Get a grip for Christmas!

Peter Mitchell - winner with the 2-Thumb grip on his putter

In these stringent times, with every golfer looking to cut their scores without resorting to great expense, have you considered changing the grip on your putter? For less than £20 you can switch to a revolutionary handle, adapt a new way of holding it and with practice knock shots off your handicap.

The 2-Thumb putter grip series - Original, 2-Thumb Light and 2-Thumb Shorty - has been designed by putting coach Philip Gazeley and made exclusively by Eaton Golf Pride. It has already achieve several top ten finishes on Tour and a victory by Peter Mitchell in the Lake Garda Italian Seniors Open.

Players using 2-Thumb grips also top the 'putts per greens in regulation' statistics on Tour.

The 2-Thumb grips, says Gazeley, provide golfers with the opportunity to select the perfect grip for their needs, while searching for a more precise take away and accurate putting stroke with greater distance control while assisting in overcoming the yips and wrist break. The can be fitted to any putter.

Golfmagic asked Phil, who has worked extensively with over 100 players on the European Tours, for some tips to help improve our putting stroke using the 2-Thumb product and method:

Two thumbs parallel on the grip

Whereas the conventional putter grip is designed with one hand above the other, which can lead to sloping shoulders and a tendency to pull or push the stroke, the 2-Thumb putter grip is designed to allow the thumbs to be placed side by side on the face of the grip. This encourages a natural body balance and set-up, creating level shoulders.

Alignment/ball position

Level and square to target shoulders offer a much better body alignment and allows the back of the ball to be positioned in the middle of the stance rather than a conventional slightly forward position and a tendency to push or hook the putter face at impact

Motion/stroke

A natural square set-up leads to the putter face naturally following the shoulder turn and returning to square. this also promotes a more accurate and smoother putting stroke.

Reading putts

Instead of looking at the hole to get the correct distance of your putt, try looking beyond it for level and uphill putts and short of the hole for downhill putts allowing gravity to take its course.

The 2 Thumb range of grips

Practice drill

One of the most common problems with putting is controlling the distance of the ball roll - often caused by a poor strike on the putter face wide of the recognised sweet spot area. Try practising with a sleeve of golf balls trapped between the knees. This lock the bottom half of the body and allows the shoulders and arms to stroke smoothly. Less lower body rotation promotes accuracy on the sweet spot.

For more information please visit www.2thumbgrip.com or www.golfputting.com.

The 2-Thumb original putter (black) is available at £14.99, the 2-Thumb Light (black, orange, green and blue) at £17.99 and the 2-Thumb Shorty (black) at £15.99.