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Rory McIlroy, struggling with his putting, turns to cross-handed grip at Doral

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Rory McIlroy has joined World No. 1 Jordan Spieth as a cross-handed putter, for this week at least.

McIlroy lost 1.181 strokes to the field average in his cut-missing effort at the Honda Classic, but it seems that poor performance wasn’t the sole impetus for the change.

Put some good work in the last few days, ready for the blue monster this week!

A video posted by Rory McIlroy (@rorymcilroy) on

“Over the past few weeks my right hand was becoming a little bit too dominant, so I practiced over the weekend, just with left below right and it felt really, really good,” McIlroy told reporters at Doral. “I’m going to give it a try this week and see where we go with it. It felt really, really good, the roll of the ball is really good, the contact is much better and it really just takes my right hand out of it and that’s really what I wanted to do.”

As you might imagine, McIlroy hasn’t putted well at all on the PGA Tour this season. While he’s only made four starts, the Ulsterman is 189th in Strokes Gained: Putting, losing 0.543 strokes to the field. Worse, he’s 197th in putting inside 10 feet.

McIlroy lost 0.070 strokes to his average competitor last year. In 2014, he finished 41st in SG:P. The best McIlroy has ever placed in SG:P on Tour? 41st.

However, McIlroy isn’t trying a totally unfamiliar technique.

“I used it [the cross-handed grip] back in my first year on Tour, 2008, for a while but it’s a drill that I’ve always done. And I have also putted a lot with just my left hand. It’s one of those things where the drill started to feel better than the real thing so I’m just going to stick with it.”

And if you’re wondering what he’s putting with, here are in-hand photos of McIlroy’s gamer: a Nike Method Origin B201 (prototype).

Related: Rory McIlroy 2016 WITB

There will be plenty of eyes evaluating McIlroy’s modified grip: He’s playing with Jordan Spieth and Jason Day for the first two rounds of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

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7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Tom

    Mar 5, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    I have been using left hand low for five seasons. It helps keep my right hand quite.

  2. Carp

    Mar 4, 2016 at 9:50 am

    Those new Nike balls will make you look like a crap golfer

  3. Jimmy

    Mar 3, 2016 at 8:53 pm

    Not surprising, only brad faxon and ben crenshaw had everything stay the same their entire career. I know Fowler used too and maybe still does alternate left hand low or conventional depending on the length of putt. I know for sure he used to do that.

  4. snowman

    Mar 3, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    the CLAW is the Answer!

  5. Joey5Picks

    Mar 3, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    It’s not “crosshanded”, it’s left-hand-low. The hands aren’t crossed.

    • Butch

      Mar 3, 2016 at 11:17 pm

      How long is it going to take for supposedly professional people in golf to stop saying “cross handed?” Golf Channel announcers are famous for making that mistake!

  6. insider

    Mar 3, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    needs to go back the the scotty cameron fastback

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Photos from the 2024 Players Championship

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On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.

We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.

Check out our photos below!

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Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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GolfWRX is on the ground in Orlando ahead of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.

We’re assembling our usual collection of WITB photos, general galleries, and of course, gear inspired by the King himself.

We’ll continue to add to the photos below as more flow in from Florida.

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Photos from the 2024 Cognizant Classic

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Cognizant Classic —FKA the Honda Classic.

The first leg of the PGA Tour’s traditional “Florida swing,” the Cognizant Classic continues to be contested at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, host course of the 1983 Ryder Cup and 1987 PGA Championship. The course is known for its famed “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch of holes that take their name from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 2002.

The Bear Trap includes No. 15 (a par 3), No. 16 (a par 4), and No. 17 (a par 4). All three holes involve water and have led to several big numbers from Tour players over the years.

Check out an assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums below.

We’ll continue to update the galleries as more photos flow in from Florida!

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