How do you describe a putt’s break? Top instructor shares helpful graphic

For beginner golfers — and even seasoned players — green-reading is one of the most challenging parts of the game. There are plenty of ways to approach it, like envisioning which direction a bucket of water would run if it was dumped out over your putt, or paying attention to the direction the grass is growing. But when it comes time to verbalize your aiming intentions (or perhaps accept direction from a playing partner or caddie), things can get confusing quickly.

Common directional terminology like “left edge” “right center” and “one cup out” may sound straightforward in theory, but what do they really mean? If you read a putt as breaking one cup to the right, are you anticipating putting through the middle of that imaginary cup, or on the outer edge?

Ensuring agreement on that topic is key if you’re planning to discuss a putt’s break with someone in your group, or accept advice from a caddie. Many players have a different idea of what it means to aim one cup or one ball to the left or right — a fascinating debate that my colleague Alan Bastable discussed in detail here.

For those who aren’t sure where they stand and need some guidance on the issue, though, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Brian Manzella recently shared his take on the matter on X with a helpful labeled illustration.

Manzella’s graphic shows what it looks like to “split the edge” and aim “left center” and “inside right edge.” It also shows how ball widths compare to hole widths. One hole equals approximately two-and-a-half balls.

One point of differentiation in Manzella’s approach from other commonly-used green-reading approximations is his use of the center of the cup at the aim point as opposed to the outer edge. But according to Manzella, since we try to make putts in the center of the cup, using the center of an imaginary cup as the aim point makes more sense.

“If the read was ‘one cup left, left edge’ or ‘left edge of one cup left,’ that would be one thing,” Manzella told Bastable last year. “But ‘one cup left’ is something else.”

While definitions of how to aim one cup or one ball to the left or right may vary in meaning from player to player, one thing’s for sure: it’s wise to to get on the same page with your playing partner before giving — or taking — any green-reading advice.