Scottie Scheffler tested a new putting grip in the first round of the Hero World Challenge. And switching 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 last year.

Since the pair teamed up, Scheffler leads the tour with a 1.68 putting average and increased his strokes gained percentage by 0.396 percent in a year, from -0.301 to 0.095. That marked seven wins, including another Masters title, and his most dominant season since joining the tour in 2020.

So if Scheffler’s putting won him tournaments and seemed to be trending in the right direction, why would he switch?

In an interview after the round, Scheffler explained that it was actually just an experiment.

“I’m always looking for little ways to improve,” Scheffler said. “Phil had mentioned this to me last year when we started working together. And over the last few months we’ve been playing around with it and we’ve come to the conclusion that this is a good week for me to try things out.”

He explained that he primarily uses the claw grip on shorter putts.

“Within a range of 15 feet, so to speak. I think I see a lot of advantages there,” said Scheffler.

So what advantages does Scheffler think?

Joe Plecker, GOLF Top 100 instructor, explains that the claw grip can be beneficial for players looking to regain some feeling on the green because it enables your back arm to hang freely and move in a rocking, pendulum-like manner movement to move. This helps you feel the weight of the club as it moves back and forth, which Plecker says is key to developing your feel on the green.

“I love the idea of ​​a grip where they (amateurs) don’t manipulate the face, but rather release the pressure and experiment with a longer, more fluid stroke,” says Plecker.

The Claw Grip is also a great option for players who twist their trail hand too much or place it too far below the grip. Plecker explains that players who make this setup mistake usually try to compensate for it by tilting the shaft forward at address or excessively rotating the face at impact. This leads to poor rotation, inconsistent shots and, if not corrected, can even lead to yips.

By placing your palm on the handle, you take your trail hand completely out of the equation and can focus on the smooth pendulum motion.