Golfers don’t always agree. Some prefer Tiger, while others are on Team Mickelson. You will always hear lively debates in the 19th hole.
It can be hard to find common ground on any topic, but all golfers would like to make more putts! AimPoint putting could be the answer.
The best way to lower your scores and improve your golf handicap is via your short game.
Nothing sounds better than the ball falling in the hole. Well, except maybe hearing your golf buddies complain because you won again!
AimPoint putting can help you hear both sounds more often.
In this article we’ll go over:
- What AimPoint putting is and why you should use it.
- How to Use Aimpoint Putting.
- Tips to improve your AimPoint Putting
What Is AimPoint Putting?
AimPoint putting has nothing to do with your putting stroke. It will not help you more consistently roll the ball.
AimPoint putting is a technique created by Mark Sweeney to help golfers more consistently read greens.
When you read a green, you are trying to identify the correct place to aim your putt. Understanding the slopes on the green is critical to making a good putt.
Golfers try a lot of different ways to read the break of the green. Over the last decade, AimPoint putting has become the most popular approach.
We can’t promise it will work for you, but it can’t hurt to give it a try. What do you have to lose?
How Does AimPoint Putting Work?
The AimPoint putting technique can sound complicated, but the concept is actually quite simple.
The fundamental idea behind it is that you can feel the break (slope) with your feet better than you can see it with your eyes.
Reading a green is all about the slope and your feet are on the ground. Why not use them to estimate how much the ball is going to curve?
Details and training aids are available on the AimPoint putting website, but here is the concept:
- You should straddle the line of your putt approximately halfway between your ball and the hole.
- You use your feet to feel the slope of the green.
- You assess the amount of slope in the green in degrees. Try to guess the amount of slope between 0 – 5 degrees.
- Close one eye and hold up that many fingers on the edge of the hole.
- The edge of your outside finger is your aiming point.
Let’s quickly walk through an example.
Let’s say you have a 15-foot putt. Stand approximately 7.5 feet from the hole and feel the slope with your feet. You assess about a 2 degree slope breaking to the left.
Close one eye and hold up two fingers just outside the right edge of the hole. The AimPoint putting technique instructs you to aim at the spot just right of your outside finger.
If you hit a solid putt on this line, with the correct speed, it should drop in the hole!
5 Tips For Using AimPoint Putting
#1: Practice Feeling The Slope With Your Feet
You will be able to learn the AimPoint putting process quickly, but like any skill, you will need to practice it to perfect it.
How does a 1-degree slope feel different from a 2-degree slope?
The key is feeling the slope with your feet. At first, this will seem very challenging.
Practice this part of AimPoint putting on the putting green. After each putt assess your results.
Did you properly estimate the slope? If not, did you guess too much slope or not enough slope?
Soon enough this will become second nature. You will be able to straddle the line of your putt and quickly understand the slope.
#2: Pay Attention To Your Pace
One potential downside of AimPoint putting is the amount of time it can take if not done efficiently by the player.
We are not talking about your lag putting. We are referring to your pace of play.
Be aware of how long your green reading process is taking and do everything you can to make it quick.
You never want to be considered a slow golfer. Don’t be the reason a round of golf takes 5 hours to play!
When possible, start the AimPoint putting routine while others are reading their putts. Don’t wait until it’s your turn to putt to start “feeling the slope”.
Be proactive and AimPoint putting can be done without adding any time to your green reading routine.
#3: Watch Where You Step
Golf rules and golf etiquette can be tricky. To be honest, some of it feels stuffy and unnecessary.
That being said, walking in someone else’s putting line is a “no-no” that makes sense. Your footprints can impact how their putt will roll.
You must be aware of your playing partners’ lines when executing the AimPoint putting process.
You should never trample someone else’s putting path while trying to feel the slope.
Try to avoid getting too close to the hole, because you may inadvertently impact a player’s second putt.
To summarize our last two tips. Quickly work through your AimPoint putting routine while being respectful of your playing partners’ lines.
#4: Stick With It – Tour Proven Results
AimPoint putting may not turn you into Ben Crenshaw the first time you try it. It will take you several rounds to learn the process.
Don’t be too quick to give up on it. AimPoint putting has become popular on professional golf tours around the world for a reason. It works!
If it is good enough for Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott, it can help you make more putts.
Trust the process. Create a golf goal to stick with AimPoint putting for a couple of months and then assess your progress on the greens.
Start tracking your putting statistics every time you play. Total number of putts, number of 3-putts, and number of 1-putts. This will provide you with the data you need to measure your improvement.
#5: Trust Your Read
The AimPoint putting process will give you the correct read, but you still need to hit a solid putt.
Tentative putts don’t go in. To become a great putter you will need to trust your read and make a confident stroke.
Reading the green and finding the correct place to aim is only half of the battle. To complete the process of making a putt you will need to make a high-quality stroke.
Improve your green reading, practice your putting, and you might just break 90 for the first time. Who knows, maybe shooting a score in the 70s is just around the corner.
Let AimPoint putting take your game to the next level!
