GolfWRX: Tony Finau Experiments with Broomhandle Putter and Unconventional Grip at Truist Championship

Finau's Putting Resurgence Sets the Stage

Tony Finau entered the 2026 Truist Championship as one of the PGA Tour's more improved putters. After switching to a Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue in spring, he climbed inside the top 20 in putting average and recorded positive SG: Putting numbers for the first time since 2022.

Yet ahead of the tournament at Quail Hollow Club, Finau was seen putting with a 48-inch Ping PLD Onset Oslo broomhandle putter — a significant departure from his recent setup.

Conventional Grip Didn't Stick

Finau spent 45 minutes attempting the standard long-putter technique — anchoring the elbow into the chest — but described it as feeling unnatural and even yip-inducing. Rather than abandoning the experiment, he found his own solution: externally rotating his forearm so that his thumb points down toward the ball, creating an unorthodox but personally intuitive hold.

"It's never felt comfortable like this," Finau said, explaining why he'd never fully committed to a long putter before finding his adapted grip.

Strokeslab Perspective

What makes this story compelling from a data standpoint is that Finau is making a putter change despite measurably improving his SG: Putting. It's a reminder that feel and repeatability often override statistical signals — and that even optimized setups can leave a player searching for something that clicks at a deeper, mechanical level.