aimpoint

According to the AimPoint website, 45,000 amateur golfers, 5,000 juniors, 200 tour pros and 250 instructors are using the unique green-reading system to, as AimPoint put it, “make everything!” Some – including some of the world’s best golfers – swear by it. Others dismiss it as a gimmick. Zimbabwean pro Tony Johnstone, who won six times on the European Tour, says “you might as well use horoscopes to read putts” and describes AimPoint instructors as “snake oil salesmen”. 

What is AimPoint? 

AimPoint is a three-step system designed to help you read putts accurately and consistently. 

Step 1

Stand facing the hole and estimate the amount of slope in your putt by using your feet to feel the slope on a scale of 0 to 10. 

Step 2

Use your arm and fingers to determine where to aim your putt. The amount of slope you felt in Step 1 is the number of fingers you should hold up on that side of the hole. 

Step 3

Start the putt at your chosen target at the correct pace. 

Want a sickeningly cheesy video with a soft trance soundtrack to explain things further? You’re in luck!

Who uses AimPoint?

Adam Scott, Stacy Lewis, Justin Rose and Lydia Ko have all been seen using it, amongst many, many others. 

Who says AimPoint works?

Adam Scott said “it’s huge” when asked about how much of a difference AimPoint made to his green-reading. And he’s not wrong: he went from 102nd in the world in ‘strokes gained putting’ to top-15 in that stat, gaining more than half a stroke a round. 

“When I stand over a six-footer I have a game plan,” says Scott. “I know where the putt needs to go and that gives me great confidence. It also means the pressure is less on the long putts because anything inside six feet feels like it’s in my comfort area.”

“All I do on the golf course revolves around AimPoint,” says Stacy Lewis. 

“It’s easy to learn, but it’s hard to master,” says Hunter Mahan. “I like it because it travels. I can feel flat with my feet, but it’s hard to find with your eyes.”

Who says AimPoint doesn’t work?

As we’ve already seen, Tony Johnstone isn’t keen. “If people are prepared to part with their cash, others will take it,” he says. When asked if it’s fair to criticise something he hasn’t tried, he replied, “I haven’t jumped off a building to see if I can fly, either. It just won’t work.” Say what you really think, Tone. 

Want to try it for yourself? Read our complete guide to AimPoint