Opinion & Analysis
Taking the eyes out of putting
Before we take the eyes out of putting, let’s take a quick eye test. Look at this picture below and answer this question: Which looks longer, A or B?
The correct answer is C!
I know you just read the question again and are screaming, “There is no C!”
That’s because like any great illusion, it’s a trick. The cards you see are EXACTLY the same. Our eyes are just lousy at seeing curves.
Which brings us to green reading in the modern game. Think about golf course architecture — specifically green construction. Courses are now built with modern capabilities, no bare hands and mules dragging soil. So what are some things that happen that upset our eyes’ ability to read greens?
No. 1 is that the architect can tilt the green away from natural drainage patterns. The old saying “it breaks toward the water” actually can be 100 percent wrong because the architect can move the dirt to make it go the other way.
When the PGA Tour was at Torrey Pines recently for the Farmers Insurance Open, I heard the announcers say too many times to count that the players need to take into account the ocean when reading the break for a putt. Lunacy! When the South Course was redone before the 2008 U.S. Open, modern equipment was brought in to move the ground around, and man determined the slopes on the greens — NOT NATURE. It would be very easy for me to build a green that broke completely away from the water, agreed?
Secondly, man-made drainage patterns allow for run off in a minimum of three directions for most greens. So you can have lots of opposite movement on greens that mess with your eyes, also going away from the natural lay of the land. So in Phoenix, putts are not necessarily biased to break toward “The Valley,” and in Palm Springs, they all don’t break toward Indio!
That is why eyesight can be so misleading. There has to be a better way to read greens that does not fool you and make you guess as to what you are seeing?
That brings me to last May when I was hanging around the putting green at The Memorial Tournament. Adam Scott had just won the previous week and made lots of putts including two in a playoff. Before each putt, he held up several fingers and then lined up and hit the putt. It was the first time I had seen Aimpoint Express. I had read about it, but now it was live fire with the No. 1 player in the world at that time. Now here I was watching it up close at The Memorial. I soaked it all in as Hunter Mahan worked the green with his caddy. Then Adam arrived and worked it.
I noticed two things immediately:
- They made lots of putts…and they made the reads quickly in doing so.
- When they missed, they were burning the edge every time.
In fact, you might already be doing Aimpoint Express and not even know it! Have you ever gotten over a putt and felt like it might break more/less than you saw? That is because your feet are feeling the incline and sending your body an adjustment to calibrate to so you stand in balance. That is exactly what Express does.
This gets me to the point of needing to bring clarity to Aimpoint Express for players confused by what they are seeing and hearing on TV. Just last week, Jerry Foltz and Judy Rankin on The Golf Channel LPGA Tour telecast from Ocala had an Aimpoint Express discussion that was full of errors that left the viewer confused and badly misinformed.
So let me give you some facts about green reading with Aimpoint Express. We are going to hit these 3 points:
- Aimpoint Express is quick.
- Aimpoint Express is NOT technical.
- The best players are using it.
Take the last point first because all you have to do is read the list of names that use Aimpoint Express: Adam Scott, Anna Nordqvist, Stacey Lewis, Ian Poulter, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan and Lydia Ko, the new No. 1-ranked female golfer in the world.
Also, Aimpoint Express is not technical. When you can learn it in less than an hour and immediately make putts from all over the green, that is in no way technical. Quantum Physics or String Theory is technical. Taking apart my computer and putting it back together (and having it work again) is technical!
Here is how non-technical it is.
I had a tour player recently ask me what we do about grain and if I can adjust to play more or less break if I want to with Aimpoint Express? He had been told there is no adjustment for it because it is too technical. Well, that is another false statement and goes to how not technical it is. Aimpoint Express is accurate to 95 percent of the read, while the other 5 percent of the putt is your experience and athleticism, adjusting for things like grain and how hard to strike the ball. It’s literally as easy as that!
The last comment I hear a lot is that Aimpoint takes too long. On the contrary, it’s so fast that if every player on the Ryder Cup teams last year knew how to do it, they could play the event in two days instead of three. I can get the read and have the putt on the way a lot faster with Aimpoint Express than when I read it with my eyes after walking all over the place. My eyes are nowhere near accurate enough for me to get the read quickly!
I prefer to be 95 percent accurate as opposed to just going with my best guess and reading putts with my eyes. Remember the test above, with the curved cards, if you want to trust your eyes.
Our feet are like a pair of highly sensitive levels. They are always seeking dynamic balance to keep us safe by making minute adjustments and sending that message to our brain. So they are very effective at feeling slope because they have been doing that since we started to walk in order to keep us upright and out of harm’s way.
