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Sure Putt - Testers Thread

SuperStroke
I've been remiss in posting my thoughts on this handy little device....here they are.

1) the quality and craftsmanship is amazing. It looks like a million bucks and is well made. Very solid and sturdy feeling in your hand
2) it's the perfect size to fit in any pocket you have and is easily transferable/tossable to anyone else on the green who may need a 'look'
3) seems to give a good indication s far as how the green breaks however for greens that have multiple breaks in them, it's a little annoying to have to place it in multiple areas on the green and then remember when and where those breaks are
4) super easy to use for all skill levels
5) comes with a nice storage pouch that can double as valuables holder
6) nice weighting to ensure that it lays stable and flat on the greens
7) easy to read directions right on the face of the device

I think it could be an invaluable tool to use if you have trouble reading greens. However I could see some sort of addiction or 'crutch' effect taking place where you may become reliant on it and begin to question yourself when reading greens without it.

Overall I think it's a nice, efficient little device that would be a welcome tool in almost anyone's bag
 
So I was able to take this out to the course yesterday for a quick 9 since it was colder and hardly anyone was out at the course! The cold didn't stop me from testing on the greens though and I had a few surprising realizations. Here are my prior thoughts from the putting green for reference.

WestTex said:
Well finally got it on the green yesterday afternoon. Currently typing this in a deer blind waiting for the sun to come up so please excuse the 5 am grammar!

1st off looks and pricing
It really is a nicely crafted tool and does look rather handy. Mine is the silver with black writing which I like since it gives me the feel of a coin, albeit a VERRRRY large one. Again great craftsmanship, but I'm a bit underwhelmed for a 40 dollar price tag. For that I'd expect maybe a digital read out or something; not just an air bubble level.

Usage
Now I haven't truly given this enough green time to make any real conclusions but I have a few first impressions. For training yourself on 1-15 foot putts; very useful. Anything farther? Well.... Not very useful. Now I live in VERY flat country, and it is almost impossible to hide what direction the green is going so my opinions will be based mostly over this terrain. Now if I were to travel 4 hours northwest to get to my favorite golf spot Ruidoso NM I can see a very awesome niche for this tool.

I can read a mountain green about as good as I can fly off the face of the cliff it's sitting on. Which way is downhill? Where is the mountain that will effect this putt? I got NO... ZERO..NIL..NADA.. (I'd keep going with this but it's 6 am and other versions of 0 escape me ATM) chance of draining a putt up here.

Anyway where was I, ah yes, plop this puppy on a hillside green and I think I just improved my chances for success 10 fold.

Ok it's starting to get light so I'll leave it at this, jury is out on it's overall effectiveness vrs price point. however this gizmo does have a few good windows when given a chance it could really shine.
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So luckily for mid Dec the greens at my local public are still in good shape so I was rather happy about that. Now a lot of my thoughts are still very similar to my original thoughts; however I do have a tid-bit of info I'd like to add.
How I used the sure putt on the course
I found this to be a very good way to use this item, I would mark my ball, then place the Sure putt about 2 feet in front of my marker, and then I would go back and get my read. Once I had my read I would then walk up to my ball and then check my read vs the Sure Putt. I originally had reservations on how well I could read what the level was telling me, but after a 2nd go with it I feel I got a good handle on reading this thing. I would basically use the Sure Putt to CONFIRM my original read; which would give me a little something I think I've been missing in my putting game, more confidence. This method hardly slowed down my game and would give me that little caddie voice in my ear saying " I think we have the read, now make the putt".

Well I made 2 1 putt birdies in a no warm up round so I think I'm going to try to keep this method going for as long as I get to keep this thing :) If anyone has any scenarios they would like me to try with the Sure putt just let me know. I'm enjoying all of this testing wayyyyy to much, I need some more ideas lol.
 
jnug said:
Pete,

Is the similar device that you are thinking about the digital version that I have seen?
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No, it's made by EyeLine Golf. I don't think it's digital.
 
I have had a little more time with the Sure Putt so I thought I would add to my earlier review.

There were a few times while playing that I couldn't tell how a putt was going to break so I pulled out the Sure Putt for assistance. I naturally got some laughs and protests from my buddies but told them it was a "test" so I had to do what I had to do. Every time during a round that I used it, it was very helpful in reading the putt that I just wasn't sure about. Only problem was, it was cheating! :D

Today I took a friend of mine to our #4 green (bermuda) which has all kinds of funky breaks because it is 2 tiered and next to our lake. I asked my friend if he would give me assistance testing this thing and give me his opinion too.

1. Found it helped me see uphill/downhill better.
2. Accurately read the break but only for part of the line. You had to move it along the line to see the entire break.
3. He didn't feel it was heavy enough for the bermuda grass because there was a little variation of grass height in places and the level varied a good bit if you just moved it an inch or two over. Hard to read a break on a putt based on one spot the level is sitting on.

Personally, I don't think I would buy this training aid because I don't think I would use it. If I am practicing and learning a green, I will learn it by simply hitting balls. I could see someone who really wants to study every undulation in a green buying it and really working with it but I don't see that happening with me.

