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AB's Putting Guide-My Secrets 2018 Update

Mon, Nov 6 2023 5:47 AM (87 replies)
  • AgentBrown123
    907 Posts
    Sat, Jul 20 2013 12:53 AM

    UPDATED: 4/29/18

    Youtube Instructional videos

    How to score

    How to play miss ding style on putts

    How to play for the ding on putts

     

    Reading Greens

    Use reverse view and select chip, there's a new icon that you can click to kind of do the same thing but this is better overall and I actually use both. You'll have to click to get the grid down. It might seem awkward at first - but what this will do is get rid of the vertical line, make the hole look bigger, and also show a complete different but more accurate read than the front view much of the time... There are exceptions to this so you have to make note of those occasions. But 95 percent of the time, you'll want to trust the reverse chip read. and then go to the front view to make sure it looks right

    Aiming

    1. I use the blue part of the grid marker to get precise cup measurements. Part of the grid marker amounts to the size of the hole. I imagine how much break will occur in segments of half cups all the way to the hole. I start where I think I would need to aim at the edge of the cup then keep moving forward to the hole adding or subtracting up all the way from the start to the finish of putt. As you're getting your read you also need to be picturing how hard of a putt youre hitting. Downhillers your ball will move much slower and vice versa with uphillers the ball moves much faster and will burn through especially the first part of the break of putt.

    If it's not a steady consistent break all the way to the hole hold on to the grid marker and let the dots run through 2, 3 sometimes 4 times to see the difference of break within the length of putt. You'll see the dots start to separate and can then make adjustments.

    2. Some people do this, I mainly try for the ding on putts and make slight adjustments but this can work for you.

    After getting the read with the reverse chip and front view and you think it will miss slightly in one direction aim to miss a litter early or late. The amount you want to miss depends on the forgiveness of your putter and the balance. Also be aware that you'll want to add on more pace depending on the severity you miss early or late.

    3. On longer putts (35 ft and longer) with a lot of break. Move your eyes along the break until you think it amounts to a full grid. Keep on moving this down the line until you get to the hole. you may want to use cups after you get past the first couple grids, or keep using full grids until you get close to the cup.

    4.After you get done reading and aiming your putt from reverse chip, then change to front view, make sure it looks right and ALWAYS commit to the line. Do not second guess yourself. Trust in the read and hit it. A lot of times if the front shows a complete different read than the reverse chip view I will split the difference. This works extremely well. But always take notes of occurrences so you can be sure what it does next time.

    Green Speed

    There are many ways to get the speed... But I'll tell you what I do.

    Always add or subtract 1 foot for every inch uphill or downhill.

    Normal - plays what it says and add on one foot

    Fast- Distance times .9 and add 1 foot

    Very Fast - Distance times .8 and add 1 foot

    Tournament - Distance times .73 and add 1 foot

    Championship - Distance times .68 and add 1 foot

    Championship 14 stimp Distance times .63 and add 1 foot

    These figures are not always going to work depending on the stimpmeter wgt has them set for on the particular tournament, the course and particular holes are just different... Take for instance Oakmont number 1, 10, 18. Merion Number 1, 5, 6, 17, 18, the downhillers are faster than what it says and the uphillers tend to be slower.

    Downhillers

    10 feet and closer I am very aggressive with my speed. Now that's my style because I know I will probably make it on the way back. So on champ greens, if it's 8 feet with lets say 3 inches downhill (depending on the course) I'll do 8 feet times .68 = 5.44 -2 for downhill = 3.44, from there like I said I am very aggressive, I play less break and  add on 1 ft extra to 1.5 extra. so, I hit it for 4.44-5 feet .

    Severe Uphill putts over 30 feet

    This is the only time my formula isn't exactly ideal... For some reason on very uphill putts... so from More 60 feet we'll say with 12 inches of uphill, putts seem to go consistently 3-5 feet long. The longer the putt and the more uphill the more you'll have to take off

    Tournament Green Speed

    I go through a process to make sure I know what speed I'm playing on. On the very first hole. say that I have 8 feet to the cup and the tournament states it's tournament speed. Which should be distance times .7, sometimes it plays distance times .8.  this is what I do, I assume it's the slower of the two. So I take 8 feet times .8 = 6.4 feet plus one makes it 7.4 feet. And as I said usually I'm very aggressive so I normally would hit it for like 8.3 feet and roll past 3 feet at least. In this case I hit it 7.4 exactly. If it barely gets to the hole and drops in, I know it's very fast speed. If it goes in with some pace then I know it's Tournament speed.