So after learning Aimpoint Express and teaching it to my players and watching them win tournaments, I can clearly see the future of green reading. If you do not want more precision, then keep guessing with your eyes. If you want to get your read faster and make more putts, then find a certified instructor near you and check out Aimpoint Express.
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I always find it interesting to watch how golfers interact with the practice range, if they do so at all. I certainly can figure out how to understand that some golfers just do not really want to get better — at least not enough to spend time on the practice range trying to improve.
What is most puzzling to me is how many golfers completely ignore the rationale for going to the range to at least warm up before they head to the first tee. Why anyone would set aside 4-6 hours of their day for a round of golf, and then not even give themselves a chance to do their best is beyond me. But today, I’m writing for those of you who really do want to improve your golf scores and your enjoyment of the game.
I’ve seen tons of research for my entire 40 years in this industry that consistently shows the number one goal of all golfers, of any skill level, from 100-shooter to tour professional, is simply to hit better golf shots more often. And while our definition of “better” is certainly different based on our respective skill level, the game is just more fun when your best shots happen more often and your worst shots are always getting better.
Today’s article is triggered by what we saw happen at the Valspar tour event this past Sunday. While Taylor Moore certainly had some big moments in a great final round, both Jordan Spieth and Adam Schenk threw away their chances to win with big misses down the stretch, both of them with driver. Spieth’s wayward drive into the water on the 16th and Schenk’s big miss left on the 18th spelled doom for both of them.
It amazes me how the best players on the planet routinely hit the most God-awful shots with such regularity, given the amazing talents they all have. But those guys are not what I’m talking about this week. In keeping with the path of the past few posts, I’m encouraging each and every one of you to think about your most recent rounds (if you are playing already this year), or recall the rounds you finished the season with last year. What you are looking for are you own “big misses” that kept you from scoring better.
Was it a few wayward drives that put you in trouble or even out of bounds? Or maybe loose approach shots that made birdie impossible and par super challenging? Might your issue have been some missed short putts or bad long putts that led to a three-putt? Most likely for any of you, you can recall a number of times where you just did not give yourself a good chance to save par or bogey from what was a not-too-difficult greenside recovery.
The point is, in order to get consistently better, you need to make an honest assessment of where you are losing strokes and then commit to improving that part of your game. If it isn’t your driving that causes problems, contain that part of practice or pre-round warm-ups to just a half dozen swings or so, for the fun of “the big stick”. If your challenges seem to be centered around greenside recoveries, spend a lot more time practicing both your technique and imagination – seeing the shot in your mind and then trying to execute the exact distance and trajectory of the shot required. Time on the putting green will almost always pay off on the course.
But, if you are genuinely interested in improving your overall ball-striking consistency, you would be well-served to examine your fundamentals, starting with the grip and posture/setup. It is near impossible to build a repeating golf swing if those two fundamentals are not just right. And if those two things are fundamentally sound, the creation of a repeating golf swing is much easier.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: It’s not all about distance
- The Wedge Guy: Are you really willing to get better at golf?
- The Wedge Guy: Anatomy of a wedge head
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Great debut for Savannah at the WLD opener + Hideki’s driver grip
A great start for Savvy in her second season competing in the World Long Drive Organization! We talk about the whole experience and we also take a look at the Katalyst suit and how our training sessions are going. Plus we speculate why Hideki is experimenting with a putter grip on a driver, thanks to GolfWRX’s Ben and Brian help.
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Golfing’s great take to Austin GC this week for the WGC Match Play, but the jamboree makes little appeal as a betting medium as far as pre-event odds are concerned.
Though the event doesn’t contain the likes of Cam Smith and pals from the LIV Tour, most of the world’s top lot take part in a tournament that is great fun to watch but, from my point of view, is only worth jumping in once the group stages are sorted. Good luck if you play.
Instead, we’ll hop off to the Dominican Republic for the Corales Puntacana Championship, where world number 90 Wyndham Clark heads the market.
After making seven straight cuts, and having a better chance of winning last week’s Valspar than the eventual fifth place suggests, he is probably the right favourite. However, quotes of single figures are incredibly short and I’d much rather be a layer of the win than a backer.
The last five Corales champions have averaged a world ranking of around 219th, with 2021 winner Joel Dahmen the highest ranked at 79. Given that and the unpredictability of the coastal winds, this is the chance to get with some bigger prices and progressive golfers whilst the elite play around in Texas.
