How do you read putts?

[ADB]

I have been a member at my place for about 18 months now and find I remember the lay of a green and how the ball reacts due to experience and generally getting to know the greens. Consequently (rightly or wrongly) I don't have a method for reading greens - it is very much sight based. Watching the Open I was interested to see so many pros using the plumb weight with their putter but I have never really understood the method - perhaps someone can enlighten me?

So, simply, how do you read putts and do you think your method is effective.

Disclaimer: please can this not be Aimpoint based - I have neither the time nor the inclination to learn this method - thanks.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Purely by sight and just my own judgement

Seems pretty effective most of the time - find that getting the pace right on the greens is a big percentage of the battle

 

[Rooter]

i think to myself how would a river of water make its way to the hole from my ball position.

 

[Spuddy]

I judge the weight first as this controls the amount of break. I then work my vision back from the hole to the ball trying to visualise how the ball will roll. Then I pick a point on this line just in front of the ball and align the line drawn on the ball through it. Finally I take a couple of practice swings while looking at the point on the green where I think the ball would stop if the putt was flat. This point will be before the hole on downhill putts and after it on flat or uphill putts. Someone told me once that this helps the mind to subconsciously work out how big the swing needs to be. Then it's a shuffle forward and fire before the muscle memory forgets what it's supposed to do.

 

[DaveM]

Basically the plumbbob idea is to see if the hole it's self slopes. So to help judge the slope on the green. Never use it myself I just judge by eye then hope for the best. Can't honestly see much in the AIM system. It's only as good as the guy using it. Scott was missing his share of putts last week.

 

[3565]

Best keep my mouth shut then :rofl:

 

[ADB]

Basically the plumbbob idea is to see if the hole it's self slopes. So to help judge the slope on the green. Never use it myself I just judge by eye then hope for the best. Can't honestly see much in the AIM system. It's only as good as the guy using it. Scott was missing his share of putts last week.

Fair enough - I figured that enough pros were plumb bobbing there must be something in it - I wondered what they were measuring but if its just the slope of the hole I will give that a go.

BTW I don't think of myself as a bad putter but realised playing the other day that I tend to just putt from instinct rather than definitively know the line.

 

[ADB]

Best keep my mouth shut then :rofl:

no offence, just not for me!

 

[duncan mackie]

as outlined eloquently by Rooter, i look for the fall line - the line that a ball would roll down away from the hole on.

I find it helpful to go and stand on that line and look at my ball in relation to the hole.......at which point things should become clear if the area I;m considering is on a single plane/slope! this clarity covers both up/down hill and curves.

I use the reverse where there's a ridge down to the hole between the ball and hole - find the point on the ridge where the ball will run straight down to the hole and then work back to how to get my ball running on that line.

then I stand over the ball and everything goes to pot :thup:

I also stopped taking any practice putting swings after watching Rory - i actually found it helps me make the right swing because that's the only thing I focus on now through the stroke.

 

[ADB]

i think to myself how would a river of water make its way to the hole from my ball position.

I like this, Terminator 2 style.....

 

[Imurg]

I imagine the sight line you get on computer golf games, in my mind I move it about until I think it's right.
Pull the trigger and .................miss!!!!!

 

[el marko]

I dont really think about it, i kneel down for about 5 seconds and decide how far right of left ill start it. I find i putt much better when i just walk up to it anyway

 

[3565]

no offence, just not for me!

No offence taken at all, each to their own and you've stated your not interested.
the plumb bob thing won't tell you how much break to play, just if it's going left or right.

 

[Sybez]

If you try plumb bob reading the slope you MUST BE half the length of the overall putt back behind the ball to get a true "read".

i.e [Hole]----------10 foot putt----------[Ball]----------[Plumb bob distance]

 

[JCW]

I use the plumb Bobbing method myself , also watch what your FC putts are doing and never look away if you hit a putt past the hole as you will miss the line coming back , your 1st thought is more often then not right , other things to do are look at your line from the other side and from the side , sometimes you see stuff you don t see from other angles , when you are walking to the green , note the high points or mounds and the way the green sits and this will give you a good clue to the general break on the green and all you have to do is decide how much break, pace is also key and be positive as a putt left short was never going in on a month of sundays , lastly be positive and always think you going to make it , negative thoughts , get rid ..............don t forget there is no right or wrong way to putt as its all down to feel , if your method works then stick with it, .........oh i forgot if in doubt hit it straight at the hole

 

[Foxholer]

Basically the plumbbob idea is to see if the hole it's self slopes. So to help judge the slope on the green. Never use it myself I just judge by eye then hope for the best.....

Indeed! Plenty of nasty Course Designers create optical illusions, so a quick check with Putter as plumb-bob can often resolve that issue. Likewise never really trusted it myself - as my (mallet) Putter doesn't hang dead straight anyway!

Experience is my method, either from practice green (pace) previous experience or guesswork/learning. That's why consistent green speeds are more important than particular speed ones.

 

[RobertB]

I get approx 4-5 yds behind ball hole direction and look at path the ball will have to run on and visualise various trajectories to hole once I've got what I think it is I find spot 18 inches ahead of ball on that line, think about distance pace needed and then get behind ball and make sure putter is square to that 18 point and putt to it but with stroke suited to ball- hole distance. No practice stokes. Works ok as I average about 31 putts / round.

 

[richart]

I always take into account the general lie of the land around the green. Greens tend to slope the same way so water can drain off. A green cut into a hill, may look relatively flat, but it can be an optical illusion. A lot of greens seem to slope from back to front. Well ours do anyway.

Once I am on the green I do try and get a quick look from both sides, especially from just behind the hole, as that is where the putt will break the most as the ball is going the slowest.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

2 things for me........

Firstly, I look at the hole to see which side of the hole is higher as that will show you the break around the hole itself as the ball slows down. Secondly, when I stand over the putt, I can feel if my body is leaning over the ball or away from it. This is hard to explain but basically my balance is telling me if the slope is left to right or right to left.

Once I have those two things I can then try to work out the break I need to allow.

 

[richart]

Secondly, when I stand over the putt, I can feel if my body is leaning over the ball or away from it. This is hard to explain but basically my balance is telling me if the slope is left to right or right to left.

Sounds you might struggle to read the greens after a few bevvies the night before Gordon.