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Ok so first session was interesting. I set up 4 9 foot putts around the hole. My practice green is pretty sloped so I think it will be good once I get the hang of the process but it was hard to get the speed right and read the spot to the right or left of hole.

Apparently I didn’t save photos of every read so I only have a benign example. My brain wants to aim where the red mark is versus the Blue and then adjust speed.

1745630925994.png
1745631290367.jpeg

I struggled with speed on the more extreme sides of hole a little bit but got the hang of it and once I adjusted my speed and aiming things went well.

1745631432693.png

1745631472289.jpeg
Definitely can see why this works. I think once my eyes get used to reading slope the math part of it as an accountant will really help me and I’ll trust it. Way more analytical than my total feel putting currently.
 
Joshnoble01 said:
Ok so first session was interesting. I set up 4 9 foot putts around the hole. My practice green is pretty sloped so I think it will be good once I get the hang of the process but it was hard to get the speed right and read the spot to the right or left of hole.

Apparently I didn’t save photos of every read so I only have a benign example. My brain wants to aim where the red mark is versus the Blue and then adjust speed.

View attachment 9343459
View attachment 9343462

I struggled with speed on the more extreme sides of hole a little bit but got the hang of it and once I adjusted my speed and aiming things went well.

View attachment 9343463

View attachment 9343464
Definitely can see why this works. I think once my eyes get used to reading slope the math part of it as an accountant will really help me and I’ll trust it. Way more analytical than my total feel putting currently.
Click to expand...
8.7% up is crazy!!!

But love to see it out the gates…practicing with all different slopes is so good
 
bsbmike said:
8.7% up is crazy!!!

But love to see it out the gates…practicing with all different slopes is so good
Click to expand...
Yeah it’s not the best putting green to practice this first time through. Just was my closest option. I am going to check out the next closest option tomorrow after my round or Sunday. I also could have rotated around and probably switched it up a little. All of the flat areas didn’t have holes cut and I couldn’t get it to just mark with a tee or the ball. I would have definitely preferred some 100% flat putts with left to right.

I dig the process although it’s a reset of how my brain previously read putts.
 
Joshnoble01 said:
Yeah it’s not the best putting green to practice this first time through. Just was my closest option. I am going to check out the next closest option tomorrow after my round or Sunday. I also could have rotated around and probably switched it up a little. All of the flat areas didn’t have holes cut and I couldn’t get it to just mark with a tee or the ball. I would have definitely preferred some 100% flat putts with left to right.

I dig the process although it’s a reset of how my brain previously read putts.
Click to expand...
It’s cool when you get the details down and then all of a sudden it clicks and you can drain some putts with it
 
Joshnoble01 said:
Ok so first session was interesting. I set up 4 9 foot putts around the hole. My practice green is pretty sloped so I think it will be good once I get the hang of the process but it was hard to get the speed right and read the spot to the right or left of hole.

Apparently I didn’t save photos of every read so I only have a benign example. My brain wants to aim where the red mark is versus the Blue and then adjust speed.

View attachment 9343459
View attachment 9343462

I struggled with speed on the more extreme sides of hole a little bit but got the hang of it and once I adjusted my speed and aiming things went well.

View attachment 9343463

View attachment 9343464
Definitely can see why this works. I think once my eyes get used to reading slope the math part of it as an accountant will really help me and I’ll trust it. Way more analytical than my total feel putting currently.
Click to expand...
This looks mental, how long from doing the prep to getting those 3 to almost drop?
 
kiwichris said:
This looks mental, how long from doing the prep to getting those 3 to almost drop?
Click to expand...
So I set up 4 quadrants at 12/3/6/9 on a clock. I kind of played around with setup for about 15 minutes and was just kind of messing around with what the inches looked like using my paces and foot as measurement and then measured exactly with a tape measure. Did that for about 30-40 minutes just getting used to it. Started to drizzle and then did 18 balls total with 3 groups of 6 balls. That was my final round so I was pretty dialed. By 72 putts. But honestly once I got my speed right after about 15 putts it really was just aiming at the tee I had set up to aim at. I was pretty much within a foot on 90% and probably made about 25% of my last half. Really is just a trust it. If I could use my phone measure right or left i think I’d be pretty dialed already. I trust it. I think once I am able to read the slope it’s going to make me a two putting machine and I’ll sink a lot more <10 footers.

I’m a fan after my first practice session. It will be all about building my a matrix and applying what o see on app in practice to greens on course.
 
Just got home from my first round with the Tour Read - TLDR : this could be REALLY good.

First off, I wanted to give a quick thanks for the staff here at THP for including me in this test - its been a great introduction into this community and I don't take the selection lightly.

