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PUTTING - Gauging break and power (a formula and work in progress).

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Jul 7 2012 8:36 PM

  G0LD:

  To be frank, your trick leaves me positively bemused, but if it works for you, stick with it, with my best wishes.

  It's not really a trick and I've been doing that for a long time. I even posted about it, with pictures, and tried to explain how to do it. The odd thing here is your method validates it!!

  As a feel putter for the most part, I started with HDB's way and when you presented yours I took to it to compare. I was quite amazed at the similar results.  :-)

   

• GerryTS 122 Posts

  Sat, Jul 7 2012 11:01 PM

  Thanks Gold and Jim for your insights. It has helped my putting. Amazing minds. @HDB not sure I am getting it but will also try your method. Do you put your marker on the first line that has the same speed? Which view forward or reverse? Will test both I suppose.

• saltiresfan 2,266 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 2:56 AM

   

  Ok, what am I doing wrong here? In the first picture there are 4 lines with a speed of 5 seconds each. Using G0ld's formula I give them each a value of 3.5 and add them to make 14. 14*7.4 then divided by 4 is 25.9. Visually this is far too big a break for me for this putt. I would normally give it half that (note the elevation is not present on the original putt).

  Indeed when I use the break given you can see from the second picture that I miss it on the right.

  This is the problem I have with the formula. It often produces breaks that seem wrong based on instinct. So... have I made a miscalculation here or where should I be aiming this putt?

   

  

   

  

• HDBanger 348 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 4:14 AM

  I use reverse view to putt. What I am getting at , is when you count up the dots and give them value, .5, 1, 2 etc, add them up and you move the aim marker that far from the hole left or right. Then you watch the dots moving, there will always be at least 2 dots moving the same speed, and they will intersect near your original estimation aim, line your aim marker up so they perfectly match the dots angle. Then I adjust for up/down hill, and always hit the putt with 2 feet more than needed to keep the line true (unless extreme down/up hill).  I have sunk more 20+ footers in the last 2 weeks using this method than in all my previous time on WGT.

• Mike0424 46 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 5:23 AM

  Thanks for the tip!

• G0LD 358 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 6:03 AM

  Jim, if your own way works, then the only problem is my failure to understand it. And perhaps do I lack the motivation to further my effort, as I've grown quite comfortable with my formula, which has proven solid and reliable as a rule (mind you, the putting grid, with its inconsistencies between front and reverse views, can be a real pain in the rump).

• G0LD 358 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 6:21 AM

  "This is the problem I have with the formula. It often produces breaks that seem wrong based on instinct."

  In my humble opinion, Saltiresfan, if your aim is wildly wrong, even if you rigorously follow the math, then it is your timing of the dots that is at fault. I should had that my formula is particularly well suited to tournament greens, and require some subtle adjustments on slower greens, especially on downward slopes.

  I invite you and everyone else on this outdated thread to do the follow-up on the updated one at this address: http://www.wgt.com/forums/t/99536.aspx. Please read my update, in the hope that it will shed some light on some obscure points.

  Thank you.

• saltiresfan 2,266 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 8:29 AM

  Hi G0ld,

  I'm trying to check that I've got the maths right. If you had 4 lines with dots travelling at 5 seconds would you be aiming where I am in the first picture?

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 8:41 AM

  saltiresfan:

  Hi G0ld,

  I'm trying to check that I've got the maths right. If you had 4 lines with dots travelling at 5 seconds would you be aiming where I am in the first picture?

  You came up with 25.9 in your computation. Using the value of 30 for that grid, you aimed too far right. By the looks of the picture you aimed it 30 feet. You have to estimate how far along the line to aim based on 25.9 as a % of that 30.

  @Gold. I used your method to confirm the way I putt. They both work but one is empirical (of sorts) while the other took 30,000+ putts to figure out.  ;-)

• ToddX61 152 Posts

  Sun, Jul 8 2012 8:56 AM

  YankeeJim:

  I even posted about it, with pictures, and tried to explain how to do it.

  Hi YankeeJim ... I was unable to find the post you're referring to.  Can you point me in the right direction?  Thanks!