| Everybody agrees that golf putting is the most | | | | shaft, then you should expect the break to be |
| important part of the golf game. At first sight, | | | | from the right to the left and vice-versa. |
| however, improving the putting performance | | | | All this is pure fantasy. It's always possible to |
| doesn't seem so rewarding as working with the | | | | position the shaft, the ball and the hole in the |
| driver or any other of the golf clubs inside the | | | | same alignment. If they are not aligned it's |
| player's bag. No wonder that the great majority | | | | because the players have done what they |
| of average golf players don't devote any serious | | | | needed to do in order to see what they wanted |
| attention to golf putting. And when it comes to | | | | to see. It's a kind of confidence booster to |
| breaking putts, even fair and good players are | | | | reinforce what they probably already saw by |
| usually, and understandably, moving in the desert. | | | | careful visual examination of the putting surface. |
| Believe me, the great majority of what you can | | | | If you are not convinced imagine the pin is in the |
| read about this subject are laughable pieces of | | | | cup standing vertically. Imagine also that you have |
| absolutely worthless text. | | | | a big door that turns around the pin. Rotate it, in |
| We have to deal with two main problems. | | | | your mind, till it is over the ball and stop. The door |
| First: To read the green, that is, to evaluate the | | | | is a vertical plane that, if you were plumb bobbing, |
| shape of that area between our golf ball and the | | | | would contain the pin, the hole, the ball, the |
| hole. | | | | putter's shaft and your dominant eye. How can |
| Second: To know what to do supposing the green | | | | you measure any break in this situation? The |
| was correctly read in the previous step. | | | | answer is: you can't, unless you cheat and move |
| There are some gadgets and procedures available | | | | your head a bit to get it "out of the door".b) |
| to assist golfers in the first step that will be | | | | Devices to measure break and provide the |
| analysed in this article. Some of them are not | | | | direction of the fall-line. Very useful gadgets but |
| allowed in the golf course because of golf rules | | | | not allowed. |
| and others are just useless. Only two are useful | | | | We are now referring to objects, either electronic |
| and permitted by golf rules and one of those two, | | | | or air bubble based, which display the most |
| as far as I can figure, has never been revealed | | | | important piece of advice needed for the |
| before. But if any of my readers can prove that | | | | management of breaking putts: the direction of |
| someone else has disclosed it before, please let | | | | the fall-line, an information that is critical to |
| me know because, in that case, I owe the author | | | | establish the shape of the curve the ball will follow |
| an apology. | | | | after the putter stroke. |
| Let's start our comprehensive review. If you are | | | | Fortunately, in my opinion, they are not allowed. |
| not interested in "solutions" that aren't useful or | | | | However, due to its usefulness, they are currently |
| violate golf rules, skip to part 2.a) Plumb bobbing. | | | | used by golf professionals to map the greens |
| A procedure that is allowed but useless. | | | | before tournaments. |
| I won't give too many details about this technique. | | | | Here you have the names of some of them, not |
| Those interested can Google plumb bobbing in golf | | | | as an endorsement but with pure informative |
| and get countless results. | | | | purposes: |
| Briefly, stand behind the ball and look straight to | | | | "eez-read", an air bubble based break meter |
| the hole, hold the top of the grip between your | | | | "exelys break master", an electronic break meter |
| thumb and forefinger, extend your arm slightly | | | | A quick reference also to "the green reader", a |
| and let the putter hang freely in your grip. Block | | | | disguised sophisticated plumb bobbing device, not |
| the view of the ball with the lower end of the | | | | allowed by golf rules. |
| shaft of the putter. Only keep your dominant eye | | | | End of part 1. Part 2 is available in this site. |
| open. If the hole looks like it is on the left of the | | | | |