According to 2018 victor Brice Garnett, this is a second-shot course, whilst previous contenders talk of the importance of mid-long range irons. The course won’t play its full 7600-plus yards, but with little punishment off the tee, those bombers that rank highly in long par-4s and par-5s will have an advantage.
Clearly, being coastal leads us to other clues, and all the last five champions have top finishes at the likes of Puerto Rico, Houston, Hawaii, Bay Hill, Pebble Beach and especially Mayakoba.
Sadly, the last-named Mexican track has gone over to LIV but at least for now it remains hugely relevant, with Dahmen, Graeme McDowell and Brice Garnett with top finishes at El Chameleon. Meanwhile, last year’s winner Chad Ramey, had previously recorded top-20 at Bermuda and fifth at Puerto Rico.
Best Bet – Akshay Bhatia
Full respect to the top lot, but given the recent ranking of the winners, the pair of improving youngsters make obvious appeal given their world ranking of around 280, almost certainly a number they will leave miles behind in time.
Runner-up behind the equally promising Michael Thorbjornsen at the 2018 US Amateur, the highly decorated junior star turned pro after contributing two points from three matches at the U.S victory in the 2019 Walker Cup.
Mixing various tours and invites, the 21-year-old finished a closing ninth at the 2020 Safeway Open before a short 2021 season that saw a 30th at Pebble Beach (top-10 at halfway) and a top-60 when debuting at the U.S Open.
2022 started well with a two-shot victory in the Bahamas on the KFT and whilst he racked up two further top-20s, they were not enough to gain his PGA Tour card.
After the conclusion of the ’22 season, Bhatia’s performances have been improving steadily, with a 17th in Bermuda followed by 45th at the RSM, and fourth when defending his Great Exuma Classic title, and seventh at the second Bahamas event a week later.
49th at the Honda disguises that he was 16th at the cut mark, and his fast-finishing second place at Puerto Rico just three weeks ago is further evidence of his ability in similar conditions.
Latterly, the Wake Forest graduate (see Webb Simpson, Cameron Young amongst many others) missed the cut at Copperhead, but again lost sight of his 21st position after the first round.
In the top-30 after his first round on debut in 2020, he said, “The more experience I can get, the better I can learn for myself,” and that certainly seems the case for a player that should play with a tad more confidence now he has secured Special Temporary membership on the PGA Tour.
Danger – Ryan Gerard
He may be two years older than Bhatia, but the 23-year-old is a novice at pro golf.
Having only played eight times on the Canadian Tour – containing one victory, a third, fourth and eighth place finishes, five times on the KFT – including a career-best third place in Columbia, and four events on the PGA Tour, there is no way of knowing how high the ceiling is for the Jupiter resident.
Take a chance we reach somewhere near that, this week.
It’s a small sample but having qualified for the Honda Classic via Monday Q-school, Gerard opened with a 69/63 to lie third at halfway, before finishing with a final round 67 and sole fourth place behind play-off candidates Chris Kirk and Eric Cole, and one place ahead of Shane Lowry.
That unexpected effort got him into the Puerto Rico Open, where he again defied expectation, always being in the top-20 before recording an 11th place finish.
Last week, he needed better than 54th place to earn his STM to Bhatia’s club, but whilst that proved a bit too much, showed plenty in recovering during his second round just to make the cut.
Ryan Gerard needs a two-way T54 this week to clinch Special Temporary Membership.
He was +1 through 13 holes, right on the cutline.
An inside look at how his last five holes played out @ValsparChamp. pic.twitter.com/s3vrrzEeXK
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2023
Gerard’s form is certainly a small sample size, but there is enough there to think he can step up again in this field.
He has that Spieth-type feel on the odd occasion we have seen his play, and he believes he should be here, telling the PGA Tour reporters that:
“But it’s definitely something that I’m not surprised that I’m in this position. I may be surprised that I’m here this early in my career, but I’ve always kind of felt like I wanted to be here, and I was going to do whatever I could to make that happen.”
Others to note – Kevin Chappell – Brandon Matthews
Far more experienced than the top two selections, Kevin Chappell appeals on best form.
Formally 23rd in the world, the 36-year-old has dropped to outside the top 600 but has dropped hints over the last two weeks that he may be approaching the play that won the Texas Open, run-up at Sawgrass, and finish top-10 in four majors.
Since his body broke down in 2018, golf has been a struggle, and he has not recorded a top 10 since the CIMB in October of that year. However, after missing nine of his last 10 cuts, the Californian resident has improved to 29th at Palm Beach Gardens (round positions 84/48/50/29) and 15th at Puerto Rico (47/54/33/15).
