Reading greens?

[natureboy]

I think the only thing someone elses putt will do for me is confirm my read (even though I'm almost 99% sure of it when I make it now)..   At no point will seeing his putt give me the line I need to hit to sink the putt though..

Good point. I didn't mean choosing a line based on his line, but just watching how the ball moves on the slope between him and the hole (and possibly past) as an indication of the slope / fall line.

A very bad habit to do. Unless the person is right near your ball mark it isn't something I would do. Even if a guy is directly behind me, I still have no clue if he pushed or pulled the putt, or how hard he hit it. The guy could bash his putt and get lucky to have it fall in. Then you'd think the putt is straighter than it is. Too many variables added in.

For copying his line or picking a point to aim at, I agree. I do think it's valuable for seeing how the ball behaves going to the hole. If he smokes it and it still falls, I have enough putting experience to tell that it's going in hot versus dying over the lip.

While it's clearly valuable (Bobby Locke's shuffling steps on the green), my feet don't yet feel educated enough for me to rely on them solely. Even when I can feel the slope in my feet a bit, it's just added to the total picture from my eyes - including watching the curve of other putts.

Does AimPoint reading not incorporate any visual information?

[saevel25]

Does AimPoint reading not incorporate any visual information?

No, it is knowing how to read greens through using your feat. The only visual information is picking the point how much left or right the putt breaks.

[natureboy]

No, it is knowing how to read greens through using your feat. The only visual information is picking the point how much left or right the putt breaks.

Surprising. I would have thought that it was a combination. What if your feet lack sensitivity? Does the method fail?

So when an AimPoint master reads a green from the tee is he not using the AimPoint method?

[Abu3baid]

Surprising. I would have thought that it was a combination. What if your feet lack sensitivity? Does the method fail?

So when an AimPoint master reads a green from the tee is he not using the AimPoint method?

humans automatically balance themselves, and when you stand on the green if you know what you are looking for you will notice the difference in how your body balances its self and then determine the slop.. to at least a +/- .5 degree IMO..

I'm not sure, but I don't think the aimpoint master is reading greens from the tee.. not sure why he would want to. :)

[Golfingdad]

No, it is knowing how to read greens through using your feat. The only visual information is picking the point how much left or right the putt breaks.

Using your what??? ;)

[saevel25]

Using your what??? ;)

great feats of feet

Surprising. I would have thought that it was a combination. What if your feet lack sensitivity? Does the method fail?

So when an AimPoint master reads a green from the tee is he not using the AimPoint method?

Everyone has their own sense of balance. You basically train yourself to know what the slope is using your feet.

[iacas]

Surprising. I would have thought that it was a combination. What if your feet lack sensitivity? Does the method fail?

It does use both, but your eyes are a very small portion. Your feet don't lack sensitivity. I suppose perhaps some people with diabetes might have issues, but I've never had someone whose feet aren't more sensitive than their eyes… given how architects try to trick your eyes, and most people don't just fall over when standing on slightly tilted slopes.

So when an AimPoint master reads a green from the tee is he not using the AimPoint method?

He's making educated guesses and looking them up on the chart.

I've read putts from the tee. I guess at the slope, distance, etc. and read it on the chart. If you get to the green and they're all right, or close, you don't need to get your chart out again.

[natureboy]

It does use both, but your eyes are a very small portion. Your feet don't lack sensitivity. I suppose perhaps some people with diabetes might have issues, but I've never had someone whose feet aren't more sensitive than their eyes… given how architects try to trick your eyes, and most people don't just fall over when standing on slightly tilted slopes.

I walked around on a ramp today to see what I could feel. Turns out my feet were not 'deaf', just that I wasn't listening attentively.

As I moved uphill I felt more weight / pressure toward my heels & more pressure toward the toes moving downhill.

On a cross slope, I felt pressure toward the downhill edge of my feet and a slight 'roll' sensation in that direction & also some pressure toward toe & heel depending if I was moving up or down the slope.

So, if you walk along a semicircle on the low side of the hole and find a spot where the roll / pressure feeling in your feet is perpendicular to the arc of the circle and the weight / pressure is balanced heel-toe, is that the fall / zero break line?

[joekelly]

Erik.  You have stated your preference for 'low heel rise golf shoes', i believe.  Is this preference related to green reading via feet feel?

[iacas]

Erik.  You have stated your preference for 'low heel rise golf shoes', i believe.  Is this preference related to green reading via feet feel?

No. You can do AimPoint stuff in any kind of shoes so long as they're the same (if one foot went from 24 to 11mm and the other went from 30 to 10 mm, there could be issues). If the toes are at the same height you should be fine.

I prefer them for biomechanical reasons. I believe our feet are well designed and that shoes with a big heel and arch support are like putting our feet in casts, resulting in atrophy and weaker feet.