I think I'll send Slammin'SAM a PM to see if we wants me to send it on to him to test. He seemed really interested in it.
 
KB do you think after using if for a while it will help you read greens without the device?
 
Sean, honestly I think I would learn the green just as easily by practicing my putting without the device. The more I play my course, the more familiar I am with the breaks. I don't see how a level shows you more than just putting a ball to the hole and watching it break. That's my honest opinion but maybe someone more skilled at golf than me might see the benefit. That's why I am offering to pass it on to Slammin'SAM who is a really good golfer and showed some interest in using this.

Sean said:
KB do you think after using if for a while it will help you read greens without the device?
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Slammin'SAM wants to test this out so I'm mailing it to him tomorrow. He will let us know his thoughts.
 
Good morning Kellybo, good to see that you are passing this one on. After playing with you and OG on those greens, I agree, there really is limited use of the level. The greens there don't have subtle breaks for the most part, it is usually obvious where the ball will break and it then becomes more of an issue of knowing your putting style and stroke and executing the stroke. The ball will break in the direction you read, it comes down to building your confidence. Your game is solid, and it seems to me just a matter of getting a little more confidence in the flat stick and a single digit handicap is yours.
KellyBo said:
Sean, honestly I think I would learn the green just as easily by practicing my putting without the device. The more I play my course, the more familiar I am with the breaks. I don't see how a level shows you more than just putting a ball to the hole and watching it break. That's my honest opinion but maybe someone more skilled at golf than me might see the benefit. That's why I am offering to pass it on to Slammin'SAM who is a really good golfer and showed some interest in using this.
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Thanks DawgDaddy! My putting is surely suffering right now. I've been working so hard on consistent ball striking that I haven't practiced putting at all lately and it shows. Dawgdaddy saw me test the SurePutt a time or two so it's nice to know he agrees with me on this one. I'm just happy to pass this on to someone who has a real interest and I know will give it a good test. I'll be back to the putting green for lots of practice as soon as it warms up!!!!!!

DawgDaddy said:
Good morning Kellybo, good to see that you are passing this one on. After playing with you and OG on those greens, I agree, there really is limited use of the level. The greens there don't have subtle breaks for the most part, it is usually obvious where the ball will break and it then becomes more of an issue of knowing your putting style and stroke and executing the stroke. The ball will break in the direction you read, it comes down to building your confidence. Your game is solid, and it seems to me just a matter of getting a little more confidence in the flat stick and a single digit handicap is yours.
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Great thing about THP - even if you aren't the original winner or selectee in a contest or a demo, folks seem to pass the goodies along! I am indeed interested in trying this product, because one of my weaker areas is reading subtle breaks on shorter putts. I will gladly demo the SurePutt device and post my thoughts here - and after I spend some time with it I will gladly pass it along to another THPer to demo. Thanks KellyBo!
 
I think the usefulness of this device for me would be in very subtle up or down hill. At least once a round I find a make a putt that goes rushing by the hole only to walk around the cup a couple times and realize that what I thought was slighly uphill was slightly downhill.

I don't know that I would base my entire read on it, but it would help with confidence that my initial read was right. I am unsure if that is worth the cost of the device, but to some it might be.
 
I think it's pretty cool of KellyBo to pass the device on for further testing. Good for you Kelly. And good for you too Sam.
 
The SurePutt arrived Thursday, and KellyBo did an outstanding job of wrapping the device in bubble wrap to protect it from damage in the mails. It is a bit bigger and definitely thicker than I anticipated, very substantial! It is 56* and cloudy this morning, and it looks good for getting in a round before some fiendish weather arrives, so I plan to try the SurePutt out today. I will weigh in later with observations. Thanks again, KellyBo, and to :thp: and to SurePutt!
 
Hit 'em straight SAM, hope to get in a round with you sometime during 2011. Hope you have a Happy New Year.
 
Well, I am back from my round - I beat the weather easily, which as I write this appears to be rolling in. I didn't make it to the practice green before my tee time, and on the first 4 holes I either chipped or hit long putts to within a foot. Finally at the fifth hole I hit a nice drive and from 115 put my AW about 5-6 feet behind the hole. I read it to barely turn left, a right center putt. Then I put the SurePutt down just in front of my ball, halfway, and 6 inches from the hole - in all 3 positions it read downhill and slight break right. I decided to go firmly at the middle of the cup, and hit the putt exactly that way, and the ball went firmly into the middle of the cup. I only pulled it out one more time, because I didn't figure it to be much use on putts over 6 or 8 feet, and I just didn't have much in that 'doubt' range that I didn't get a read from someone elses putt or from my own first putt. So my initial impression is this - it works somewhat, and the read along the line seemed consistent when used under 8 feet, but it is still an inexact tool, and clumsy and time-consuming to use in regular play. I have a feeling this device is best to be used in a practice situation, which I suppose is the designers intention. On Bermuda greens, the effect of grain can overwhelm the effect of subtle level changes.
 