Strokes gained were positive throughout at the Honda, and he’ll hope to at least repeat last season’s 15th here, when again coming from way off the pace after the opening round. That effort was one of the highlights from the last 18 months or so, alongside repeat efforts at the Honda (13th) Texas (18th) and Barbasol (21st).
The work after major surgery may have taken taken longer than originally anticipated, but he says he handled the recovery badly. Perhaps that’s now a bad time gone, and Chappell can start making his way back up to where he belongs.
Brandon Matthews makes a little appeal at three figures, particularly on his win here on the Latino America Tour. This massive driver led those stats twice on the KFT and at the Sanderson Farms, and ranked second behind Rory McIlroy at the Honda Classic, when also being top 10 for greens-in-regulation.
He has a way to go on overall PGA Tour form, but Joel Dahmen won after missing six of seven cuts and whilst the selection’s three wins are at the KFT level, he made the cut on his only major attempt – at Brookline – and we all know one mammoth driver that took courses apart from time to time.
Top-10 Banker – Cameron Percy
I looked closely at Aaron Baddeley. The ultimate family man loves a test in the wind and comes here having shown a tad more consistency this year in better class. However, he loses out to his compatriot, Cameron Percy.
The 48-year-old Australian veteran may only have one KFT title to his name, but if we are going to make money out of him, it’s likely to be at one of these coastal ‘opposite’ events.
With top-10 finishes at likely locations such as Bay Hill, Deere Run, Puerto Rico and Panama, Percy’s game is testimonial to his heritage, ranking top-10 finishes aplenty in his homeland.
Best finish in 2021 was a seventh place at Puerto, and he repeated that same number a year later, just three weeks before finishing in the top five at this event.
2022 saw Percy mix with higher grades when eighth at Sedgefield and whilst he missed the cuts at both the RSM and his home Open, he was lying 29th and 25th after the first rounds respectively (6th after round two in Oz).
This season has seen just two cuts from five starts, but there is relevance in a 12th at Honda, and a closing 16th last week at Innisbrook, certainly enough to believe that he can carry on a solid Corales record of two top-eight finishes over the last two outings.
Recommended Bets:
- Akshay Bhatia – 33/1 WIN/TOP-5
- Ryan Gerard – 50/1 WIN/TOP-5
- Kevin Chappell – 90/1 WIN/TOP-5
- Brandon Matthews – 150/1 WIN/TOP-10
- Cameron Percy – 9/1 TOP-10
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terry
Feb 27, 2015 at 11:28 am
could this be part of what’s wrong with golf. its hard enough, now course architects are changing the slopes to not match the natural tendencies… dumb.
Jerry
Feb 19, 2015 at 12:51 pm
“Feeling” the slope with your feet is only valid for about a 3 ft putt. Beyond that length the slope is rarely consistent with where the ball rests. Matter of fact, for me at least, if I can feel the slope when I stand over the ball for that 3 footer, it’s so severe that it’s real luck if ball goes in.
Jose
Mar 3, 2015 at 2:09 pm
We have found this not too be true. Your feet can tell you a lot about how the green changes over distance.
Shawn Clement and I have crafted a putting drill in the dark. Well almost in the dark. You need enough light such as a full moon or a nearby parking lot lamp so that you can still barely see the hole and ball while being totally deprived of depth perception.
You do the around the world drill at a pin position with slope using 5 balls at 5 feet. For ADHD kids we do semi circles and alternate the sides of the hole in order to maintain focus. Since you can not see the slope your senses will be hyper charged to be aware of what your feet and your inner balance mechanism are telling you. When you go up and over the falling it becomes very obvious. By the third time through the sequence you will make most if not all of the putts even though you can not see a thing.
Then do the same with a 5 ball ladder drill from 10′ to 30′ feet. With the first putt you can stills how the ball reacts near the hole. On the second putt you apply that knowledge plus what your feet are telling you is the difference between ball 1 and ball 2 and the second putt ends up much closer. By the third time through the ladder there is very little difference between the outcome of the ladder drill in the dark vs the ladder drill in the light.
However you still need your eyes. You need both senses to allow you brain to predict. This is why we teach ADHD kids to walk above the break, around the hole and stop below the hole. Then they build a picture of how the ball will roll into the hole. They walk back to the ball below the break. Then they build a picture of the ball going into the hole starting from the hole backwards from what both their feet and their eyes are telling them.
It is like a Chef sautéing vegetables. An experienced chef uses what his or her eyes, ears, and nose are telling them what is going on in the pan. If the veggies have spent a couple of days in the crisper, they are more dehydrated and will sizzle less in the pan. At that point the chef instinctively grabs for the chicken stock sooner. His brain has predicted from the sound and experiences that the veggies are about to burn sooner than the time the recipe suggests.
