AimPoint Instruction

[prowland4]

Hey guys. Does anyone live in or near Louisville, Ky? If so, would you be interested in getting an AimPoint instructor to come here?

I'm a 4 handicap right now but know that I could shoot some low numbers if I knew how to putt. I'm not sure what it is but I will generally 3 putt within the first 5 holes. Once I do that, I'm completely out of it(mentally) for the rest of the round. It is usually my speed that kills me. I've tried lessons with some local guys and I've done some drills but nothing is working. AimPoint is the only other thing I can think of.

Let me know if anyone is interested.

Thanks,

Patrick

[Beachcomber]

Question... Have you ever had a SAM fitting with your putter?  One thing you want to understand is your impact face angle.  The larger the angle (open or closed) at impact - the smaller the hole will be.  Getting a SAM fitting will provide you this critical data point.

For reference, below I've attached a photo of an awesome chart that Odyssey had posted in their putting studio (just visited it yesterday).  You can see from this chart - that the larger your impact angle is - the harder it will be to make putts; as in essence -  you're making the hole smaller.

Therefore, while reading greens is obviously important to making more putts (Aimpoint will definitely help you read greens better)... The first part is understanding your putting stroke.  Are you properly fit into your putter, and if not - what you need to do to reduce your impact angles so that you increase your chances at making putts in the first place.

Very, very good data point here.

[prowland4]

Hey BC, thanks for the response. I have never had a SAM fitting with my putter and would have no idea where to go. Sounds like something I should do though. I guess I could swing by Golf Galaxy and see what they can do.

Thanks again,

Patrick

[realdealblues]

I don't know anything about AimPoint but over the past 2 weeks my putting has improved dramatically and I haven't had a 3 putt in the last few rounds I've been out.  A month or 2 ago I was 3-6 putting all the time.  I hadn't played much in years so I have been going back and really starting over and learning how to do everything over again from scratch over the past few months.  I'm only a beginner/intermediate, but I'll tell you what has helped me tremendously.

Just 2 things:

When I putt I think about "throwing the ball" with my right hand and how hard I would have to throw/roll it to get it to the hole.  I then mimic that same feeling when I am actually putting.  I pretend or visualize that I'm actually throwing the ball.  Take a ball and actually throw it like your putting stroke and see how it close you get to the hole.  "Feel" how hard you have to throw it and then do the same thing with the putter in hand.  That made all the difference in the world in judgement of speed and direction for me.

The other thing I do is when I practice putting, I only do it from only 2 distances.  40-60ft away and 3-4ft away.  Your chances of making a 12-15ft putt are like 25%.  But you should be able to knock it within 3ft 90% of the time to have a 2 putt from that distance.  I take 3 balls and putt from a long distance 40-60ft and try to get them at least within 3ft of the hole.  If you make one great.  Take it out and then put it about 3ft away and putt all 3 balls from that distance.  If I can get a put within 3ft I will make it almost every time and usually the only time you don't get within 3ft are really long putts.  So that's why I only putt 2 distances when I "practice".

Don't know if that will help, but I wish you the best of luck.

[prowland4]

Hey RealDeal. Those are two great tips....unfortunately I've tried them both. I have several friends who use the "throw the ball" motion and it works great for them. I tried it the second half of last year and still 3 jacked from everywhere.

I also had an instructor tell me to practice from similar distances that you suggested. Those are the only distances I have used on the practice green this year.

It seemed like both of those things helped out initially but after a couple weeks I would 3 putt a couple times and would be back to square one.

I'm starting to think it might be more of a mental problem.....

