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post #1 of 18
9/17/12 at 2:38pm
Thread Starter 

Can you guys help clarify how to do the midpoint read for a basic putt like below....

 

 

 

 

When I use the book to help determine the angle... Do I use straight as the zero line- and if I'm standing at the red 'x'.... Just say that is approximately 45 deg from straight?  So now I know I'm above the hole, take the difference between 60 and 30 and use that number for the 3%... 20' ring + delta of 15' + 20' x 2 to find the 30ft break?

 

My biggest confusion was on what angle I use?

 

Also, are there books with 45 angle numbers?

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post #2 of 18
9/17/12 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachcomber View Post

 

 

When I use the book to help determine the angle... Do I use straight as the zero line- and if I'm standing at the red 'x'.... Just say that is approximately 45 deg from straight?  So now I know I'm above the hole, take the difference between 60 and 30 and use that number for the 3%... 20' ring + delta of 15' + 20' x 2 to find the 30ft break?

 

So did you do your 10, 20, and 30-minute practice sessions? :)

 

You use the line from your ball to the hole as it crosses straight. So yes, 45° is correctly. Downhill.

 

Disregard the idea of "zero lines." They're not really used anymore, and "zero lines" technically go through the hole (they're lines which you play straight aim).

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachcomber View Post

My biggest confusion was on what angle I use?

 

Also, are there books with 45 angle numbers?

 

You got it right.

 

No 45° books, no. 30/60/90 are about all you need, really. Remember, "fuzzy numbers." :)

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post #3 of 18
9/17/12 at 4:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

So did you do your 10, 20, and 30-minute practice sessions? :)

Haha!  I was going to ask him the same thing!

 

I'm going to spend my practice sessions in the next few days exclusively on Aimpoint because I am sore from hitting 8,000,000 (that's a rough estimate) balls yesterday.

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post #4 of 18
9/17/12 at 4:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

 

So did you do your 10, 20, and 30-minute practice sessions? :)

 

You use the line from your ball to the hole as it crosses straight. So yes, 45° is correctly. Downhill.

 

Disregard the idea of "zero lines." They're not really used anymore, and "zero lines" technically go through the hole (they're lines which you play straight aim).

 

 

You got it right.

 

No 45° books, no. 30/60/90 are about all you need, really. Remember, "fuzzy numbers." :)

Thanks for the confirmation.  My practice session was more of 5/5/5 as I hit a few balls (small bucket) on the range before hand, and then ran out of time.  Plus to find the stimp - I used a trick that John Graham posted to Youtube.  Worked pretty well! :D

 

 

Just wish I was hitting the ball a little better to give me more looks at legit birds.  Can't wait to get back out and practice my reads.

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post #5 of 18
9/17/12 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfingdad View Post

Haha!  I was going to ask him the same thing!

 

I'm going to spend my practice sessions in the next few days exclusively on Aimpoint because I am sore from hitting 8,000,000 (that's a rough estimate) balls yesterday.

LOL... I felt the exact same way after the clinic in the Spring.  8hrs of hitting balls is a LONG day. 

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post #6 of 18
9/17/12 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachcomber View Post

Plus to find the stimp - I used a trick that John Graham posted to Youtube.  Worked pretty well! :D

 

I'm not sure I understand... that's exactly how we taught you to find the stimp, except we like you to do it at 10 feet because it's easier to see the difference between a few inches of break than it is between one inch of break. ;D

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post #7 of 18
9/17/12 at 6:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

I'm not sure I understand... that's exactly how we taught you to find the stimp, except we like you to do it at 10 feet because it's easier to see the difference between a few inches of break than it is between one inch of break. ;D

Maybe Shawn was dozing off during that part?  c3_clap.gif I liked it because it was basically algebra.  You know all of the other variables, so through trial and error, solve for X.

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post #8 of 18
9/17/12 at 7:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfingdad View Post

Maybe Shawn was dozing off during that part?  c3_clap.gif

 

Must have been. ;) Damn narcolepsy!

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post #9 of 18
9/17/12 at 11:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

 

I'm not sure I understand... that's exactly how we taught you to find the stimp, except we like you to do it at 10 feet because it's easier to see the difference between a few inches of break than it is between one inch of break. ;D

The problem is I can't make 10' putts... So I tried the 5' trick! :P

 

Seriously, I learned so much in a short window - I probably forgot the part about the stimp?? LOL  Overall - an awesome class.  Just a lot for me to grasp at once!!

