Anyone Learned Aimpoint? Your Thoughts?

Anyhoo, I'll bow out as I sound somewhat defensive! I'm just really loving this method of reading greens and have had instant success with it.

Each to their own!
 
Absolutely.

Feel is with the feet. This feeling is easy to measure as the individual puts a number on how much slope they feel. Eyes cannot read greens well. Eyes lie.

Skill is about pace and starting the ball on the line you want to.

Honestly, I'd love to crouch down and say, "Yep, definitely breaking right to left 2 feet, let's sink this bad boy" but I can't. I honestly can't believe how good the Express read is, how simple it is. I could teach it to you in 20 minutes.

Get yourself off to a course.

#believetoachieve

OK, I will take your word for that.

I dont think I will get myself off to a course though. I am very happy with my putting but I have put rather a lot of practice into it over the years.
 
yeah I agree with you from the bottom line and onwards part of your post, and yes to get better you need to practise. Whether it's Bobby 1930's Locke way or the scientific number crunching way, you still got to hit the putt and the fact that a stone or poorly repaired pitch mark deflects the ball, no amount of aiming, mathematical sequencing will stop that. But you know how far you crunch a 7i or half a 52* wedge? Aimpoint is the yardage chart for greens and I have a greater understanding of green reading thru Aimpoint! We are all quick to go and try out the latest driver to gain the grail, but that doesn't put the ball in the hole, nor will the latest £300 Cameron, an understanding distance, speed, slope and angle and a sound putting technique will.

If it's not your bag then it's not, I ain't going to put a gun to your head and say do it, but if you don't know the principle and facts about it your not in a position to really give an objective view as it's based on your 1930's Locke principles.

Note, don't think that i rely on the system all the time, I have a hard time on flat greens using Aimpoint, and revert back to the normal way

btw Bobby Locke was 1950s (and as it happens a member of my club at the time) - so not quite so far 'back in the day'. Just watch Bobby Locke putting - it'll freak you out and make you wonder why we bother with all the faffing about we do :)
 
btw Bobby Locke was 1950s (and as it happens a member of my club at the time) - so not quite so far 'back in the day'. Just watch Bobby Locke putting - it'll freak you out and make you wonder why we bother with all the faffing about we do :)

Ok he was a younger version of the 50's Locke and amateur till 1938. Wikipedia says so.......
 
our green keeper records the stimp reading of various greens on a particular day. the speeds vary from green to green. how can you choose a speed and apply it to a chart if it changes every green.


there is probably some merit in reading the putt but I cant see it being the be all and end all of putting.

virtuocity - I hope you can give me a quick lesson on this at hillside! ;)
 
Have followed the thread carefully and have to say I'm no wiser as to how it works. But I assume I'm correct in that no-one is taking any actual, physical, measurements? If that is the case, then one can dress it up how you like, but it is still only a method of estimating the line to the hole. However, if attending a course gives one a method to pick the line with more confidence than one used to, then who is to say it doesn't work?

But whatever - without any measurement, it is all estimate or opinion .

And, in any case, is not the hard bit actually hitting the darn thing along your chosen line? I know where I want to hit the ball, but doing it is different matter.
 
Tell me how aimpoint works differently from the 'traditional' method?

I can only think of one difference.......the traditional method is free :whistle:

Well, why even use the 'traditional' method. Simply walk up to the ball and hit it towards the hole.

The benefit of doing something slightly more than the above is that it's likely to be more accurate.

And Aimpoint is (meant to be) another step in the 'more accurate' direction.

Of course, you still have to hit it along the selected line and at the right speed.

And indeed, there are other variables that affect the 'standard' line. But that's the same for all methods. If Stimp readings are wildly out, I'm a little surprised the GK is broadcasting that info. The charts don't are only for whole number stimps, so break is quite possibly not as sensitive to green speed as you may think - and that makes sense to me for gentle slopes; it's how hard you have to hit it that's affected most by green speed.
 
Well, why even use the 'traditional' method. Simply walk up to the ball and hit it towards the hole.

The benefit of doing something slightly more than the above is that it's likely to be more accurate.

And Aimpoint is (meant to be) another step in the 'more accurate' direction.

Of course, you still have to hit it along the selected line and at the right speed.

And indeed, there are other variables that affect the 'standard' line. But that's the same for all methods. If Stimp readings are wildly out, I'm a little surprised the GK is broadcasting that info. The charts don't are only for whole number stimps, so break is quite possibly not as sensitive to green speed as you may think - and that makes sense to me for gentle slopes; it's how hard you have to hit it that's affected most by green speed.

Well put.
If a green keeper is admitting that the speed varies from green to green then he's not doing his job properly?
if you watched the PGA tour a couple of seasons ago, they had a green line running on the putting green showing the line of the put and the Aimpoint of the putt, whilst the player was putting. That was Aimpoint.

We all started playing this game by getting a club and giving it a whack, then start to take it seriously after a while and pick up tips in how to hold and swing and read books, mags, go to a pro to improve our swing, then buy the latest 25yd gain driver and thinking that we WILL get that. But how many on here can actually put their hands up and say 'I've had a green reading lesson'? I'd be very surprised if many at all? There have been golf writers who have heard about it, sceptical, tried, and been surprised of the results. Deep down we all somewhere want to find that thing whether it's latest driver, putter, irons, range finders that gives us the edge, we buy these things hoping it's going to change our game, confidence or what ever, we've all bought something and said well that was a waste of money, but you don't know till you try? ... There is a system that helps with green reading.
 
Check this out then! http://aimpointgolf.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/if-it-makes-so-much-sense-why-wont-they/

Attitude seem familiar? I think the Author is actually independent too.

Note: Aimpoint developed in Florida on Bermuda greens. Oh, and just as relevant to 'normal' ones - you can't beat gravity!

Most important bit in that one for me was the criteria the author uses to assess putting; Read, Stroke & Commitment. And the greatest of these for me is commitment. If you don't commit you'll rarely make anything. I'm with D4S on this, one trust your judgement and commit to what you see; I've missed far more puts second guessing myself over the ball than I ever have from misreads.
 
For what it's worth, I like the sound of the express method. It's the charts that I know I wouldn't get on with. I'm quite good at reading greens as it is but always up for improving. Maybe I'll join homer on the express course, it can't hurt can it?
 
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