You need to build awareness of what your eyes, feet and inner balance mechanisms are telling you.
Your brain is a marvelous prediction machine.
pete kauffman
Feb 13, 2015 at 9:24 am
How can an amateur learn AimPoint?
Rob Strano
Feb 13, 2015 at 10:52 am
Go to the Aimpoint website and find an instructor near you and contact them.
Rob Strano
Feb 13, 2015 at 8:04 am
Thanks for all the mostly favorable comments on the article. Understand that I wrote it to help explain why you “might” miss putts, why there is another way, and to correct wrong information that so called expert golf commentators are sharing during telecasts (Yesterday Feherety said everything at Pebble breaks toward the ocean, UGH….). In this limited space I do not have the luxury of a dissertation length narrative to explain everything. Just because I did not write about the HOW does not mean anything negative mentioned in the comments is valid. It means that I chose to help you by giving you facts over falsehoods and misconceptions so that you are correctly informed. If you want more about AE here is a great article about the HOW by one of the other certified instructors:
http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/tips-and-tuition/tuition-features/the-art-of-green-reading/
Martin
Feb 13, 2015 at 6:25 am
I just read an article about a process I had never heard of before and I don’t know anything more about it than I did before I read the article.
Long
Feb 13, 2015 at 6:08 am
The idea of Aimpoint express is to quickly read the break and give us the weekend hackers a much better chance to 2putt from outside of 6 feet. I dont expect to make everything for mid range and long range putt. My number of 3 putt has significantly reduced since i took the aimpoint express class. And like some of you mentioned, you have to practice a lot to get better at feeling the slope with your feet. Adam has practiced every day to feel the slope and double check with a digital meter.
Tom
Feb 13, 2015 at 5:28 am
If this article was in any sort of scientific journal it would come with a massive disclaimer at the bottom of it.
Plus the question at the top of the article is ‘Which looks longer, A or B?’ not ‘which is larger, A or B?’ Therefore the answer is ‘B’ it looks larger.
Tim
Feb 13, 2015 at 4:41 am
I have tried it. Not sure I like it. feeling the break through your feet is just as difficult as seeing it with your eyes. Its also just as open to error. if you tend to favour your weight on one side or the other won’t that make a putt that curves feel straight potentially. If I was barefoot on a green I might be able to feel all the slopes, but with spiked shoes its just as much a lottery for me as using my eyes
Fred
Mar 5, 2015 at 3:12 pm
That is exactly correct Tim ! I have got to come up with a gimmick for golf. We are so easy !
Chris C
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:05 am
With all due respect, this article provided no useful information and is simply an add for Aimpoint. I am not saying that Aimpoint is worthless. I am saying that this article provided no information regarding the “secrets” of Aimpoint. Step right up people. Pay your quarter and step into into the tent to see the lizard girl from the Amazon… It’s fast; it’s not rocket science and some very good golfers know the secrets. At least the carnival barkers give some examples of what might be revealed inside the tent. With respect to Aimpoint, I would be satisfied if the author would have given a good explanation as to Scott’s use of a Vulcan mind meld grip to assess green breaks.
Andy W
Feb 12, 2015 at 5:49 pm
So “regular” Aimpoint goes to the curb, now “Express” claims get 95% good reads? Insane quick Expert Greenreading is guaranteed 100% of the time with a P&SI-EGOS; where if ever a bad read, it is pilot error. And free support to correct pilot error. No charts, no foot feeling, no fingers needed.
Anon
Feb 12, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Nice sales pitch. Your article didn’t actually present any information about aim point though. You just bragged about who uses it and name dropped the whole time. Are you afraid if you shared a little knowledge that no one would come to you for lessons? This kind of thinking kept golf instruction (and other industries) in the dark ages for the longest time!
Rob Strano
Feb 12, 2015 at 10:34 am
“When I stand over a six-footer I have a game plan,” says Adam Scott. “I know where the putt needs to go and that gives me great confidence.”
Captain Oblivious
Feb 12, 2015 at 10:15 am
Sounds interesting. I think I will pass, though. I already make an extraordinary amount of putts. If I made any more, I’m sure I would be investigated by numerous government and golfing organizations. Senate hearings, the whole deal. Thanks, but no thanks.
Steve
Feb 12, 2015 at 8:58 am
Adam Scott started using aim point when he was the number 1 player in the world, now he is number 5. Seems to be working, what a joke.
