Have you ever seen certain PGA Tour golfers stand behind their ball and have 1-3 fingers up, trying to read the green?
If you’re like most golfers, you’re probably wondering what in the heck they are doing. You might be asking, why aren’t you reading the green by squatting down behind the ball like everyone else?
These are good questions because most of us are used to reading greens in the conventional way. Most of us mark our ball, step behind it, bend down, try to see the break, mark our ball, go through our routine, and hit the putt. Some players also read the putt from behind the hole, while others do it from the side as well to see any slopes.
When you see someone trying to measure the slope with their feet or hold their fingers up, it’s a newer method called AimPoint. The unique aimpoint putting method uses physics to read greens, not so much your eyes.
But most of us don’t think about physics when it comes to golf, so a lot of golfers don’t understand how it works. In this post, we’ll hope to clarify some of the common misconceptions and inform you more about this putting style to see if it can make you a better putter.
How to Use AimPoint – Basic Overview
AimPoint is a way to read greens unlike anything you’ve probably ever tried out before.
So where did this system come from?
History of AimPoint
This unique system was founded by Mark Sweeney, who said in an interview, “The easiest way to describe it is that it’s a simplified way to read a putt. You just need to know one factor about every putt and get a correct break on the putt.”
The one factor that is referring too is the slope, so that you can read greens effectively.
He created this system himself after watching TV, struggling to read putts with his coach, and used his software development to predict how a ball would behave on the green.
After a few months, he developed a product that was actually picked up and used by the Golf Channel from 2007 to 2012. From this product, he simplified it dramatically and created the Express system that is used today.
Mark has taught this method to over 100 PGA Tour players, including five players who were ranked number one in the world! He was also named by Golf Digest as one of the best 50 Teachers in America.
Now, he teaches this method to other instructors who teach it to amateurs and professionals around the world. Mark is still involved and even does occasional lessons from the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
Getting Started
I also want to clarify this method is best learned from a certified AimPoint instructor.
Watching a video on YouTube or reading this blog post will help, but I can’t cover every detail and it’s best learned hands on. Instead, this is more of an overview of what it is (and what it isn’t) to help you better understand this green reading method.
Since it’s best with an instructor, we don’t want to give away every detail in this post. Instead, we’ll give you a brief overview of how it works to see if you want to learn more from a certified instructor. If you want to watch a video overview, this YouTube video will help you out too.
Here are the three steps to help you better understand the AimPoint system.
Step 1: Feel the Slope
Step one is getting your feet involved to feel the slope.
This is a big shift for anyone who starts out learning this system. If you’re like most people, you might notice a slope as you walk on the green or around the hole, but it’s probably not part of your routine. What makes this green reading method so unique is that you incorporate your feet into green reading.
With AimPoint, your feet, not your eyes, are the starting point. I know it sounds a little weird, but stay with me.
Use Your Weight to Understand The Slope
Once you mark your ball, the first step is to stand about one pace behind the golf ball with your feet shoulder width apart. Then, you want to feel which foot has most of the weight, on a scale of 1-5 (the average for most slopes is about a two). As Mark Sweeney said, “The most effective way to find slope is by feeling it, not by seeing it. Our body is very well tuned to adjust to the slope.”
Let’s say you have a 10-foot right to left putt. When you stand behind it, you will feel that your left foot has more weight than your right due to the slope (meaning it breaks right to left). After judging the severity of your slope, you think it’s about a two on the scale of 1-5.
For longer putts, there is an extra step as there is more room between you and the hole. After doing the first part, you then walk halfway up between the hole and your golf ball and do the same thing. The important part here is to not step in your line or any of your competitors’ line either.
From here, you should have a clear number based on what you felt in your feet. The more slope you feel in your feet, the higher the number. The more straight a putt feels (or if your weight is 50-50) then it will be a zero or one.
Mark stated in an interview from the YouTube video above, “90% of reading the green is done with your feet. I would say only about 10% is actually done with your eyes.” For most players, this is a huge difference, as it’s probably flip-flopped 10-90 in the traditional way of reading greens.
