If you’ve ever seen professional or amateur golfers standing on the green with a few fingers in the air, looking like they were signaling for a cab or trying to land a UFO, relax—they’re not. They’re using AimPoint, a green-reading method designed to help golfers accurately assess the break and speed of a putt. While perfecting your putting stroke is important, it won’t matter much if you’re not reading the green correctly. In this post, we’ll break down what AimPoint is, how you can incorporate it into your game and why so many golfers are making the switch to this technique.
(Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
What is AimPoint Golf?
Simply put, AimPoint helps golfers read greens. It has been around for more than 20 years but it has become increasingly popular in the last few years as more professionals use it in tournament play.
Once golfers know how to use it correctly, AimPoint claims it is 99 percent accurate.
The only way to correctly learn the AimPoint method is through an AimPoint certified instructor of which there are more than 300 in the United States alone. Once you understand the method, you can bring it to the course.
Like anything else in golf, AimPoint takes time to learn.
AimPoint Golf core concepts
AimPoint slope estimation is the basis of the entire process and the part that you’ll need to learn with the help of an instructor.
Slope estimation
The AimPoint method uses the golfer’s feet to feel the slope of the green. Players straddle the line of their putt and sense which foot feels heavier. The heavier foot gives some indication as to the direction of the slope of the putt.
| Slope Severity | Description |
|---|---|
| 1% | Gentle slope, barely noticeable. |
| 2% | Moderate slope, easily felt underfoot. |
| 3% | Strong slope, requires clear adjustment. |
| 4% | Very steep slope, challenging to compensate. |
| 5%+ | Extreme slope, rare but possible in unique situations. |
Slope scale
Once the estimate is made, golfers must determine the scale. The scale in AimPoint is rated from 0 to 5. The 1% or less scale shows that there is essentially no break in the putt. The break significantly increases as you move closer to the 3% scale.
Fingers method for break
Once the feel of the slope is determined and then converted to the slope scale, golfers can pick their line using their fingers. Each finger represents about 1% of the slope. If you feel a 2% slope, you would hold two fingers up and aim that far to the side of the hole.
| Slope Severity | Number of Fingers to Hold Up | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1 Finger | Minimal adjustment needed. |
| 2% | 2 Fingers | Adjust alignment for moderate break. |
| 3% | 3 Fingers | Significant adjustment for pronounced break. |
| 4% | 4 Fingers | Strong adjustment for steep slope. |
| 5%+ | 5 Fingers | Major adjustment for extreme slope. |
What is AimPoint Express?
One of the main concerns of the AimPoint method is the time it takes. If amateurs are not careful, they can take a bit too much time working through the AimPoint process. That’s where AimPoint Express comes in.
In this simplified version, golfers can complete the process a little faster and focus more on feel. AimPoint Express follows the same basic process but you may not see players holding up fingers. Instead, they think more about the weight on their feet and how that translates into feel on the greens.
What are the benefits of the AimPoint method?
Some things in golf are concrete. Take, for instance, the distance from your golf ball to the pin. Other things like reading greens are not quite as simple. We all know there is more than one way to make a putt and this creates a lot of variables in a game with too many variables already. The reason golfers like AimPoint is that it makes reading the break more consistent.
Accuracy
The AimPoint method is proven to be accurate. Professional golfers are having success with it. The systematic approach mixes physics and feel to reduce guesswork in reading greens.
Consistency
Similar to a pre-shot routine in golf, following the AimPoint method each time creates a certain level of consistency which can help players improve their putting performance.
Increased confidence
Knowing where to aim and trusting that line can increase confidence. Golfers who have stand over a putt, not sure which way it will break, have very little chance to make it.
How to use AimPoint?
To truly understand the AimPoint method, you must train your feet to feel the slope. This is best done through practice with a certified AimPoint instructor.
The basic method has golfers stand behind the ball and feel the weight distribution in their feet to gauge the slope. When training, the player holds a digital level to correlate pressure in the feet with the amount of slope.
Once a player becomes confident, they start estimating the slope percentage without the help of the digital level. They then use their fingers to determine where to aim based on the slope they feel in their feet.
It takes some time to become proficient at estimating the slope, just as it takes time to become skilled at reading breaks on putting greens. There are no shortcuts to becoming a great putter.
Which professionals use AimPoint?
Many golf professionals use AimPoint or AimPoint Express as part of their routine. Some top names include Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Lydia Ko and Justin Rose. AimPoint claims that half of the top 20 best men and women golfers in the world are using the AimPoint method to read greens. One thing for sure is that it’s easy to spot which players are using it!
Why wouldn’t everyone use AimPoint?
Some golfers argue that the AimPoint method is slow. It takes time for players to feel the slope, especially on some of the longer putts and, therefore, the pace of play takes a hit.
However, supporters of the AimPoint system say the method gets faster the more you use it. Golfers who become better at feel can transition to the AimPoint Express method to save time.
Bottom Line – Is AimPoint worth learning?
AimPoint is a method (currently permitted within the rules of golf) that attempts to make reading break a more concrete concept rather than an abstract one. Blending physics, feel and a structured approach has proven to be effective. You just need to learn the method from a certified instructor and then make sure you can keep up the pace of play while doing it.
Featured Image Credit: Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
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