What’s Up
Green
WITH
THE
Reading Finger?
Figuring out break and making putts has come
down to the most minute details for some of the
world’s best players | by ANDY ROBERTS
JAY LAPRETE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
B
efore I knew anything about
Adam Scott’s wacky new putting
routine, which I saw for the first
time at the PGA Tour’s Crowne
Plaza Invitational in May, I
initially thought the new world No.1 was
admiring his sparkling new wedding ring.
I quickly realized that was a daft suggestion because it was his right hand.
Hand to remote, finger to rewind, I took
another look and thought: ‘Ah, he’s just giving
his fellow-competitor a telling off for standing
in the line of his putt.’ Then I thought about
it some more and knew this was Adam Scott,
one of the nicest players in golf.
Third time lucky and aided by Sir Nick
Faldo in the Golf Channel commentary box,
I was informed the Australian had adopted
an efficient putting routine called AimPoint
Express. It’s a go-to putting routine that
now allows Scott to stand over the ball and
read putts on a more consistent basis all by
himself.
Scott cemented his place as a deserved
No. 1 following his victory at Colonial. He
has since continued his impressive showing
by tying for fourth at The Memorial and
finishing in a tie for ninth at the U.S. Open
to remain the world’s best.
It’s also worth noting that two-time major
champion and AimPoint Express ambassador
Stacy Lewis surged back to the women’s
world No. 1 spot earlier this summer.
Learning more about this green reading
art from AimPoint certified coach Martin
Park, the technique originates from Mark
Sweeney’s founding of AimPoint technology.
Sweeney developed a popular AimChart
based on the theory that greens have slope
and all break the same way that water runs
downhill. By circling the hole to find where
water drains, a golfer can estimate where
12 o’clock and six o'clock are on the green,
pinpoint the ball’s location on the clock and
consult the chart to know how much break
to play.
w w w. v s g a . o r g
“I’ve been teaching AimPoint now for
nearly three years and in that time, I’ve seen
average putters become better by using the
system with the AimChart,” Park says.
“Aimpo