Birdeez
Feb 12, 2015 at 10:10 am
yet his putting stats have gotten better…. sometimes you drop in world ranking for other reasons, but that would take little more common sense and time from your part which you seem incapable of
Steve
Feb 12, 2015 at 1:30 pm
This article is a advertisement at best. it is a complete joke and has no merits, no proof that it works. It is some teaching pro trying to drum up buisness.
rc
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:08 pm
I’m just waiting for the comment here with the youtube link for it :0)
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Thanks for all the comments on the article pro and con. I just got really frustrated last week at the comments during the telecasts on the LPGA and PGA Tours. Mainly this one from Ocala between between Jerry Foltz and Judy Rankin on The Golf Channel telecast.
Here is the transcript of the conversation:
Foltz: “I know Judy you get a lot of questions from viewers who look for a definition as to what it is, and it’s impossible to give you an overview that quickly but essentially it’s a modern day way to quantify what you feel with your feet a plumb-bob if you will.”
Rankin: “And if you stick with us for a few weeks we are going to make every effort to explain this in layman’s terms.”
Foltz: “You feel the slope with your feet and you learn how to judge it between a scale of 1-5 and then you stand behind the ball hold up those fingers next to the golf ball and where the outside finger is in relation to the hole that is your Aimpoint. It is a little more complicated than that.”
(Then Lydia Ko makes a super long birdie putt using Aimpoint Express!!)
Rankin: “I have to ask one more question Jerry…Does it matter which is your dominant eye because it sure did plumb-bobing?”
Foltz: “Yea, I believe it does. Yea, you just , with plumb-bobbing you are like how Karrie Webb does, and is doing, you have to basically stand perpendicular to the slope and then hold your dominant eye. The putter between your dominant eye and the outside edge of the ball. Very similar with the Aimpoint.”
Very confusing and it made my head spin listening to them and I know what I am doing. So how must the viewer feel when hearing all that?. It is OK if you do not know something to simply say “I don’t know,” instead of making stuff up. The point is to help the readers understand some correct facts against what they are hearing on telecasts and maybe see why the best players are doing it.
Richard Davis
Feb 11, 2015 at 9:34 pm
I’m blind in one eye,a good reader of greens.
I actually do it with my feet. I learned the art
of putting from a pro that played in the 1st
masters. Won’t use his name,son copied righted
everything he did or said.
(QUOTE) in real estate 3 important things to remember
Location…Location…Location
IN PUTTING POSTURE…BALANCE…FEEL
Everything starts from the ground up.
Secret
Feb 11, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Folks folks folks.
The reason why there is so much misinformation from guys like Foltz and even good Tour players is this…..: They don’t really want you to know the secret. It’s always been that way.
8thehardway
Feb 11, 2015 at 7:48 pm
So AimPoint mitigates our difficulty reading curves, it’s accurate and easy to learn…
what differentiates it from a protractor?
and why is Adam Scott holding up two fingers?
An overview would have supported your product better than the unexplained correlation with feet, fingers, photos and four paragraphs on non-natural drainage patterns.
The lack of clarity is doubly annoying because my green reading I’m bad at reading the line
Secret
Feb 11, 2015 at 8:16 pm
If you take the course, you would know, wouldn’t you? Duh
Preston
Feb 11, 2015 at 7:40 pm
I’ll save you folks some money. Here’s how it was explained to me by someone that did go to a teacher on the Aimpoint (not sure if it is correct, but I won’t spend the money on the class to verify it): The number of fingers is the amount of break. The length of your arm (distance from your eye) is the speed of the greens. This is the basic principle. First, you calibrate your arm (distance) to the speed of the green, then decide if the putt is a one finger break, 2 finger break (more break), 3 finger, etc….
Example: a huge swinger from right to left… you determine that this much elbow bend equals the speed of the green, the amount of break is 2 fingers. Hold that up to the hole in front of you. This will give you your aim point for the putt.
Secret
Feb 11, 2015 at 8:20 pm
hahahaha what a joke.
MAx
Feb 12, 2015 at 9:24 am
Thank you for the explanation.
skytrooper70
Feb 19, 2015 at 1:52 pm
The number of fingers is based upon your getting to know the degree of slope (from 1-5, with the number of fingers equaling that degree). However, you place the index finger over one-half of the cup and determine your aim point, using the outer most finger (again, from 1-5). I never took the course but saw a promo video. My first three rounds since using Aim Point had me draining longer (over 10 feet) putts on a more consistent basis or just burning edges, more consistently. This meant the dreaded 3 putts were history. The key is to get used to your feel for slope and knowing how hard to hit your putts. Personally, whether it’s a cure-all or not is irrelevant. Now, I have much more confident in my reads and that’s what counts for any golf shot–confidence.