Step 2: Aim Your Putt
Once you have your estimated slope number (let’s say it’s a two), then stand behind your ball and hold up your index and middle fingers. You will hold up two fingers that correspond to the two you identified for the slope in step one. If you thought it had more slope, like three or four, you would use the corresponding number of fingers to line up the putt.
The total number of fingers represents the side tilt.
From here, extend your arms out fully to the right of the hole (since the putt in this example is breaking from right to left). The finger on the outside, in this case the middle finger, is your starting point. This is where you want the golf ball to start so that it will take the break and hopefully find the bottom of the cup.
If you’re someone who uses a line on your golf ball or the markings that come with certain golf balls, line it up to this spot. From there, trust your stroke and see if you read it correctly.
Step 3: Make Everything
As they say on their website, the last step is to “make everything.”
While I love optimism, I think it’s important to note that you’re still playing golf. If this was an overnight miracle method, every golfer would use it.
Some find success, while others don’t. Some buy into the system, while others are skeptical of bringing physics into their golf game. But if you’re committed, keep an open mind, and stick with it, then it can help your golf game.
While I doubt you will “make everything”, it might turn your putting in the right direction. Never forget putting a fickle part of the game. As legendary ball striker Ben Hogan once said, “There is no similarity between golf and putting. They are two different games, one played in the air, and the other is on the ground.”
Finding an AimPoint Instructor or Clinic
Now that you know a little bit about this system, it might be time to take it to the next level. If you’re curious and want to learn more, I suggest finding a certified AimPoint Putting instructor near you. In only an hour together, you can learn the entire system and start practicing it in the real world.
While the overview above sounds simple, it doesn’t factor in longer putts, double breaking putts, straight putts, and slope (up or down). Fast greens or slow greens will also need to be factored in. This is all covered much more in-depth in your lesson with other technology and gadgets to show you how it works. Plus, it’s nice to see someone use the technique in front of you to get your mind on board.
The best way to find them is to visit their “Find an Instructor” tab and search based on your zip code. Then you can see who is in your area and do some additional research on them to contact and set up your first appointment.
Or, you can see if there is a clinic in your area as well. This will help you learn the method in a group setting and potentially meet some like-minded golfers too.
The great thing about this system is that you don’t need to do tons of lessons to get results.
Once you learn the fundamentals, you’re good to go. You might have a second lesson if you have any questions, but in my case I understood the science behind it in only one 60-minute lesson.
FAQs About the AimPoint Express Green Reading System
If you’re like most players, you might still have some questions about this unique way of reading greens. If so, we have a
What are the benefits to AimPoint?
According to their website, there are a ton of benefits, but some of the biggest ones are:
- Understand your speed better. They claim that when you understand the physics of putting and how the speed affects the putt, you’ll hit better putts. By mastering your speed on the greens, you will have fewer strokes on the greens and avoid costly three putts.
- Make better decisions. As they mention on their website and we talk about a lot on the Left Rough, nearly 40% or more of all shots happen on the greens. So the better you can perform with the flat stick, your scores should drop quickly. AimPoint can help you make better decisions, which, in turn, should give you more confidence on the greens.
- Trusted by top players. AimPoint has been used to win arguably the biggest tournament of the year in the Masters. Adam Scott brought this system to the big stage and delivered. If it worked for him, it’s safe to say it can work for you if you learn and trust it.
- Develop a trusted system on the greens. One thing I see with so many amateur players is a lack of routine with putting. A lot of players have one for their full swing, but when it comes to putting, it’s different on every hole. This system can help give players a sense of comfort on the green with a repeatable routine. This should help build confidence as you go through the routine over and over again on every green.
Are there any downsides?
It’s important to understand this is a method to help you read greens more effectively. It’s not some huge swing change that could potentially ruin your swing and crush your confidence. So I wouldn’t say there are any downsides to learning and implementing this method.
