Fyldewhite
Tour Winner
I believe the word "Bollocks" is now allowed in the forum providing it can be justified. I guess I'm OK on this thread then?
Standing close to hole to get a read of the break
- Thread starter dufferman
- Start date
dufferman
Journeyman Pro
I'd say that most people stand within a foot of the hole to retrieve their ball from the hole. So footprints are inevitable. If I'm not on anyone's line and it's not against the rules, I don't see how anyone can get angry?
Unless you PP's are leaving craters on the green, the only excuse for missing a 1 foot putt is the person putting.
Re-reading this makes me sound like a bit "sod you all". What I mean is, I don't think I'm making enough of an impact standing a foot away from the hole to affect the putt of others. If there's a footprint a foot away from the hole to make an impact on a putt, then the whole green is probably "footprinty" - so the whole putt would be littered with footprints from other golfers throughout the day(s).
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dufferman
Journeyman Pro
Not too long. Can be done whilst other players are preparing their chips / putts etc. Playing ready golf is the key of course, rather than waiting for 5 minutes for someone to chip, go back to their bag, swap wedge for the putter, read the putt, take the putt, miss the putt, re-read the putt...
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
Goodness me...at moments like this I am so glad I stopped playing.
The life blood of golf is being sucked with these slow play actions.
On another thread I mentioned a 36 hole final in the 1970's. It took us 4.25 hours to play 36 holes.
The life blood of golf is being sucked with these slow play actions.
On another thread I mentioned a 36 hole final in the 1970's. It took us 4.25 hours to play 36 holes.
What slow play. A proper aimpoint read takes 15-20 seconds and maybe 30 seconds top on a complicated double breaker? If others are faffing around chipping, cleaning clubs, going back and forth etc then naturally words would be exchanged. No excuse for that and nothing but poor etiquette
dufferman
Journeyman Pro
Who said anything about slow play? It's amazing how people can assume that anything other than walking up to the ball and smacking it contributes to slow play. Probably best you did stop playing :thup:
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Not in general the folk that I play with.
And if it didn't matter close to the hole why do we faff about avoiding standing on each other's lines at all? Marking and lifting and walking around green to avoid walking on lines etc. All just takes time and slows things up.
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dufferman
Journeyman Pro
Exactly. You would never stand directly on the line of an FC's putt - between their ball and the hole. That is clear cut, easy to understand.
The issue people are bringing up here is, that I am possibly standing on the line of a putt my FC might have if they do not read their putt correctly and send it past the hole a foot or two. It's ridiculous.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
I don't think that it is. If the green is soft and you stand very close to hole then you will make impressions onthe surface of the green. And though you may not have stood on the line of a fellow player yet to putt it is quite possible that your footprints will remain and be on their line if they miss. And we all know how easily less than firmly hit putts can be deflected by irregularities in the surface of the green.
I think general etiquette for all players would be that we should avoid standing very close to the hole full stop - and if that meant that some using the aimpoint method couldn't do their checking fully as described in OP - then tough. They'll just have to respect the other players.
rulie
Head Pro
But... it's all about ME, and it's MY putt! And your footprint made me miss it.
IanM
Journeyman Pro
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I know we all have different styles... but I am sure some folk do too much thinking when it comes to putting!
dufferman
Journeyman Pro
However, as originally pointed out, I'm not standing 1/2 inch from the hole. I'm standing at very closest a foot, sometimes 2.
It is astounding how people are so quick to judge the etiquette of a player because they either don't grasp the concept of a question or have a chip on their shoulder about slow play, aimpoint, or whatever they believe is detrimental to the game.
Mods could probably close this one now.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Sorry - but the OP implied very close to hole and I did ask how close was very close.
chrisd
Major Champion
As I've posted a few times on this thread - nothing on Aimpoint suggests assessing the break of a putt by standing behind the cup!! Aimpoint is NO slower to employ than anyone else's putting technique imo
I wouldn't stand astride a putt from a foot unless there was a really evident slope and even then believe the read from directly behind the ball and taking the measure from far edge of the hole (so left edge assuming a right to left putt). There's no merit (in the words of Jamie Donaldson at my class). I'd certainly never take an aimpoint read from beyond the cup. It's all done by feel (and repetition) and is not slow despite what many might think.
