Scotty Scheffler switched up his putting in March, choosing to switch from a blade putter head to a mallet putter head for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He struggled on the greens during the first two months of the season, which was a big reason why he didn't win any trophies in January and February.
But after making that change, the No. 1 player in the world won at Bay Hill that week, won at The Players seven days later, and won at Augusta National the following month. He added four more PGA Tour wins during his historic 2024 season, including a stunning come-from-behind win at the Paris Olympics.
Turning to this week's Hero World Challenge, Scheffler has made some new changes to his putting routine. He still has the same flat stick, a TaylorMade Spider Tour X, but now with a “claw” grip. This is when the strong hand (in this case, Scheffler's right hand) creates a claw-like shape when gripping the putter. Players try to use a claw grip to make the putter resemble a pendulum, causing them to rely on their shoulders to swing the club during impact. In theory, the putter head should move straight back, producing straighter putts.
The downside to using this grip is that it's uncomfortable, especially right after switching. Also, avoid using it on slow greens.
In the first few holes of the Hero World Challenge, Scheffler Using only the claw grip From inside 6 or 7 feet. You can see him do so in the video above.
Scheffler is the best ball striker in the world, so he makes a living by hitting approach shots inside 10 feet, which leads to many birdie opportunities. But among all the accolades, accomplishments and green jackets Scheffler has had over the past few years, he has missed a ton of short putts. So perhaps this switch will lead to Scheffler becoming more consistent inside the 10-footer, where he was ranked 139th in 2024. If this move works, the rest of the tour will be on high alert as Scheffler dominated the sport throughout the 2024 season. Imagine what would happen if he got better from close range.
So far in the Bahamas, Scheffler has converted every chance he has given himself inside 10 feet. As of this writing, he's 2 under after seven holes, but his comments on why he made this switch and how he feels about it are definitely the most intriguing from day one. Dew.
Please stay tuned for further updates.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
