Bryson DeChambeau on His Putting Technique

Discover why the professional golfer uses arm-lock putting when he’s on the green.

You may notice something a little different about Bryson DeChambeau’s short game.

Instead of using a standard putting form, DeChambeau opts for an arm-lock putting technique on the green. Pro Tips spoke with the professional golfer about what led to this different style of putting and the benefits he’s experienced.

“I struggled really badly for a while,” DeChambeau says. “Nothing can bother me under pressure now. Super smooth. Super controlled.”

ARM-LOCK PUTTING

This style of putting gets its name from the fact that the putter remains “locked” to your lead forearm. Your grip is pressed into the inner part of your lead arm. This is the left arm for righties and the right arm for lefties. Make sure to keep this contact for the duration of your putting stroke. This can help keep the putter head from rotating too much through impact.

Arm-lock putting can also help promote consistency and rhythm.

“Just because I have something to brace it against and lock it in there, which allows me to be more repeatable,” DeChambeau says. “And then I also get really stiff and, you know, what people call robotic looking. That allows me to repeat motion on a higher level.”

ARM-LOCK PUTTER

Due to the forward lean of the putter in the arm-lock position, you’ll need a higher-lofted putter. While a traditional putter may have a loft of around 3.5 degrees, arm-lock putters can have a loft as high as 12 degrees.

“You have to add more loft. With however much you, I guess, deloft it, you have to add that loft back on,” DeChambeau says. “So, for me, my loft is around 7 to 7.5 degrees depending on the surface type.”

Most arm-lock putters measure between 40 and 43 inches in length. To make sure you have the right putter for you, visit the Golf PROS at DICK’S Sporting Goods. They’ll match you with a putter customized to fit your game.

It may look a little weird at first. But if you need help with your short game, trying the arm-lock putting technique may help you turn some of those bogeys into birdies.

DeChambeau does things a little differently than other golfers on tour. Besides his putting technique, the “Mad Scientist” uses one-length irons. Learn why DeChambeau added these clubs to his bag and how they may benefit your game.