The breaking putt - How many lines to the cup?

[cbe_golfer]

I have been thinking about this some now. Is there only one true line to the hole on a breaking putt or is it possible to have two or more lines that can get you to the cup?.
Sometimes I think another line exists at a different speed with greater/lesser risk involved. Am I going crazy?

[jasongst]

I have been thinking about this some now. Is there only one true line to the hole on a breaking putt or is it possible to have two or more lines that can get you to the cup?.

There are an infinite number of lines depending on how hard you hit the putt (and what small objects it bounces off of on its way to the cup). If you intend to stop the ball 1 foot beyond the cup, then for all practical purposes there is only one line.

[iWALK18]

There are an infinite number of lines depending on how hard you hit the putt (and what small objects it bounces off of on its way to the cup). If you intend to stop the ball 1 foot beyond the cup, then for all practical purposes there is only one line.

Yes there are an infinite number of lines.

But i would think that some speeds could also have multiple lines which will yield a holed put (think "putt through the break" and "die into the cup", where both balls are hit with the same stroke, but one takes the lower line and hits the cup, while the other kills speed by rolling further up the hill and dieing back down the hill into the cup... same speed different lines for different approaches.)

[TheThein11]

This is really a physics question and can be demonstrated with projectile motion only difference is the ball(projectile) is not in the air. Reading anything about this will tell you that there is many different lines you can take with different speeds.

[chingali]

On any breaking putt you will have many possible lines determined by how hard you want to hit it. The harder you hit the putt the less break it will take but this isn't necessarily a good thing. Unless you can hole every single 5 footer you look at there is no sense in hitting your first putt with enough speed to go that far past.

Have you ever noticed how a putt that it is dead centre with 2 feet to go will often turn at the last second as it slows down? That's the lack of speed letting gravity/spikemarks/kharma take over. The same putt hit a bit harder would probably have gone in, but the question you need to ask yourself is how many 4 or 5 footers do you want to hole to avoid 3 putting.

When reading a putt I always try to pick the highest possible line with the least amount of speed so that the ball dies when it reaches the hole, if it misses I'll have a tap in. Personally I'd rather leave it spot on for length and a foot offline or 6 inches short and on line than knock it 5 feet past.

You should try playing with a mate of mine, his theory on anything under 6 feet is that they are all straight if you hit them hard enough, he holes nearly all of them as well. However, I also hole most 6 footers and under as well by playing more break and dying the ball in to the hole.

Here's a tip for practicing your lag putting if you do decide to go down the die it in to the hole with more break route. Instead of practicing 30 footers by putting to a hole, put a coin on the green and see how close you can get to it, it helps build a good sense for speed.

[titaniummd]

I am working on my putting and I am getting a good feel for distance control. I have actually been looking at the hole while I put. However, one thing that I seem to have issues with is reading the breaks. I can appreciate the break and the direction but to what degree by 'eyeballing' it is still in the works. Last year, I got the Breakmaster which is essentially a digital level.

I was using it to estimate the break and made putts based on the amount of break (most breaks were 0.5 to 3 degrees).

www.exelys.com

When I went to play, my brother in law was saying that I was not reading the breaks correctly. I would say it looked straight to me (I looked from behind the hole and behind the ball - not at the same time). He said I was depending upon the digital reader and should stop using it.

However, there were multiple factors involved in my poor putting (not practicing putting) and not feeling comfortable with the putter (SC Newport 2). I realize in retrospect that I was pulling putts since my body was aligned to the left of the target line.

Now, I putt with a true blade (although not brass, like many purists would prefer). I am putting straighter.

I would like to start using the digital green reader again to appreciate how much break I am dealing with but I don't want to use it as a crutch. I do not use it when playing.

http://www.exelys.com/manuals.html

How do you recommend me dealing with reading breaks?

[catfell]

I think the original question to the thread has been answered.

I would like to start using the digital green reader again to appreciate how much break I am dealing with but I don't want to use it as a crutch. I do not use it when playing.

In my opinion, I'd say ditch the green reader. Even if you just use it for practice, actually especially if you only use it for practice.

The point of practicing is to become comfortable with whatever it is you are practicing to do. The sooner you start just using your eyes and your head, the sooner you won't feel like you need anything else to read the break. If you practice with the green reader, how confident will you be without it? Even if you had a quantifiable amount of break, your read will still depend on slope (uphill/downhill), speed of the green, grain of the grass and in extreme conditions, even the wind can have an effect on the break. Simple advice, look at your putt from the front, back and side. Pick a point that you want to hit the ball to, commit to that point and make your putt. Don't putt with doubt in your mind. Have a specific goal/spot and go for it. I think Harvey Penick would describe it as "taking dead aim". Same goes for chipping. I don't mean to get down on you titaniummd, but reading putts takes experience and practice.