Rob Strano
Feb 19, 2015 at 5:35 pm
“Now, I have much more confident in my reads and that’s what counts for any golf shot–confidence.” Bingo!!! This is what the tour players tell me. They say now I have a plan and feel more confident over the putt…
Cyd
Feb 11, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Anyone that listens to Jerry Foltz is asking to miss putts, cuts, greens, fairways and the broad side of a barn.
Foltz is wrong so often I don’t think he is even watching the same tournament or much less the same shot or putt that I am.
golferjack
Feb 11, 2015 at 4:57 pm
How about letting us know what Aimpoint is (I do know this is just a comment) and give us a bit of Information about how it works……..Otherwise I would like to see the Stats from the Players who use it now and how they putted before ….Then maybe I would like to invest my hard earned bucks in a lesson. Just as an extra there, I am quite happy with my putting but new things are often worth a look.
Philip
Feb 11, 2015 at 4:50 pm
I’ve learned to just trust myself “my 5 senses, yes all 5”. Works from any distance, slop, or speed of greens and can adjust immediately to changing conditions. I believe many just forgot how to listen to their senses and let that information set them up for the putt. It is almost as if someone else is making the putt for you.
It tool me a few months last season, but it was a project that is seeing results in all aspects of my game besides putting. Putting just seemed logical to approach first.
Andrew Cooper
Feb 11, 2015 at 4:26 pm
Trust your feet don’t trust your eyes? Ok try reading a green with your eyes closed and relying on your feet to feel the slope…
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:01 pm
Thanks for your comment Andrew. If you love the game like I do then you have run into this situation. It is late in the day and you say to yourself, “I can squeeze in a quick 9 before dark!” But you don’t quit make it and with 3 holes to play it is hard to see the ball in the air let alone read a green. Over the summer this happened to me and using AE I made 3 in row coming in without being able to see a thing. Years ago on tour (back when it was Buy.com before Nationwide) I was finishing in the near dark, they had not called play because we were two holes from done, and it was darn tough to see. Wish I had this back then!
Andrew Cooper
Feb 12, 2015 at 3:58 am
Rob, thanks for taking the time to reply. I’m a little skeptical of AE, but obviously lots of good players, yourself included, are devotees so I don’t want to knock it. Just can’t think I’d ever trust my feet to feel a slope over what my eyes are telling me! I can relate to your experiences of playing late in the day and holing putts-maybe because we’re also not over thinking the putt too? more relaxed, lower expectations? I’ve always felt I can read greens well- I’ll hit my share of bad putts but rarely do I get fooled by a break-maybe I’ve a sense of slope coming through my feet without realizing it.
Connor
Feb 11, 2015 at 3:23 pm
I live in Seattle, WA and the nearest AimPoint certified coach wanted $600 for a 2-hour lesson.
…I’d rather 3-putt?
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:47 pm
Connor thanks for your comment.
I charge my normal one hour lesson fee. Interested to know who that is and I cannot imagine they are doing many sessions at that rate.
Mike
Feb 11, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Sebastian, here are 3 Aimpoint certified instructors in Canada: Paul Horton Heritage Point Golf Club DeWinton Canada, Derek Ingram Elmhurst Golf and Country Club Winnipeg Canada, Martin Whelan Club de Golf St-Rapha L’lle-Bizard Canada.
Sebastien
Feb 11, 2015 at 2:48 pm
I wish I could learn it but are any course offered in Canada?
jeff
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:45 pm
Liam Mucklow at the Golf Lab in Toronto
snowman0157
Feb 11, 2015 at 12:04 pm
I have taken the level 1 Aimpoint class (not Express)….but actually I have started using my feet to feel the slope and then trying to just trust it with my stroke….It Works! The feet and brain are very well calibrated it seems. If this is similar to the AP Express method, then I would suggest folks try it.
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Snowman thanks for your comment. The article is about Aimpoint Express and glad you understanding the correlation between feet and slope. In a couple of years only the stubborn will rely 100% on the old way to read a green.
Don B
Feb 11, 2015 at 11:11 am
Great article, as an Aimpointer myself I get asked all the time what it is and how it works and I am happy to offer a quick lesson or a full scale demo. Doing this doesn’t really make someone good at it, until you spend some time training your feel for slope!
So that’s where taking a class or two comes in. I have done training with Mark Sweeney and even he will tell you that without practice you will not be as accurate.