Second, a quick introduction on myself - I live in Atlanta, GA and have been playing golf most of my life, but really got the bug during COVID. Since then I've been obsessed with the game, especially on the architecture / design side. This came to a head recently when I visited Scotland with my wife - such an incredible experience to walk places such as The Old Course, Royal Dornoch, and North Berwick.
IMG_8062 2.JPG

Ok, so now to the test :LOL:

Before I put this into play, I wanted to establish a couple goals that I'd love to get out of this:
1) Become a better putter (duh) - this would be tracked through Arrcos (specifically SG improvement over others in my handicap). More on that below.
2) Establish a better putting practice - this is a big one for me, as I have had challenges building better rhythms / habits into my game.
3) Determine if the Tour Read system will be a long term option for my game

The Setup: As I've chronicled here, I'd categorize myself as an "ok" putter, and based on my Arrcos profile, thats basically true (note - please look past that short game stat, I need HELP with my wedges):
1745717233935.png
And while I've improved over the last few years, I'd love to make some marked improvements with the flat stick. Speaking of flat stick, for the length of this test, I'll be relying on my trusty DF3, which is easily the best putter I've gamed since I started playing golf.

Initial Impressions: As others have noted, I've been digesting all of the video content the last few days - its a LOT, and I'm excited to revisit a number of items, including practice & instructional videos. Kudos to the TR team, as they've laid out the library in a very organized fashion and kept the videos in very digestible formats (most are 5 minutes or less).
IMG_8492.PNG
Before getting started, you must calibrate your phone (to account for your phone case), which is very easy / straightforward (set the phone on a flat surface, calibrate once, flip 180 degrees, and calibrate again).

IMG_8488.PNGIMG_8489.PNGIMG_8491.PNG
Now the fun starts - based on the instructional videos, the basic process instructs you to walk off the putt & input the approximate length, then set the device about 2/3 of the distance to get your read. Based on this information, you are presented with a couple pieces of information, particularly start line and pace.
IMG_8505.PNG
Round 1 Summary: After some practice on the putting green, particularly getting used to the Tour Read system, we jumped into round. Unfortunately, the greens were punched / sanded recently, so they were quite slow & bumpy, but I still felt most greens were adequate for testing. All-in-all, my pace was all over the place (I blame the sandy conditions), but I came away very impressed with the lines & reads the TR system were presenting.
IMG_8515.jpg
However, as @Joshnoble01 pointed out earlier, I think its going to take some time to get used to the system, but I could see it clicking very soon.

Planning to get out to a putting green a couple times this week for some dedicated practice - really excited to start building a new practice around this system!

Thanks so much THP & Tour Read!!!
 
ChrisATL said:
Just got home from my first round with the Tour Read - TLDR : this could be REALLY good.

First off, I wanted to give a quick thanks for the staff here at THP for including me in this test - its been a great introduction into this community and I don't take the selection lightly.

Second, a quick introduction on myself - I live in Atlanta, GA and have been playing golf most of my life, but really got the bug during COVID. Since then I've been obsessed with the game, especially on the architecture / design side. This came to a head recently when I visited Scotland with my wife - such an incredible experience to walk places such as The Old Course, Royal Dornoch, and North Berwick.
View attachment 9343692

Ok, so now to the test :LOL:

Before I put this into play, I wanted to establish a couple goals that I'd love to get out of this:
1) Become a better putter (duh) - this would be tracked through Arrcos (specifically SG improvement over others in my handicap). More on that below.
2) Establish a better putting practice - this is a big one for me, as I have had challenges building better rhythms / habits into my game.
3) Determine if the Tour Read system will be a long term option for my game

The Setup: As I've chronicled here, I'd categorize myself as an "ok" putter, and based on my Arrcos profile, thats basically true (note - please look past that short game stat, I need HELP with my wedges):
View attachment 9343682
And while I've improved over the last few years, I'd love to make some marked improvements with the flat stick. Speaking of flat stick, for the length of this test, I'll be relying on my trusty DF3, which is easily the best putter I've gamed since I started playing golf.

Initial Impressions: As others have noted, I've been digesting all of the video content the last few days - its a LOT, and I'm excited to revisit a number of items, including practice & instructional videos. Kudos to the TR team, as they've laid out the library in a very organized fashion and kept the videos in very digestible formats (most are 5 minutes or less).
View attachment 9343683
Before getting started, you must calibrate your phone (to account for your phone case), which is very easy / straightforward (set the phone on a flat surface, calibrate once, flip 180 degrees, and calibrate again).

