Scottie Scheffler tests out claw grip, expert explains the benefits

Scottie Scheffler tested out a new putting grip during round one of the Hero World Challenge. And the switch from his conventional grip to a variation of the claw, or saw, grip came as a surprise to many, as Scheffler had drastically improved his putting since working with putting coach Phil Kenyon over the last year.

Since the pair joined forces, Scheffler has led the Tour with a 1.68 putting average and increased his strokes gained percentage by .396 percent in one year, going from -0.301 to 0.095. Which translated to seven wins, including another Masters title, and his most dominant season since joining the Tour in 2020.

So if Scheffler’s putting was winning him tournaments and seemingly trending in the right direction, why make the switch?

In a post-round interview, Scheffler explained that it’s really just an experiment.

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I’m always looking for little ways to improve,” Scheffler said, “It’s something that Phil had mentioned to me last year when we first started working together. And over the last couple of months it’s something that we fiddled around with and figured this is a good week for me to kind of try things out.”

He explained that he’s using the claw grip primarily on shorter putts.

“Kind of that inside 15-foot range, I think that’s where I’m seeing a lot of the benefits of it,” Scheffler said.