[realdealblues]

You can kind of test that by trying a new putter or by borrowing a friends.  If it's mental probably usually you'll play better for a few weeks because your thinking about how different it feels, how heavy it is, how bright and shiny it is etc, instead thinking about the actual putt.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by realdealblues

The other thing I do is when I practice putting, I only do it from only 2 distances.  40-60ft away and 3-4ft away.  Your chances of making a 12-15ft putt are like 25%.  But you should be able to knock it within 3ft 90% of the time to have a 2 putt from that distance.  I take 3 balls and putt from a long distance 40-60ft and try to get them at least within 3ft of the hole.  If you make one great.  Take it out and then put it about 3ft away and putt all 3 balls from that distance.  If I can get a put within 3ft I will make it almost every time and usually the only time you don't get within 3ft are really long putts.  So that's why I only putt 2 distances when I "practice".

We probably all have a unique nemesis in our putting, and different focus may work differently for each of us.    I've heard others tout putting practice focused only on those 2 distances, but I've found a significant improvement in my putting by putting a lot of time into those 15-20 footers.    My iron play is pretty good, so I pretty rarely find myself at 40-60 feet, but am pretty frequently between 12-20 feet.     But at that distance, I was pretty rarely sinking the birdie, and had a disturbing percentage where I would screw up distance and leave myself with a 4-5 footer to comeback, and then occasionally miss those resulting in a 3 putt.     After a lot of practice at that distance, I'm probably sinking 1 or 2 more birdie putts and cut out a 3 putt or two - that's several strokes I've shaved by just becoming a lot better at the distance I leave most iron shots.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by prowland4

Hey RealDeal. Those are two great tips....unfortunately I've tried them both. I have several friends who use the "throw the ball" motion and it works great for them. I tried it the second half of last year and still 3 jacked from everywhere.

I also had an instructor tell me to practice from similar distances that you suggested. Those are the only distances I have used on the practice green this year.

It seemed like both of those things helped out initially but after a couple weeks I would 3 putt a couple times and would be back to square one.

I'm starting to think it might be more of a mental problem.....

Buy one of these... And use it.  Don't just let it sit there and collect dust.  I use mine regularly - and it has helped me improve my putting dramatically.

http://www.puttingalley.com/ (LOL I just looked at their site - first time since I bought it earlier this year - and they are using a photo on their website from my video!? Hhahaha - seriously I have nothing to do with this product - I just like it a lot.)

Anyway, here is a video I made using it in my kitchen... So easy to setup and it doesn't require anything other than a flat floor - now I use it on carpet.  There are two different sides (1" or 1/2").  I only practice on the 1/2".  I figured it forces me to concentrate more - and while it may have been agrivating at first getting used to hitting a perfectly straight putt... And have it fall off to the left or right over and over... It definitely pays off.  Nothing comes easy.  Practice makes perfect.

[Beachcomber]

I'll also add... I bought the iPing cradle ($30) and downloaded the app for free.  I use it less frequently now than when I first picked it up - but it is great at giving you tempo numbers - but most importantly - gives you the Impact Angle number which I referenced above.

Knowing your Impact Angle number - and monitoring it is key.  As you can see from the photo I posted originally, near the top of this thread... Green are putts that will go in the hole - yellow is questionable - red will be missed.  You can quickly see how much this Impact Angle will effect making putts at various distances.

Combine the Putting Alley - with the iPing cradle - and if you can't improve your putting with regular practice... Then ones putting woes would have to be something mental or possibly a physical deficiency.

[dkinser86]

I've found 3 putting to be more about having the wrong speed than misreading the break.  Having good speed should get the ball within tap in distance most of the time.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dkinser86

I've found 3 putting to be more about having the wrong speed than misreading the break.  Having good speed should get the ball within tap in distance most of the time.

Totally agree.  I think the idea with Aimpoint, though, is more about making mid range putts than it is about lagging the long ones.

[prowland4]

Thanks for all the input guys. Beach, I just bought the Putting Alley....it looks pretty cool.

I have a Samsung Galaxy so I'm not sure if the iPing cradle will work for me or not. I'm assuming they will have it at Golf Galaxy so I'll go check it out tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the help. If I can't get this figured out soon then I'll have to start putting with my 3 iron....because that damn putter will be broken!!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by prowland4

Hey guys. Does anyone live in or near Louisville, Ky? If so, would you be interested in getting an AimPoint instructor to come here?

