A couple of years ago, I played nine holes right-handed for a bit of fun to see what I could shoot standing on the ‘other’ side of the ball.
My ball-striking that day was like a high handicapper but what really captured my attention was how well I putted. A few years previously, my coach, Neil Simpson, said I should try putting right-handed when I was going through a rough patch on the greens. “Don’t be silly!” was my initial response, but as usual I wish I’d listened to him sooner because I’ve been putting right-handed ever since that nine-hole round.
It took some getting used to gazing down the line from the opposite direction, but the change in my thinking was astounding. I had no thoughts. Instead, my instincts took over and my body just reacted. I felt like a kid again, knocking in putts from everywhere with carefree abandon. Whether I holed the putt or not didn’t matter; I simply had fun rolling the ball along the grass.
That’s why young kids are such great putters. They’re not worrying about holing the putt or the next one coming back if they miss. They just stroke the ball and see what happens. Putting right-handed freed me from the technical constraints and thoughts that had crept in and I began to enjoy putting again.
The first time I played a tournament this way was the New South Wales Open. Initially, people were
shocked seeing me using a short putter (since I’d used a broomstick version my entire career), then they’d realise it was a right-handed one! It’s funny, even today when I play golf with strangers they don’t register I’m putting right-handed until a number of holes have gone by. Finally, it dawns on them and their questions soon follow about why.
And that’s where this gets interesting because I’m right-hand dominant. I write, throw a ball and play tennis right-handed. Anything involving two hands I do left-handed. For example, batting in baseball, cricket and obviously hitting a golf ball. When I roll a ball to a hole I do it with my right hand, not my left. So the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to putt this way. Putting is a different game to the fuller shots in golf anyway. One’s played in the air, the other along the ground. It’s a great leveller for people who can’t hit the ball enormous distances because they can make up for it on the greens with a smooth stroke of the ball. Feel and touch play a much larger role in putting than bombing drives from the tee and striping irons from the fairway.
So if you’re struggling with your putting, ask yourself this: what’s your dominant hand and do you putt from that side? If you throw left but play golf right, give putting a try from the left side, and vice versa. I think you’ll be amazed at the change, mentally more than anything. Trust me, it will feel completely awkward to begin but it’s worth persevering with if you’re not enjoying your time on the greens. In any case, you’ll have some fun and isn’t that what this great game is all about?
