AimPoint Express putting has transformed my game. There, I said it, and before you try to tell me that AimPoint has no place in amateur golf... at least hear me out.
I had seen plenty of tour professionals using AimPoint Express, but I rarely saw the system deployed by amateur golfers at my home club or on my travels.
When I discussed this observation with other golfers there was a general disdain towards it, including major concerns around slow play and the effectiveness of the system.
Butch Harmon was critical of AimPoint during the second round television coverage of The Masters this week, stating that the stats suggest "It doesn't improve anybody at all".
My initial response was one of despair at yet another high profile figure in golf dispelling the effectiveness of the popular green reading method, despite many of the top players in the world using it.
The first round leader at Augusta National, Justin Rose, is one of those players, and while I cannot even begin to compare myself to the former US Open winner, I must say that adopting the same system has drastically improved my performance on the greens - and it's time more amateur golfers gave AimPoint a try...
AimPoint Putting Lesson
As a high-handicap golfer who is relatively new to the game, I've tried countless strategies to shoot better scores and play better golf.
Each of them taught me something different about my performance, whether it was a series of golf swing lessons over the winter or the opportunity to have a custom fitting experience, but the shift in my scores and therefore my handicap index felt sluggish.
One of the things I quickly identified as a major barrier to progress was my putting, and specifically the number of three-putts I would rack up each round.
So, in an effort to be proactive and improve this crucial flaw, I reached out to Europe's senior AimPoint instructor, Jamie Donaldson, who gave me a crash course in AimPoint Express...
Jamie Donaldson has used AimPoint coaching to help golfers of all abilities to improve their putting, from amateurs all the way to Major Champions like Adam Scott and Stacy Lewis. As Europe's Senior AimPoint instructor, Jamie regularly runs clinics at Woburn Golf Club and travels to work with clients around the world.
To start with, we focused on how to read the greens effectively using a number of slopes on the practice green.
It quickly became apparent that I was under-reading the severity of the slopes, which Jamie believes was one of the biggest issues I faced with my putting.
Jamie set me up in a few drills to work on selecting the appropriate start line, one of which you can see in the image below.
By introducing the string, I was given a visual cue to ensure I set the ball off on the correct line. This immediately yielded positive results, and is something I took away to practice in my own time.
"Barry's biggest putting issue was caused by the fact that there was at least twice as much break as he had expected when reading his putts. Once he had learned to read the green properly using AimPoint Express, we set about learning to visualise the curve and that’s where his distance control really improved"
Jamie Donaldson, senior AimPoint instructor and PGA Pro
As you can see in the video below, we then moved on by pairing the green reading technique with longer putts that had more and more break.
I couldn't believe how far I was expected to start the ball outside the hole, and previously I would have guessed at maybe half that distance.
The drills, along with regular practice, helped me to trust my reads which eventually translated to a more confident stroke on the course.
Clearly, marrying line and speed is crucial as one without the other is going to be a recipe for disaster.
Jamie and I spent some time looking at my distance control and I left armed with a series of practice drills that I could use to work on all aspects of my putting.
The Data: What Impact Did Learning AimPoint Express Have On My Putting?
Three months into using AimPoint Express, I have now reached my lowest handicap index (currently around 23), shaving five shots off and recording some of my best scores.
Obviously, it's hard to categorically say that the improvement is solely down to the introduction of AimPoint, but the data I tracked in a select number of rounds suggests there has been serious improvement on the greens.
In September 2024, following a few weeks of carrying out regular practice drills using the tips and tools I had learned from my lesson, I recorded the number of putts I had taken in three separate rounds of competition golf.
Some of the top professionals in the world use AimPoint Express to read their putts... so why is it so taboo for amateurs to adopt the system?
Prior to introducing AimPoint, I would have typically racked up five or six three-putts per round, but in my first tracked performance I saw drastically better results.
A total of six one-putts, 11 two-putts and just one three-putt left me walking off the 18th green feeling like I was onto something good, but my elation quickly evaporated as I pondered whether this particular putting performance could have been a one-off.
The next round I tracked came a week later, and while perhaps less spectacular still saw me make just two three-putts. Those blemishes were offset by three one-putts, and I carded just my fifth ever sub-100 round as a result.
Introducing string as part of your putting drills is a great way to ensure you are starting the ball rolling on your intended line
The final tracked round saw another sub-100 score added to my records, along with two one-putts and a trio of three-putts.
A total of 97 putts over three rounds gave me an average of 32.3 putts per round, and while I am aware it's unlikely I will be able to maintain that over a wider dataset, I am at least proud of the fact I made just six three-putts over 54-holes of golf.
In the process of introducing AimPoint to my game, I have received a few odd looks and judgemental glares, but ultimately it appears to be working for me – and that's all that really matters.
There are many amateur golfers that believe AimPoint slows down the pace of play, but when asking Jamie about this issue, he believed the perception to be misguided...
"When using AimPoint express you only need to walk two-thirds of the way between the ball and the hole, and anyone that’s walking behind the hole is taking much much longer. I’m not sure where the 'slow play' label comes from, however I believe it’s often an excuse for people who don’t want to learn it"
Jamie Donaldson, senior AimPoint instructor
Irrespective of other golfers opinions, the system has made me feel more comfortable with my putting, and while I have plenty of other areas to work on in my game, I finally feel like this crucial area is moving in the right direction.
As a conscientious golfer, I always have one-eye on my pace of play and ensuring that my decision to adopt AimPoint isn't negatively affecting the performance, enjoyment or experience of other players.
In reality, taking less putts is definitely making my round quicker and if all amateurs tried this process it might even have the same effect.
Quiz Time: The Masters Edition
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
