Adam Scott aiming putts with his fingers

[Arthurd561]

When watching the Honda Classic yesterday I saw Adam Scott aiming up all his putts by looking at the tips if his fingers, holding up either one or two fingers at a time. I am writing to see if anyone could inform me of the technique he is using there. What is it called? How does it work?

[saevel25]

22 minutes ago, Arthurd561 said:

When watching the Honda Classic yesterday I saw Adam Scott aiming up all his putts by looking at the tips if his fingers, holding up either one or two fingers at a time. I am writing to see if anyone could inform me of the technique he is using there. What is it called? How does it work?

It's called

http://www.aimpointgolf.com/

It's a system that uses your feet to determine the slope. It's the best way to read greens out there. You really take the guess work out of green reading. 

[rogolf]

Two things to note about it:

1.  it's slow

2.  you are not permitted to stand on your line of putt, which includes a reasonable distance on each side of the precise line you wish the ball to take.  "Reasonable" is not defined so one could expect some discussion.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, rogolf said:

Two things to note about it:

1.  it's slow

Bullshit. It's faster than any other green reading method I've ever seen. Most of the people with whom I play don't even know I'm reading my putts.

2 minutes ago, rogolf said:

2.  you are not permitted to stand on your line of putt, which includes a reasonable distance on each side of the precise line you wish the ball to take.  "Reasonable" is not defined so one could expect some discussion.

The PGA Tour has clarified what this means for their rules officials, and understand that a player is not going to willingly stand on the line of his putt. So long as their feet are a foot or so apart, the line is assumed to be in between, and that's deemed to be a reasonable distance.

Furthermore, the players I teach don't stand astride the line, they stand on the low side of it.

 

[saevel25]

2 minutes ago, rogolf said:

Two things to note about it:

1.  it's slow

2.  you are not permitted to stand on your line of putt, which includes a reasonable distance on each side of the precise line you wish the ball to take.  "Reasonable" is not defined so one could expect some discussion.

1. No it's not

2. https://aimpointgolf.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/wheres-my-path/

 

[nevets88]

20 minutes ago, rogolf said:

Two things to note about it:

1.  it's slow

2.  you are not permitted to stand on your line of putt, which includes a reasonable distance on each side of the precise line you wish the ball to take.  "Reasonable" is not defined so one could expect some discussion.

People, make your own decision on how long it takes to make an AE read:

 

[DaveP043]

23 minutes ago, rogolf said:

1.  it's slow

I'm not an Aimpoint user, but I've read enough to understand some generalities, and it certainly seems to have value.  I've only (knowingly) played with a couple of Aimpoint guys, and those were @mvmac, @tristanhilton85, and @Golfingdad when I was in Palm Springs in January.  None of these guys took any significant time to come up with their read, and they were always ready to putt very quickly.  I imagine its like anything else, a slow player will take too much time reading his putt, no matter how he makes the read.  

[saevel25]

2 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

People, make your own decision on how long it takes to make an AE read:

16 seconds to read the putt, and that was with him redoing the express read there at the end. That's pretty good. If you use express you can pretty much beat that routinely. The good thing is your not second guessing yourself on the read. 

 

[Arthurd561]

I saw Scott standing over his line in the Honda with his feet straddling the line. and it seems as though his routine from what I could account for by the broadcast didn't take any longer than the others out there. Naturally it would be up to the individual, and how well they are able to read putts that would determine the amount of time they are going to take. Thanks for the info. 

[freshmanUTA]

I know enough about it to know that it's probably the fastest way to read greens like @iacas and @saevel25 said. It is not slow.

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

The good thing is your not second guessing yourself on the read. 

This is false.  I do this all the time. 

[colin007]

8 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

This is false.  I do this all the time. 

 

oh cmon, no you dont!

i know that for me, learning to feel slope with my feet means i am almost NEVER fooled on which direction it breaks.

[Golfingdad]

2 minutes ago, colin007 said:

 

oh cmon, no you dont!

i know that for me, learning to feel slope with my feet means i am almost NEVER fooled on which direction it breaks.

Let me clarify:  I am also almost never fooled on which direction it breaks either.  I've gotten quite good at that.  But here is an example of something that happens not too infrequently.

Let's say I have a 7' putt on a 9 green and I read (at the midpoint - I haven't learned Express) a 2%, 90* slope.  Chart says ~5 inches, but then I stand over the ball and I'm like "man, this feels a lot flatter/straighter than that.  Perhaps I overestimated and it was closer to 1%?  OK, let's go with 3 inches."  Then, unsurprisingly, I'll miss low by an inch or two. 

But thanks to this thread: 

... I can now remind myself that anytime I'm a little unsure like that, I should always go with the higher read.  So in my example, I should aim 5, and even if I was right about it being 3, I might STILL make it, whereas, if I go low, there is no chance.

[colin007]

2 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Let me clarify:  I am also almost never fooled on which direction it breaks either.  I've gotten quite good at that.  But here is an example of something that happens not too infrequently.

Let's say I have a 7' putt on a 9 green and I read (at the midpoint - I haven't learned Express) a 2%, 90* slope.  Chart says ~5 inches, but then I stand over the ball and I'm like "man, this feels a lot flatter/straighter than that.  Perhaps I overestimated and it was closer to 1%?  OK, let's go with 3 inches."  Then, unsurprisingly, I'll miss low by an inch or two. 

But thanks to this thread: 

... I can now remind myself that anytime I'm a little unsure like that, I should always go with the higher read.  So in my example, I should aim 5, and even if I was right about it being 3, I might STILL make it, whereas, if I go low, there is no chance.

 

right, which is why its so disheartening to see a putt trundle up that never had a chance because it was never hit hit enough. still trying to edumacate my feets to read those subtle breaks, the ones where you think it could be flat but youre not sure.

[saevel25]

6 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Let's say I have a 7' putt on a 9 green and I read (at the midpoint - I haven't learned Express) a 2%, 90* slope.  Chart says ~5 inches, but then I stand over the ball and I'm like "man, this feels a lot flatter/straighter than that.  Perhaps I overestimated and it was closer to 1%?  OK, let's go with 3 inches."  Then, unsurprisingly, I'll miss low by an inch or two. 

I remember Dave say a few times at the Aimpoint class I've been to is to shy towards more break than less break. 

 

[mvmac]

10 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I've only (knowingly) played with a couple of Aimpoint guys, and those were @mvmac, @tristanhilton85, and @Golfingdad when I was in Palm Springs in January.  None of these guys took any significant time to come up with their read, and they were always ready to putt very quickly.

Yep @rogolf, it typically takes less time to read a putt than other more "conventional" ways of reading putts. I'd recommend looking into AimPoint more.

[Dan42nepa]

If you played golf for any extended period of time (10 20 50) years doesnt your brain already know the break? I mean alot depends on pace also correct? I like to die my putts into the hole as oposed to others who prefer to put 17 inches beyond the cup. You must have seen so many combinations of breaks that subconsciously you already can read the putt. The only difference is, and I use this myself is on unfamiliar greens where you are not sure of the break, i will use my feet. 

[No Mulligans]

23 minutes ago, Dan42nepa said:

If you played golf for any extended period of time (10 20 50) years doesnt your brain already know the break? I mean alot depends on pace also correct? I like to die my putts into the hole as oposed to others who prefer to put 17 inches beyond the cup. You must have seen so many combinations of breaks that subconsciously you already can read the putt. The only difference is, and I use this myself is on unfamiliar greens where you are not sure of the break, i will use my feet. 

Not me.  I've often heard others say and have said myself... scratching my head, "that looks like it should break the other way".