This past Wednesday, Golf Digest Top 50 and Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor Todd Sones was featured on Golf Channel as part of the network’s 16 hours of coverage in conjunction with the PGA of America’s National Instruction Day. Todd also serves on the Golf Academy of America’s National Advisory Board.
Todd was featured alongside Stan Utley and Kevin Weeks at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club outside Chicago, and in advance of his television appearance, sent out the following video touting the benefits of the left or lead hand low (for the right-handed player) putting grip.
By his own admission, increasingly Todd has become an advocate of left hand or lead hand low (for the right-handed player) in the putting stroke. Jordan Spieth is so successful in his putting because he hits such solid putts. Now you can too!
The most common mistake Todd says he sees with amateurs and professionals alike is coming out of the putt. What does that mean? It means that at the bottom of the stroke, the left or lead shoulder is coming out of or away from the target line of the putt. The head rises, the left shoulder usually goes up and back, and that causes a player to hit the ball off the toe of the putter, which is a mishit.
Left hand or lead hand low makes it easier to stay in the putt. The left shoulder stays in the putt, the head stays down, the putter stays through, and more solid, center face contact is made.
“When you keep your lead hand low and your left shoulder stays down, you’re going to make much more solid contact,” says Todd. “You’re simply going to put a much better roll on the golf ball without much effort.”