The basics of AimPoint green reading, explained in 30 seconds

Putting is arguably the most important skill in golf, and green reading is a vital component to that. The problem is, reading greens is not an easily acquired skill. It takes years of practice to become a skilled green reader, and even then it can be difficult to consistently get the right line.

 In recent years, there has been a remedy for these green-reading woes in the form of the AimPoint method. It has been adopted by a number of pros, including Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Stacy Lewis, and to great success. The method has become more and more popular in recent years as it marries physics and feel to get a consistent read on the greens each and every time.

Erika Larkin recently posted a video on Instagram that explains the basics of AimPoint, and it does it all in a tight 30-second timeframe. Watch the video and then read below for the explanation on what she’s demonstrating.

The first step in AimPoint green reading is to feel the slope of the green. Do this by straddling your ball’s path to the hole about halfway to the hole. From here you should determine what percent slope you feel, from one to five.

Next you need to stand behind the ball and close one eye while lifting your hand so that your pointer finger is just outside the hole. Based on the percent slope you think there is affecting your putt, put up that many fingers on your hand (i.e. one finger for one percent, two fingers for two percent, etc.).

So let’s say you think there is 3 percent slope in the putt. Put three fingers up with your pointer finger just outside the hole on the right (assuming your putt breaks to the left). In this case, your ring finger will be the aim point.

Then just line up your ball at the aim point and roll it at that spot. If you judged the slope correctly, your putt should track right toward the hole.