Lowest Score Wins: Assessing the angle and slope of putts

[brookter]

I'm working my way through the book and finding it very interesting.

I have a simple question about the procedure on page 52 to assess the angle and slope by pointing your feet directly uphill and then to 3:00 or 9:00.

Where do you do this? By the ball? By the hole? At the point you think has the greatest slope / angle? The book only says 'near the line of the putt'.

If there is more than one break, do you carry out the procedure more than once?

(I appreciate that Aimpoint adds a lot of detail to the procedure outlined in the book -- e.g. for multi-break reads -- but I'm not in a position to take the Aimpoint courses, so am asking specifically about the book procedure.)

Many thanks.

[Ernest Jones]

I'm working my way through the book and finding it very interesting.

I have a simple question about the procedure on page 52 to assess the angle and slope by pointing your feet directly uphill and then to 3:00 or 9:00.

Where do you do this? By the ball? By the hole? At the point you think has the greatest slope / angle? The book only says 'near the line of the putt'.

If there is more than one break, do you carry out the procedure more than once?

(I appreciate that Aimpoint adds a lot of detail to the procedure outlined in the book -- e.g. for multi-break reads -- but I'm not in a position to take the Aimpoint courses, so am asking specifically about the book procedure.)

Many thanks.

For most putts you'll want to assess the slope around the mid-point of the putt, i.e. if it's a 20 footer, feel out the slope at the 10 foot mark standing on the low side of your line. For shorter putts (like 5' or less) you can just stand directly behind the ball and feel it there. If I think there's a drastic change in slope in the last 25% of the distance I may take a second read at the 3/4 point and slightly adjust my mid-point read accordingly but that's only in the rarest of cases where there is an obvious and somewhat severe change in slope.

Really recommend saving up your pennies for an Aimpoint class, easily some of the best money you'll ever spend on your game. I don't always one-putt but the vast majority of my second putts are tap-ins, and that's a real game changer. Actually, my last round I left 6 putts within 6" or less for a tap-in on the second putt. Aimpoint is great for little chips and pitches too, I'll take a read at the mid-point between my planned landing spot and the hole. I've had quite a few one putts since I started doing this and even a handful of nice chip-ins simply because I know what the ball will do as it rolls out.

[brookter]

Thank you -- that's really helpful!

[saevel25]

Really recommend saving up your pennies for an Aimpoint class, easily some of the best money you'll ever spend on your game.

Yea I agree, go take an aimpoint class. Best money ever spent.

Reading greens with your feet is like one of those, "DUH" moments. It really is easy.

[Brian W]

Aimpoint will have to wait til next year for me but its definitely on the list.  It is also going to require an airline ticket to K.C to boot.

Some of the book is harder to understand without the aimpoint class for sure