Male: Breaking putt seems to be a big problem to a lot of people because they do not understand the concept that every breaking putt really starts out as a straight putt. Now, what we have done here is we have adjusted almost impossible putt. Then I put some dots down that are closed to the line of how the ball is going to be traveling. When I putt a breaking putt, I always want to have in my imagination, I see dots starting from the cup back up the line, so I have a good imagination in my mind of how the ball is going to travel but I will start the ball at a target that is straight ahead of me. I have a mark out here which is straight to the line of my target line and where I need to start the ball at. I cannot curve the ball by using a different type of potting stroke. I use my same stroke, straight back, I make a short putt and I let the curvature make the break.
Let us take a look here. On breaking putts, we have to get into our mind and imagination of how the putt is going to break, but I think what most people fail to realize is really where the center of the cup is on breaking putts. As we look down here, most people would try to make this putt right in the front of the cup and you cannot. There is now way. Actually, the center of the cup on a breaking putt, on a putt like this, the center of the cup is right here. So you have to visualize the ball taking the break and going down right into the center of the cup.
Most people would leave this putt where, Kent?
Kent: On the right.
Male: Because they would not read enough break, they would try to think about the ball going in the middle of the cup and this is not the middle of the cup. This is the middle of the cup on this break.
Kent: Probably, another thing that needs to be brought our here is, that this putt is slightly uphill. It is a pretty good breaking putt. It probably is as much as you never have on a golf course, and since it is slightly uphill, as I kneel down behind this, I am going to get the best view of that break with my eyes in this position from below the hole. If the pot where the other direction and the hole was right here, I would be better to read it still from the low side. I will get a much better perspective of the break.
Now, as we step stepped in to this putt, now we have a picture in our mind just like the one Tim did earlier with the dots and see the door is up on the top side of that pot or the top side of the hole. When I walk in and align to this putt, I am going to line to that towards that T that we placed up there, that is kind of a depressed or the top crest just before the ball will break. Make your alignment towards the T and we are going to hit a straight pot in the direction of the T and as Tim showed, the putt should break to the right and fall in from the top side of the cup.
So, when you are putting and you have a lot of different breaks, always read the first few feet of the pot to get your angle that you are going to have the ball go down the target line on. Great putt there.
Potting pointers for Breaking Putts
All breaking putts start as straight putts. Aim at a target directly in front of you, not at the hole. The middle of the cup on breaking putts is not on a straight line with the ball. Always read the break of the green from below side of the cup. When putting, the odds are in your favor by allowing for more break than less break.
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