New Valspar Championship winner Charl Schwarzel was singing the praise of the ‘Point Finger’ putting grip he had first adopted as a junior.

The South African captured a 15th victory worldwide and a third in his past six starts after having won twice on the European Tour, but with this recent success on the Florida west coast a first triumph on the PGA Tour in nearly five years after he defeated hapless American Bill Haas in a play-off with a regulation par at the first extra hole on the Copperhead course.

Schwartzel later attended the Valspar Media Centre when I asked the 31-year old and 2011 Masters winner what he thought the importance was of adopting this form of putting grip where he places his right index finger pointing to the ground down the far side, and the side furtherest away from the hole, of the putter.

It is a grip that Zimbabwean Mark McNulty made fashionable and helped him to win many tournaments.

Charl Schwartzel points the Valspar trophy skywards but it was his index finger pointing to the putting surfaces that proved pivotal in his capturing only a second PGA Tour title.

Also this ‘Point Putting Grip’, as it is commonly known, is a grip I personally have encouraged every player to adopt.

And I asked Charl why he had returned to this method of putting.

“When I was a junior my very first putting grip was that grip,” he said.

“I think it’s from Mark McNulty the grip. I started — that was my first putting grip. Obviously I went through stages, went away from it and then being at the Presidents Cup wasn’t putting particularly well and just for a spark, I’ll just change.

“I changed the morning before I was supposed to tee off in the Presidents Cup. I didn’t practice it. I just kept going with it.”

And there is another key to Schwartzel’s rich vein of winning form this season and that is due to Sherylle Calder.

Ernie Els had first sung the praise of ‘The Eye Lady’ some years back in working with Calder, a fellow South African-born sports vision specialist who uses a technique called: – the EyeGym to improve eye-hand, foot, and body coordination.

“Another key to this win is a lady that has helped me with my putting alignment,” said Schwartzel.

“I was aiming really poorly with the putter. She helped me a lot with alignment. That’s another thing that made a big difference. You can hit the ball as good as you want. You don’t make the putts, it doesn’t matter.

“And yes, it is Sherylle Calder who has worked with Ernie.  She works with your eyes, makes them a little more responsive, and the biggest change for me was alignment.”