Slammin'SAM said:
On Bermuda greens, the effect of grain can overwhelm the effect of subtle level changes.
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That is a great point about the type of grass on the greens, and on reading grain in general. Of course any item no matter what won't be able to know stuff like this but it is another limiting factor.

It really is good at what it is suppose to be best at; putter practice. I just can't really justify 40 dollars for a 15 foot and in green reader. The craftsmanship on it is what your paying the most for, which is VERY good. If it was a decorative office piece that would be a great selling point, but it's for putting practice.
 
January has had some real teeth in these parts, and is making it difficult for me to test this device any further. I am hoping the ice melts enough and the frost delays are short enough to allow me to do some testing Saturday. I see this thread has had no recent activity, and maybe there is not much new to offer THP'ers about the device, but I will cross my fingers and hope I get an opportunity this Saturday.
 
Slammin'SAM said:
January has had some real teeth in these parts, and is making it difficult for me to test this device any further. I am hoping the ice melts enough and the frost delays are short enough to allow me to do some testing Saturday. I see this thread has had no recent activity, and maybe there is not much new to offer THP'ers about the device, but I will cross my fingers and hope I get an opportunity this Saturday.
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It has been icy all over Georgia the last few days Sam.. I'm really hoping for a nicer weekend for all of us.
 
Sam- I just completed my review of the SurePutt and it should be up on the homepage soon. Keep your eyes peeled and hope for some warmer weather!
Slammin'SAM said:
January has had some real teeth in these parts, and is making it difficult for me to test this device any further. I am hoping the ice melts enough and the frost delays are short enough to allow me to do some testing Saturday. I see this thread has had no recent activity, and maybe there is not much new to offer THP'ers about the device, but I will cross my fingers and hope I get an opportunity this Saturday.
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I ended up taking the Sure Putt device to the course four times, two of which I never pulled it out, because it just didn't seem right to use in competitive situations. I used it a couple of times in the other rounds, to either read the break before I putted or to see if it confirmed why I missed a putt with my misread. No doubt, the device works accurately, and with just a little practice you can learn the amount of break to expect from what the bubble tells you. Truly, though, it should only be used in a practice situation, because it takes some time to put it down in 3 places on an 8 foot putt. In a practice round you can use it to help gauge the greens slopes, or on the practice green you can use it to find straight putts to practice (or particular breaks to practice). It can be a useful tool.

Today I shipped the Sure Putt device on to a fellow THP'er to try. I looked back in the original 'testers wanted' thread, and found an LSU grad that had been interested in testing it. Since this was the LSU device it looked like a no-brainer to me, so I have forwarded the device on to tdinbr to play with.
 
So would I be correct in assuming that this would be more of a brain training device. It seems to me like the more you used it and ingrained the sight of the slope in relation to what the sure putt was telling you into your brain that it would just teach you to see and understand slope alot better in your normal round.
 
I will go back to something I said in an earlier post on this subject - golf architects of today like to try to fool the eye on the greens. The really subtle breaks are the ones that the device really aid the eye, so if used in practice situations one could learn which areas of the greens truly fool the eye. I think every course has a few places where we hit putts and bang our heads saying "NO WAY it breaks that way".
 
Jeanthemachine said:
I got mu Sure Putt in the mail on Friday. I immediately put it in my pocket and headed for the practice green. When I got there I realized i had been so excited that I had forgotten my clubs and balls. Oh well...

First impression is that the packaging and workmanship are top notch, as KellyBo stated. The packaging is well done and the etching (I got the United States Marines unit) are terrific. The weight is substantial enough to lay flat (although late in the day some tufts my appear that can disturb the way it sits) but not so heavy as to be annoying to carry.

As you might suspect this device does a good job of identifying "local" slope. I tried it on six foot putts by placing it about halfway to the hole. It does give an indication of the severity of the slope but it will take considerable experience to equate bubble position to amount of break.

I tried to use the Sure Putt on putts of 20 feet and found it to be less useful. It turns out that on a putt of 20 feet with 3 feet of break there can be several local slopes in opposite directions. I found this to be distracting.

Since I believe all putts are straight (yes they curve but we can not influence the break except by speed) I found the Sure Putt particularly valuable in finding straight putts either up or down hill. When I had determined a straight putt I could work on my alignment and stroke and know that if I did my job, the ball would go in.

In summary I think the Sure Putt is well made, well packaged and will make a great gift for the golfer who has everything (and don't we all). As an aid to reading greens I think the benefits are limited but with some creativity I think one can use the Sure Putt to devise some drills that will help.

Thank you so much THP and Sure Putt for this opportunity. I will let you know how it fares in the "Wounded Marine" blind auction in February.
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I just returned from a trip and found that the US Marine Sure Putt was auctioned at our club's "Semper Fi" tournament benefiting wounded marines and their families.

I am delighted to report that the Sure Putt contributed $50 to the fund.

The event raised over $100,000 for the Semper Fi fund over all

Thank you so much Sure Putt and THP for helping this most worthy event
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