    Putter scales and putter pal

    I use the level 98 sabertooth m2 putter which has 10, 20, 50, 100, 150 scales. Putter pal is so good with the formula I use, I can get the distance I want to hit so precisely. Generally I go with the largest scale I can that allows me to still be precise with leaving the mouse on the right spot. So for instance on a putt that I need to hit for 5 feet. I don't use the 10 scale, I use the 20. that way I only have to take it back to 25 percent power... I find that the less time you have to wait to click, the easier it is to time where you want to click it. I use the most the 50 scale.

    Big breaking downhill putts speed adjustment

    Lets say you have a 35 foot putt with15 inches downhill. As you are aiming for the break take note of how much the elevation changes. For every 1 inch off downhill you lose when aiming for the break add on .5 of distance. So after aiming for the 35 putt your downhill now states only 12 inches down. You'll add on 1.5 feet.

    There are three holes where this doesnt apply and you play straight up (that I can think of) Pebble #2 par 5 long past the hole and Olympic #17 par 5 long past the hole. There's one more on olympic front 9 its the dog leg right downhill tee shot where you have to avoid overhanging branch or drive will get knocked straight down. Maybe #6. Long on approach is the same. There may be more but that's all I can think of.

  • alosso
    21,027 Posts
    Sat, Jul 20 2013 1:27 AM

    Great insight AB, success-proof!

    Congrats to your standing in the VUSO!

     

    The Nike putter is a "ding" putter, isn't it?

     

    When stating

    AgentBrown123:
    Tournament =distance times .7
    do you refer to both T. speeds or rather "Legend" Tournament speed?

  • AgentBrown123
    907 Posts
    Sat, Jul 20 2013 1:29 AM

    .

  • alanti
    10,563 Posts
    Sat, Jul 20 2013 2:57 AM

    How wonderful that the top players take the time and effort to share with the community. Thanks, great reading - the sad thing is I do most of what you say, just fail to execute it lol.

    Hope for me yet. Thanks AB

    Alan

  • courteneyfish
    15,796 Posts
    Sat, Jul 20 2013 3:21 AM

    Thanks for that, I'll try some later.

  • acebishop
    116 Posts
    Sat, Aug 17 2013 9:00 AM

    I love putting, took me a month, but now I love it.  I use the Ghost putter.

    Used all the available programs and charts, but do use them now that I have the feel for putting.

    Just moved up to tour pro and the green speed did not affect me much at all.

    I have learned to not use the aim and simply miss he ding right or left, once I learned that putting became my strong suit.

    Dont get me wrong, I am not saying I am good at this but I hold my own.  And loving the putt has helped 150% considering putting is the hardest part of this game.

    Ace 

  • dryspot
    690 Posts
    Sat, Aug 17 2013 9:47 AM

    All this sounds pretty accurate only trouble i have is im not 2 good with math.

    I dont understand this .68  or .67 in the speeds what do it mean  thanks.

  • dryspot
    690 Posts
    Sat, Aug 17 2013 10:38 AM

    when i putt i go in reverse view chip  view then i try 2 find my line.

    then i go back 2 front view if i chose 2 miss early it shows i should have

    missed late. if i miss ding late it shows i should have missed early

    and like i said i dont understand the percentage thing  need help  thanks.

  • Jimbog1964
    8,378 Posts
    Sat, Aug 17 2013 10:52 AM

    Thanks:)

  • Sparky1047
    363 Posts
    Sat, Aug 17 2013 11:10 AM

    Dryspot,

         I think AB is saying that you take the putting distance then multiply it by .67, .68, or .70, (Depending on the type of green you're putting on) to get the distance you should hit the putt. For example, if you have a 10 foot putt on a Tournament green your calculation would be 10  x .67 = 6.7 Feet. or if you have a 15 foot putt it would be 15 x .67 = 10.05 feet. This would be the distance on your meter you would have to hit the ball. You would add 1 foot for every 1 inch up and deduct 1 foot for every 1 inch down. Plus, you would need to determine how much break is involved. FYI: This is a general reference and not a perfect science. I've been using this type of calculation for quite some time and it seems to work pretty well. However, there are some greens that have a 9 or 10 inch decline that will cause the ball to roll substantially farther past the hole (I.E. Several Merion greens). You'll need to practice to learn which greens roll farther and adjust accordingly on those particular greens. I hope my understanding of AB's principle is correct and my explanation is understandable. Good luck out there Dry...

                                                          Sparky....

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