Gripping putts

[Peot]

I've wondered recently if changing my grip while putting would give me some more consistency. Putting is easily the best part of my game, but when it vanishes it hurts my score dramatically. I opt for a finger on the rim and the rest of my hand pretty much grabbing the underside of the disc, which does allow for plenty of spin, but I have also read that the finger out will produce some inconsistencies (some of which I have certainly noticed). So what gives? How do you grip 'em and why?

[Dr. Burd]

Index finger resting across bottom of rim, contact against the side of its first knuckle. The rest of the finger just sort of hangs there - I don't hook it around onto the inside of the rim. I fan the rest of my fingers out under the middle of the flight plate to get finger spring.

...because that's how I roll? (and it rarely catches on release, is repeatable, etc). Oh, and I pitch putt with something akin to Blake's short-arm technique - but I also use this for close approaches and throw-ins to avoid going too far past/over (even though I still do).

[Powdertoast]

My putting grip is similar to what Dr. Burd described, but I rest the rim on the left edge of my index finger about at where my index fingernail ends. I also put my pinky pad against the rim.

My style is a pitch starting low and moving up with release point around belly button height. Movement is shoulder bringing arm straight vertical and wrist going from close to fully closed to neutral for some spin, and a bit of finger spring at release. Elbow is kept straight during the putt. I'm still kind of playing with it, but it's comfy, I can repeat it, and I hit very consistently inside 30'.

[jubuttib]

http://innovadiscs.com/images/grips/P1010036.jpg
My choice, pretty much.

[kern9787]

http://innovadiscs.com/images/grips/P1010036.jpg
My choice, pretty much.

Same here.

[mark12b]

similar here, but i curl the index finger around more. this tip increased my % noticeably:

http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources ... shtml#grip

A good sign that your grip is stable and in a position to get a clean release with maximum control is if you can lift your thumb off the disc and still hold the disc and vary its angle.

[Smigles]

http://innovadiscs.com/images/grips/P1010036.jpg
My choice, pretty much.

I hold it like that too, except that i leave my index finger on the outside of the rim. Is that bad ?

[mark12b]

I hold it like that too, except that i leave my index finger on the outside of the rim. Is that bad ?

if it works for you, it's not bad. it can get in the way of a clean release though (popping all the fingers off simultaneously).

[zj1002]

in the long run it is probably better to get the finger on the inside of the rim

[josser]

http://innovadiscs.com/images/grips/P1010036.jpg
My choice, pretty much.

I've been working on Blake's short-arm put and testing between the above grip and one that has the index finger more on the rim which ends up having a bit more of the pads (instead of sides) of the two middle fingers on the flight plate due to the small twisting of the hand needed to get the index finger more on the rim.

I'm still trying to sort it out.

[Itchy]

I putt like this:
Top view


Bottom view


My hands are pretty small and I have troubles holding the classic fan grip that I know most people use so I push my ring finger back further and hold it on top of my pinkie. The middle finger is sort of still in it's fan position and the index finger goes out to the rim. I've tried with my index finger inside the rim, but accuracy went down so I switched back.

I go from my belly button straight out and a little up to in front of my chest. I stand staggered with my right foot behind my lay and my left foot back and to the left. My follow through leaves me pointing my right index finger at the basket (or along the line I was throwing).

I'll putt with a Discraft Soft APX from 0 to 20 feet and an Innova DX Shark from 20 to 32 feet. I live half an hour from Waller Park in Santa Maria (not sure how many people have heard of it... they have a pretty big tourney there every summer) and they have a basket for putting that you can play around the world on. They put bricks in the grass marked with their distance from the basket. For some reason I hit 32 feet with the Shark pretty well, but if I try to throw from 35 feet my percentage goes way, way down.