putt, I'm feeling for a specific feeling in my pinky to know that I put the power on target and put the nose angle the way I wanted it.

I spush putt, but closer to the spin side of the lob.

I went through a lot of putting iterations to get where I'm at now. But honestly never focused to much on grip changes the whole time. Just getting cleaner form.
Some of my earlier form really hurt my elbow.

 

[Rastnav]

My putting grip is similar to the one of Paul pictured above. Although, I think my fanned fingers are curled more so that the pinkie rests at the rim. Not that I'm a particularly good putter, though.

One of the things I've been thinking about this week is the difference between back-loaded and front-loaded grips. Overthrow disc golf was talking about that in their latest video (addressing some comments about power grip):
https://youtu.be/t2-RcSY5W4w

He talks about back-loaded grips being more "point and shoot", because you have less motion around a pivot point. That put me in mind of something someone linked several months ago where Feldberg, IIRC, talked about the importance of setting the disc back into the hand, rather than being held in the fingertips.

At least for me, feeling the contact point being in the towards the back of the disc, felt easily in the pinkie, as I decelerate the down swing/begin the forward swing generates better results. If I get too forward, I seem to miss right (dominant hand side). I sometimes think that "too forward" is a result of the grip that's just not secure enough to begin with, resulting in more of a "grab" as I start forward.

 

[blayed]

I went through a few and ended up with one very similar to this:

I heft the disc like a bean bag to connect to its weight and feel it pivot off the index finger, but still have a lot of control without it getting snagged on the finger on the release. My putting percentage started to go up when I started using the same kinetic chain as a full shot to swing and pop the putt and I stopped worrying about a lot of the details since I could trust the grip.

When I throw upshots I switch to a modified fan grip like Avery Jenkins' which feels like the same thing but with more contact with the rim and flight plate with the index finger and pinky.

When you putt do you pop it off your other fingers? Whenever I putt I only feel it in the ring finger sometimes middle. I don't think ive ever felt it spin off of the index. I feel like since the middle and ring are the longest fingers they are always the last to have contact with the disc, at least for me but I suck at putting lol

 

[Brychanus]

When you putt do you pop it off your other fingers? Whenever I putt I only feel it in the ring finger sometimes middle. I don't think ive ever felt it spin off of the index. I feel like since the middle and ring are the longest fingers they are always the last to have contact with the disc, at least for me but I suck at putting lol

I think there are a lot of putt styles and maybe mine depends on the overall form so I'm mentioning it for context. I got some pointers from the best putter in my local group (don't know his C1x %, but he rarely misses in the circle and is excellent C2). On his recommendation I started to use overall body mechanics like Lizotte which immediately started to help my consistency outside 20'.

I think the index fingertip is still probably the last point of contact, but it is not really a conscious pivot point.

My grip works best when I don't spend too much focus on achieving an index finger pivot. Any time I do it becomes less consistent and sprays too much left or right off the finger tip. When I set up to putt I've got fairly even pressure on the fingers, maybe just a little more in the thumb and index finger to stabilize it.

When I putt I'm seeking that heft of the disc in my hand before I actually release it. Kind of like holding a stack of quarters or a heavy flashlight if I were to toss it to you. It feels like I get a little bounce in the wrist and pop off the fingertips. It's very easy to throw it far or fast with very little movement when I feel that heft and pop. Most of the trouble occurs when my wrist is too loose or I lose that hefty feeling. If I get the pop, the putt has a good chance of going in now that I switched to the Lizotte style putt.

I'm not practicing my putting enough, so it's worth mentioning that just those two mechanics changes improved my putt % and my metal draws went way up. I don't feel helpless when putting like I used to unless I lose the heft and pop.

 

[gooberau]

My grip is very similar to that kid in the photos (is he any good?).

 

[azplaya25]

I always thought that most pros putted with the index on the outside of the rim, but then I noticed that many start on the outside, then move the finger under the rim during the putt. I get really good pop when I do this correctly. It kind of feels like pulling a trigger. I try to do the same thing on my drives. Here's Barsby's world champ putt, check out his index finger.

 

[BillFleming]

It's like any other grip. Ask yourself this one question: What works and feels best for you?

As another poster mentioned, I was taught to hold the disc vertically and spin it a bit in the air. How I caught it in my hand should be my grip as that was my natural way to hold it. That works for me, but might not work for you.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

It's like any other grip. Ask yourself this one question: What works and feels best for you?

