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Putting: determining break

• gr8flbob 592 Posts

  Thu, Dec 29 2011 11:31 PM

  SGTBilko:

  wildcat18racing6:

  Just my thoughts....I put facing backwards, i think it gives me a better look at the break and a better feel for the put without the avitar being in the way. I always go back to view from front just to kinda comfirm the break. and the three most important things in putting for me are pace pace pace

  Wildcat was the only one to mention it but putting from reverse does give one a far better look at the break.

  I AIM using the reverse view, but perform the actual putt from the standard 'looking over player's shoulder' view. 

  My reasoning: break has the largest impact as the ball is nearing the hole and slowing down, so it's the last 1/3 of travel you need to be most concerned about. I putt from the standard view, because I like to help 'ease' the break by hitting a bit early (for L-R break) or late (for R-L break) and doing that from the standard  view is more instinctual. (For me, anyway.)

  Finally, on longer putts at courses with high winds (St A or RSG, anyone?) do not neglect the impact of high cross-winds on break of you putt. On a 40 - 50 foot putt with 18 or 20mph crosswind, you can get a foot or more of wind-break!

• gr8flbob 592 Posts

  Thu, Dec 29 2011 11:32 PM

  kill duplicate post

• jmehdi 50 Posts

  Fri, Dec 30 2011 6:25 PM

  Very important point that hasn't been mentioned yet.

  Yes, the reverse view is vital to a good putt, but I try never to putt from the reverse view.

  Somewhere, rolling around in my brain, is a quiet voice that whispers, "miss left if you're going to miss" or something like that. It goes back to the whole "missing on the high side of the hole" thing.

  When I'm putting from the reverse view, (sometimes there's no alternative), what I see on the screen is inverted from what I want to do with the swing meter. This EASILY results in missing on the wrong side of the hole.

  Reverse view = good for alignment, bad for swinging.

• Giftig 637 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 7:07 AM

  Distance control is the key to determining break on the green.

  For those of you who are interested, based on the formulas I read in the forums about putting, I created a simple excel putt distance calculator , which you may find useful.  Meant as a general guide and still no substitution for "feel" or practice, it just may help with distance control, which in turn helps with reading / playing green breaks.  Used with a program such as Always On Top the excel file can be set to 70%, "shrunk up" and be made to "float" on top and to one side of the WGT game window.  Its a work in progress so it you have suggestions - feel free.  Yes, I know that most of us can do this in our heads, but for those of us who choose to play in an altered state of consciousness, whatever that may be, it helps.

  Green types are set once per round, then you just have to input distance and elevation. 

  The formula used is:
  (Distance / Green Type) + or - elevation + 1 foot for every 10 (distance * 0.1) = Putt Distance

  Example of a 13 foot putt, tournament greens, 1 foot down
   (13/1.3) - 1 + 1.3 = Putt Distance
  10 - 1 + 1.3 = Putt Distance
  9 + 1.3 = Putt Distance
  10.3 = Putt Distance 

  Green types are
  c = champion = 1.6 (this may need tweaking)
  t = tournament = 1.3
  v = very fast = 1.2
  f = fast = 1.1
  st = standard = 1.0
  s = slow = 0.9 

• IkeArumba 99 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 2:42 PM

  Around here we call that "Missing on the amateur side".  If your putt was left above the hole, you missed on the "Pro side."