One other point that will no doubt open Pandora’s box, is Grain! Just like Rob mentions that slope doesn’t necessarily break to a body of water or like the TV folks repeatedly say about the setting sun, grain is a misunderstood property of green reading. To put it bluntly, it has little bearing on green reading because “grain is slope”. Grain is the direction in which grass grows and grass grows where water goes. Water goes with the slope!! On today’s greens that are cut much shorter than in the past, grain is negligible.
The only place grain effects a read is where the grass is longer, say fringe! And the only place grain doesn’t grow with slope is where there is no slope, on really flat spots.
Aimpoint won’t guarentee you make every putt, but it will sure help you understand how to make more and why you miss when you do. I was always a poor putter but I now feel like I can make everything. And if I dont, it’s usually not far off.
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:22 pm
Thanks for your comment Don and your last sentence is dead on…
When I miss it always looks like it is going to go in but at the last roll just misses.
Really tightens down your reads.
Keep it up and make everything in 2015
frendy
Feb 11, 2015 at 11:00 am
This article should be filed under ADVERTISEMENT.
Zak Kozuchowski
Feb 11, 2015 at 11:04 am
It’s filed under opinion, and comes from one of our regular featured instructors who writes about a variety of topics.
Knobbywood
Feb 11, 2015 at 2:13 pm
This article does not tell you anything about how to use the system but it certainly tries to put the hook in our mouths so we can all go and pay for aimpoint lessons… I agree this is basically an advertisement and I don’t think it should be on golfwrx
Preston
Feb 11, 2015 at 7:32 pm
I agree, this it definitely not an opinion piece. An opinion piece would offer an opposing viewpoint, usually backed up with some facts. This is a teaser for trying to drum up business for Aimpoint teachers, which the writer just so happens to teach.
Travis
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:00 pm
I’m not sure you fully comprehend what “opinion” means.
Keith
Feb 11, 2015 at 9:18 pm
100% agree…but…AimPoint Express is legit and worth it if you can find a pro that doesn’t price gouge for a lesson.
4pillars
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:10 am
The big issue with aimpoint express is that it is so simple you don’t want to tell people how it works because you will lose big $$$$ on your expensive 2 hour classes.
The actual information on aimpoint express you could write in a ten page ebook.
Your article dosn’t in fact explain how aimpoint express works.
I’m not knocking aimpoint express as a technique – I use it myself – just the $$$$ mentality around it.
Knobbywood
Feb 11, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Bullseye! First article on this site to actually make me feel disgust… Sad as this is one of my favorite sites 🙁 and this guy one of the best writers too…
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:41 pm
Knobbywood thanks for your comment and sorry you feel so strongly that way. If you read my lengthy comment above you see that my desire to write this comes from all the incorrect commentary on the telecasts. Why does everyone have a hard time saying, “I simply do not know enough to have an informed opinion?” Also, I am unaware of the big $$$ around AE. I charge the same rate as my hourly lesson fee.
Thank you for also saying I am one of the better writers. That was very kind of you. Don’t personally feel that way and am just trying to help everyone enjoy the game more and play better by sharing information from lessons at my academy.
BTW, your handle would make a great golf course name:
Knobbywood Golf Club – Pine Forest, Illinois
Dennis Corley
Feb 11, 2015 at 2:26 pm
In my opinion:
Pricing of a product or service should be about “value” not “volume”. Just because the inventor can explain the innovative process in a short and simple fashion should not make it “less valuable” or “less expensive”. In fact I think it is more valuable how the process has so simplified some complex science.
Value is set by the consumer. If the seller can help you putt significantly better with a small amount of information – how much is it worth to you? Many golfers are paying $250-$500 to get 10 more yards on a drive. I would argue that the benefits to score are more significant with AimPoint Express than a new driver.
I will also say that, like stealing someone’s music with something like Napster, stealing the Aimpoint Express methods is not “OK” just because it is easy to communicate. (I am not suggesting that you specifically are going to steal it.)
I have taken two AimPoint Express clinics. It is fast, effective, and worth the price– to me. If it is not to you, that is fine, just don’t then feel OK to steal the information.
Jesse
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:01 am
Great article there is so much disinformation about Aimpoint im glad you cleaned it all up. I’ll be taking an Aimpoint clinic this year and am excited to try it out as putting has always been the worst part of my game.
Rob Strano
Feb 11, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Thanks for the comment Jesse. It will help you tighten up your reads a lot. One of the main questions I get from players who tell me putting is the worst part of their game is how do I read a green. This will help you a bunch.
Play well in 2015 and make lot of putts!