As another poster mentioned, I was taught to hold the disc vertically and spin it a bit in the air. How I caught it in my hand should be my grip as that was my natural way to hold it. That works for me, but might not work for you.

Such great advice, Bill.

 

[glassila]

I can honestly say I am just as good as Barsby at this distance.

 

[drk_evns]

My grip works best when I don't spend too much focus on achieving an index finger pivot. Any time I do it becomes less consistent and sprays too much left or right off the finger tip. When I set up to putt I've got fairly even pressure on the fingers, maybe just a little more in the thumb and index finger to stabilize it.

Think about the pivot point as the thumb and middle finger squeeze. It's on the flight plate not the rim. This is how Paul taught his putt at a clinic and it immediately improved my putt. You can squeeze pretty hard with confidence and not get the spraying you get when thinking about the index finger as the pivot.

 

[txmxer]

I can honestly say I am just as good as Barsby at this distance.

so you won a world championship chipping in from 5' once? hmmmm???

 

[TheOtherBill]

Think about the pivot point as the thumb and middle finger squeeze. It's on the flight plate not the rim. This is how Paul taught his putt at a clinic and it immediately improved my putt. You can squeeze pretty hard with confidence and not get the spraying you get when thinking about the index finger as the pivot.

This has been my putt release point forever, but in the last year, I've developed problems with the index finger side of the middle finger's nail and cuticle. It always gets irritated/tender to the touch and is starting to bother me for a few days after just 18 holes.

The nail has also flattened on just that side where the disc last leaves my hand, even though I try to trim it level/rounded weekly. It is likely exacerbated by how I hold my fingers when typing, but if I take a few weeks off it returns to normal.

I've worked really hard to change my point of release to move it to either the ring or index finger, but now I've been missing low left or high right all summer. I've also tried to move the middle finger towards the center of the flight plate hoping that would help but it doesn't. It's gotten bad enough that I'm moving to turbo anything inside of about 12 feet since I can't be certain where the putt is going without more power behind it.

I've tried tape but that messes with my drives pretty badly, and it isn't comfortable enough to feel confident putting with it. I'm kinda at a point where I'm just going to have to deal with 3-4 strokes higher scores every round. I have two practice baskets to double my practice, but I don't do it much because I'm essentially practicing a technique that doesn't work.

END FRUSTRATIING RANT

 

[drk_evns]

This has been my putt release point forever, but in the last year, I've developed problems with the index finger side of the middle finger's nail and cuticle. It always gets irritated/tender to the touch and is starting to bother me for a few days after just 18 holes.

The nail has also flattened on just that side where the disc last leaves my hand, even though I try to trim it level/rounded weekly. It is likely exacerbated by how I hold my fingers when typing, but if I take a few weeks off it returns to normal.

I've worked really hard to change my point of release to move it to either the ring or index finger, but now I've been missing low left or high right all summer. I've also tried to move the middle finger towards the center of the flight plate hoping that would help but it doesn't. It's gotten bad enough that I'm moving to turbo anything inside of about 12 feet since I can't be certain where the putt is going without more power behind it.

I've tried tape but that messes with my drives pretty badly, and it isn't comfortable enough to feel confident putting with it. I'm kinda at a point where I'm just going to have to deal with 3-4 strokes higher scores every round. I have two practice baskets to double my practice, but I don't do it much because I'm essentially practicing a technique that doesn't work.

END FRUSTRATIING RANT

Wow that is super frustrating.

Is it possible your fingernail is in-grown? Any redness around where the nail meets the skin on your finger? I had surgery on an in-grown nail when I played football. I was shocked at how much of an issue it was and how painful and irritating it could be. Make sure to trim straight across and not rounded so you're not encouraging new growth into your finger.

 

[Brychanus]

Think about the pivot point as the thumb and middle finger squeeze. It's on the flight plate not the rim. This is how Paul taught his putt at a clinic and it immediately improved my putt. You can squeeze pretty hard with confidence and not get the spraying you get when thinking about the index finger as the pivot.

Hey, this was incredibly helpful. It also improved my overall grip a bit.

Left-right spray is even further down. I can now throw them pretty confidently from further away and am drawing more metal and sinking more. Sticking with it, thank you!!