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post #10 of 18
9/17/12 at 11:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

 

So did you do your 10, 20, and 30-minute practice sessions? :)

 

You use the line from your ball to the hole as it crosses straight. So yes, 45° is correctly. Downhill.

 

Disregard the idea of "zero lines." They're not really used anymore, and "zero lines" technically go through the hole (they're lines which you play straight aim).

 

 

You got it right.

 

No 45° books, no. 30/60/90 are about all you need, really. Remember, "fuzzy numbers." :)

 

Would it be against the rules of golf to use my putter to make the line between the ball and the hole - and then step back like a yard - and extend my arms to see the angle better? Hahaha I'm going to look like a damn fool out there trying to get the 'A'.

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post #11 of 18
9/18/12 at 1:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachcomber View Post

Would it be against the rules of golf to use my putter to make the line between the ball and the hole - and then step back like a yard - and extend my arms to see the angle better?

 

You can hold your putter up in the air, but no, don't put it on the ground or whatever if that's what you meant.

 

And get thyself to JoAnn Fabrics! :)

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post #12 of 18
9/18/12 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iacas View Post

And get thyself to JoAnn Fabrics! :)

LOL.

 

Maybe this is a dumb question, but has anybody here ever been given a hard time while practicing putting with a raised string line?  It's not like we're poking giant holes in the green, but I wonder if some courses will give you crap for poking any holes in the green?

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post #13 of 18
9/18/12 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfingdad View Post

Maybe this is a dumb question, but has anybody here ever been given a hard time while practicing putting with a raised string line?  It's not like we're poking giant holes in the green, but I wonder if some courses will give you crap for poking any holes in the green?

 

Not that I've heard of. It's the same as putting tees in the ground.

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post #14 of 18
9/27/12 at 9:55am

Just got an e-mail from Mark Sweeney about not using the chart when doing the midpoint read per R&A rules.  I was actually already starting to do this on some putts.  What are others thoughts on this change?

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post #15 of 18
9/27/12 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by boogielicious View Post

Just got an e-mail from Mark Sweeney about not using the chart when doing the midpoint read per R&A rules.  I was actually already starting to do this on some putts.  What are others thoughts on this change?

Really?  Then what do you do?  I just took a fundamentals class a couple of weeks ago and that is basically the only way we were taught.  If that wasn't legal, then the system would be useless to me.

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post #16 of 18
9/27/12 at 1:30pm

You can still do the read the same way.  You just can't use the chart like a protractor at the midpoint.  It is pretty easy to figure out if the slope is 90, 60 or 30.  You can hold your putter up along the putt direction and figure 90, 60 or 30 from that.  After a bit of practice, you don't even need the putter.  USGA has not commented yet, so you can keep using the chart for now.

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post #17 of 18
9/27/12 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boogielicious View Post

You can still do the read the same way.  You just can't use the chart like a protractor at the midpoint.  It is pretty easy to figure out if the slope is 90, 60 or 30.  You can hold your putter up along the putt direction and figure 90, 60 or 30 from that.  After a bit of practice, you don't even need the putter.  USGA has not commented yet, so you can keep using the chart for now.

Oh, oh, oh ... sorry.  I thought you meant you can't read the numbers off the chart.  I was thinking about the term "midpoint read" in the sense of the whole process, not just the angle.

 

I realize now that you are only talking about using the chart to find the angle to straight at the midpoint.  Phew.  That's not so bad.  I wasn't doing that anyway, I have been either guesstimating, or using my putter.

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post #18 of 18
9/27/12 at 2:53pm

Here is Mark's statement:

 

Quote:
The R&A has issued a decision on AimCharts which states that using them during a stipulated round does NOT violate Rule 14-3 (Artificial Devices and Unusual Equipment) provided that the AimChart is not used as a physical reference for gauging angle. This means that in R&A governed rounds you cannot use the AimChart at the MidPoint to pick the angle, you will have to visually pick the angle based on how it intersects your body, then move away from the MidPoint before looking up the break on the AimChart. The USGA has not commented on this decision, but to be safe we recommend that anyone playing USGA-governed rounds follow the same process. Other corollary rules are Rule 6-7 (you must play without undue delay); and 16-1a (player cannot stand on or touch the line of the putt).

If you have any questions about this ruling, please contact your Certified Instructor for more information.
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