But if things are going well with your putting, I wouldn’t throw a wrench in it and try an entirely new process. Instead, I would try out this method if you’re in a slump or feel like you’ve always had a lot of room to improve on the greens.
Is AimPoint putting legal?
Yes, this green reading method is 100% legal during casual rounds or competitive events. Their website even states that, “Five world number one players have worked with Mark Sweeney and use AimPoint. They have won numerous titles while using AimPoint and have credited AimPoint for much of their putting success.”
So if you end up liking this method, you can use it for any type of competitive round.
How do you read greens with your fingers?
Reading greens with your fingers is the basis of the AimPoint method.
For a lot of golfers, this is a very foreign concept, as most of us were taught to read greens with our eyes. An overwhelming majority of players learn how to read a putt from studying it from behind the ball and behind the hole.
But the AimPoint method as noted above uses your fingers and feet to evaluate the slope of the green. Then, you pick your line and go through your normal putting routine.
While the tips above will help you learn the basics, it’s encouraged to get a lesson from a certified instructor instead. They will give you hands-on training and teach you the method in depth to help you learn this new technique.
How much do AimPoint lessons cost?
There isn’t a set fee for a lesson on this green reading method. Each instructor will charge their own rate, which is usually available on their website.
Which professional golfers use AimPoint for green reading?
There are a number of professional golfers that use this method. Perhaps the most well known is Adam Scott, who is a multiple winner on the PGA Tour and won the Masters with this method. According to their website, thousands of people have learned and implemented this method, including:
- 75,000 amateurs
- 5,000 junior golfers
- 200 Tour Pros
- 300 Instructors
Other notable professional golfers include former world number one Stacy Lewis, Dustin Johnson (and his caddie Austin Johnson), Justin Rose, Brian Gay, Ben Crane, and others.
Do you still take practice strokes?
Yes, this method will help you find the break of the green, but I would still recommend having your own pre-shot putting routine. This way you can feel the speed that you need to hit the putt and AimPoint will help you with the starting line.
My only suggestion is to make sure this method doesn’t slow down the pace of play. While it might take some time getting used to, it should become automatic after a few rounds.
How do I become an AimPoint instructor?
If you’re a golf professional, you can go through their training process so that you become certified and can teach others. Here is a brief overview of the process:
- Submit an application online, which should be approved or denied within 30 days.
- Go through a 6-hour training that is scheduled once per month in Orlando, Florida. During this training you will learn the methodology, stimp adjustments, double breaks, adjusting for big slopes, and more.
After which, you will become a level 1 certified instructor. When I checked, the cost for the in-person training in Orlando is $1,950 and a $295 yearly license fee as well. If you’re interested in becoming certified, make sure to check out their website so you can begin the process.
How does the plumb bomb work in golf?
It’s important to note that AimPoint is not the plumb bob method. These are two entirely different ways to read greens.
But if I had to choose one style over the other, I would say the AimPoint method is more effective. Plus, more elite players and professional golfers use this method over plumb bob and it’s never a bad idea to try out what they’re doing.
Final Thoughts
If you struggle to read greens, this strategy might be your savior. Or, it might be a waste of time, but honestly, you don’t know until you try it. If it works for elite players Adam Scott, clearly there is some truth to this method.
In my 20+ years of golf experience, I’ve found that everyone learns differently. Some players learn visually, others with feel, and others with a mix of the two. But at the end of the day, it’s all about finding what works for you and gives you the most confidence with a putter.
While it’s different from the standard way to read greens, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to give it a shot. Sometimes thinking outside the box will help you get new results and take your game to the next level.
Plus, if you go through a lesson, try it on the putting green or golf course and don’t get results, you can always go back to your old routine. Or, you can take bits and pieces of this method and add it to your putting routine.
Whether you find it helpful or not, it will help you understand how to use your feet more in green reading instead of just your eyes. Hopefully this can help you get the ball started on the right line so you can drain more putts.