I'm a 4 handicap right now but know that I could shoot some low numbers if I knew how to putt. I'm not sure what it is but I will generally 3 putt within the first 5 holes. Once I do that, I'm completely out of it(mentally) for the rest of the round. It is usually my speed that kills me. I've tried lessons with some local guys and I've done some drills but nothing is working. AimPoint is the only other thing I can think of.

I'm doing an AimPoint clinic near Cincinnati on July 14.

Alternatively, if you can find five other people (up to seven) and a place to do it (we'll often comp the host pro and an assistant of his or something), I can come down with the family and explore Louisville for a day or two, and give a clinic. It's not too far away.

Our clinics typically last about three hours.

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Question... Have you ever had a SAM fitting with your putter?  One thing you want to understand is your impact face angle.  The larger the angle (open or closed) at impact - the smaller the hole will be.  Getting a SAM fitting will provide you this critical data point.

Shawn, I own a SAM, and while we make decent use of it, it's somewhat irrelevant to what you're saying. Loren Roberts is something like 1.9° open at impact, but he's 1.9° open every time. The key for him is that he hits the ball on-line.

Good putters do three things really freaking well:

1. They read greens well.
2. They start their putts on their intended line.
3. They hit the ball the right speed (distance).

A putter that's fit for you can help with 2 and 3. But you can also practice and improve those with your putter, too. Get a piece of stretchy string (elastic string) and two knitting needles. Put the string along the ground and use tees and make a box a foot deep and six feet wide. Putt 15 or 20 footers to stop inside of that every time . Uphill, downhill, sidehill.

Then take the stretchy string and put it six inches off the ground with the knitting needles. Practice starting the ball under the line. It's very easy to see if you push or pull them.

Now, all of that's great, but if you read a cup of break and hit your line with the right speed but the putt breaks six inches, you have essentially no chance of making the putt. So that's where the first one comes in: reading greens well. And that's where AimPoint helps.

Originally Posted by dkinser86

I've found 3 putting to be more about having the wrong speed than misreading the break.  Having good speed should get the ball within tap in distance most of the time.

While that's largely true, AimPoint is about making more of the mid-range putts, and what's more true than your statement is that most people are truly lousy green readers. Dave and I were good, but now we feel we're great green readers.

We've asked people how much a putt breaks indoors. Except for three people (out of about 100 by now), the highest guess we've gotten is "eight or nine inches." The putt breaks 19 inches. If you hit it at a speed where, at the hole, the putt will have broken only nine inches, it's impossible to hole the putt (it's going too fast), and that was the highest guess we've gotten.

What people will do is think "one cup of break," then shove the putt farther up the hill because the body over-rides the mind. Or they'll hit it firmer. Or a combination of both. They might be an "okay" putter but they're not nearly as good as they think they are.

This is one of the rare cases where I might actually stand to benefit financially from giving advice, but I have a good history here of recommending that even people in the UK go take an AimPoint class - and them being very happy they did - when I did not stand to gain. I got into AimPoint because it's one of the only true "breakthroughs" in the game of golf in the past 50 years (Doppler radar, i.e. Trackman/Flightscope, being one of the only others). It absolutely makes golfers better.

Putting is something the amateur golfer can do BETTER than a PGA Tour pro, especially the green reading part of it. AimPoint is the third piece of the three-pronged attack to being a better putter. The other two cost about $5 and your time and effort to practice them.

[boogielicious]

Cincinnati is less than two hours from Louisville.  Make the trip.  You will be pleased with the results.  Two things to do before going:

1. Practice getting your putts to go on line.
2. Practice speed drills for 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet, uphill, downhill and sidehill.

If you get there early, test the green out for speed.  Wear the golf shoes you wear most often so your slope reading (by your feet) will be consistent.  I wore sneakers by mistake.