AimPoint Results

[inthecup]

I took an Aimpoint class Sunday afternoon and it was pretty amazing.  On  20 foot putts I feel like I have a shot to hit several a round and leave the rest very close.

For those you you that have taken the Aimpoint Class what real world results have you achieved?  Dropped a few putts per round?

My home course has pretty severe greens.  It will be interesting to explore them with this technique.

[iacas]

Congrats.

I recommend that you practice, over the next week or two, about like this:

1) Find straight and estimate the slope for 30-40 minutes. Break it up into ten minute segments if you want, but start nailing "where is straight," then really start honing in on sensing and getting close to the amount of slope.

2) Spend 20 minutes throwing a ball down and getting a read, then hitting the putt. This is when you want to focus on getting your input quickly, looking at the chart for two seconds, and then hitting the putt. Complete reads should take 15 seconds or so by the end of the 20 minutes.

[inthecup]

Thanks.  I am going on a 3 week vacation out of country so my practice will be delayed.

I have been reading putts with my feet for a while and that comes somewhat easily.  Reading the slope is going to take a while more.

I did buy a slope / line bubble tool from the instructor.  That will help me dial in the slope with what I see and feel vs what the tool tells me.

I am super excited about putting it into practice.  I really think I could shave 2-3 strokes per round pretty easily.  I might not hit the one putt but in the very least the second putt will be shorter.

[boogielicious]

You will be pleased once you get the slope reading down.  Speed is a major factor, so getting that right on the course will help too.  Also, trust your read!  Don't let your eyes overrule your feet.

[inthecup]

Have you seen results, would you say you gained some strokes?

[cliffj]

Yes..strokes are gained... The main thing is practice and trust the reading. If you are consistently missing putts during practice, isolate the problem...your speed, your read or...? When I first started my inclination was to have a slight tendency to putt towards hole rather than the spot. (trust issue). Old habits are hard to break. It helps if you can identify them so you can work specifically on them.

[inthecup]

Originally Posted by cliffj

Yes..strokes are gained... The main thing is practice and trust the reading. If you are consistently missing putts during practice, isolate the problem...your speed, your read or...? When I first started my inclination was to have a slight tendency to putt towards hole rather than the spot. (trust issue). Old habits are hard to break. It helps if you can identify them so you can work specifically on them.

A little off topic but how do you like the Edel putter.  I have been considering one.  I do like my current putter and I can hit a line with it so I am hesitant to change.

[dsc123]

I'm glad you asked this because although I knew my putting was better, I had been meaning to quantify that.

I started tracking my scores online in 2008.  I took an AimPoint class on 4/23/2011.

From 1/1/2008 through 4/23/2011, I averaged 1.98 putts per hole, or 35.6 putts per round.  From 4/24/2011 through today, I've averaged 1.90 putts per hole, or about 34.2 putts per round.  So that's about 1.5 putts per round saved.

However, I don't think that tells the whole story.  If you allow me to exclude three rounds from early this year when I was working on my swing a lot and wasn't even trying to putt well (40-38-37), then post-AimPoint I have 1.87 per hole, for about 33.66 per round.  So that's about 2 strokes per round.

I would add that I count my strokes more honestly in 2011/2012 than in 2008/2009, and that I'm hit more greens and thus have fewer short putts.  So I think 2 strokes gained may even be short changing myself.

[dsc123]

I'll add these as well....

Putts Per GIR fell from 2.34 to 2.15 (still not very good)

Three putts decreased from 19% to 11%

[inthecup]

Thanks for chiming in.  Do you pull the chart for most putts?

[dsc123]

I would say maybe 40% of the time. I rarely use it inside 4 feet. I don't use it for straight putts or shortish putts that are very close to straight. I probably use it on 85% of my non straight puts outside 4 feet. When I don't its out of laziness. And typically, when I do use it, as I walk up I see how far I am and whether I'm uphill or down, peek at the chart and look at the numbers for 30,60,90, then put it away. It takes less than 5 seconds. Then I don't have to take it out again once I figure out my position relative to zero--I've already got the numbers in my head.