View attachment 9343684View attachment 9343685View attachment 9343686
Now the fun starts - based on the instructional videos, the basic process instructs you to walk off the putt & input the approximate length, then set the device about 2/3 of the distance to get your read. Based on this information, you are presented with a couple pieces of information, particularly start line and pace.
View attachment 9343687
Round 1 Summary: After some practice on the putting green, particularly getting used to the Tour Read system, we jumped into round. Unfortunately, the greens were punched / sanded recently, so they were quite slow & bumpy, but I still felt most greens were adequate for testing. All-in-all, my pace was all over the place (I blame the sandy conditions), but I came away very impressed with the lines & reads the TR system were presenting.
View attachment 9343690
However, as @Joshnoble01 pointed out earlier, I think its going to take some time to get used to the system, but I could see it clicking very soon.

Planning to get out to a putting green a couple times this week for some dedicated practice - really excited to start building a new practice around this system!

Thanks so much THP & Tour Read!!!
Click to expand...
I just finished mine too. At a minimum it made me putt better because I did a quick measurement of number of paces so I could do the formula and my pace was better and I was at the hole a bunch. If it does that alone I’ll be better off. I did hit a bunch of 10 footers though. 3 of them. Never do that. No 3 putts. It definitely helped. Guys we played with commented on me being able to read the line well.
 
Love you guys are getting started.

I've not had much time to fully dive in to the full system, question I'm curious about is the videos & library.

Is everything in the app? Youtube has a bunch but it's not organized
 
kiwichris said:
Love you guys are getting started.

I've not had much time to fully dive in to the full system, question I'm curious about is the videos & library.

Is everything in the app? Youtube has a bunch but it's not organized
Click to expand...
Great question - I've never reviewed them on YT, but I appreciate how well its organized in the app. While I'm sure you could stitch together a rough plan on YT videos, I was able to dive right into setting up the system based on how TR setup their video library / content.

A couple screenshots below:
IMG_8516.PNGIMG_8519.PNGIMG_8518.PNGIMG_8517.PNGIMG_8516.PNG
 
kiwichris said:
Love you guys are getting started.

I've not had much time to fully dive in to the full system, question I'm curious about is the videos & library.

Is everything in the app? Youtube has a bunch but it's not organized
Click to expand...
I’m not 100% sure but I’m pretty sure what’s on the app is not on YouTube other than a couple intro videos.
 
kiwichris said:
Love you guys are getting started.

I've not had much time to fully dive in to the full system, question I'm curious about is the videos & library.

Is everything in the app? Youtube has a bunch but it's not organized
Click to expand...
There I’d definitely more videos in the app than on YouTube. And it’s very well organized on the app.

A lot of the videos are about the basics and using the formulas of the Tour Read method, those definitely aren’t on YouTube as that’s the bulk of what someone is paying for.

I’ve now watched the video on the formula about 4 times and plan to keep returning to it.
 
As I’ve been watching sports on the couch today, I started to experiment with the Training Mode in the app. It’s probably a little out of order from what is recommended as I haven’t gotten the app onto a putting green yet (hopefully tomorrow), but it’s really helpful for internalizing the formula.
IMG_0899.png
Bascially, it gives you a randomized putt read, and based on what it tells you, you figure out what your aim and pace should be.
IMG_0900.png

After you have your answer you tap that box on the right and it revels what the formula says it should be.

It’s surprisingly addictive.
 
amarkabove said:
As I’ve been watching sports on the couch today, I started to experiment with the Training Mode in the app. It’s probably a little out of order from what is recommended as I haven’t gotten the app onto a putting green yet (hopefully tomorrow), but it’s really helpful for internalizing the formula.
View attachment 9343708
Bascially, it gives you a randomized putt read, and based on what it tells you, you figure out what your aim and pace should be.
View attachment 9343709

After you have your answer you tap that box on the right and it revels what the formula says it should be.

It’s surprisingly addictive.
Click to expand...
This is what I was trying to do on course but I didn’t confirm what I saw and only had the result of putt.
 
Alright, I got out on the practice green for about an hour today. Picked a hole off to the side that would present different breaks depending on the angle approaching it from and got set up.

IMG_0910.jpg

I rolled a few to start to get a feel for the speed. Then I set out practicing pacing out distances and trying to get a read. I tried this for 6',9',and 12' "putts." I put that in quotes because I wasn't rolling the ball at this point, just looking behind the ball and trying to judge the slope. I would then take the app and double check my read. By the end of the first 20 minutes, I was starting to get a feel for it. This will be something I think I spend a good deal of time during practice days this season. After those 20 minutes, I started to roll some putts. I would pick a spot, roll three putts, and then check with the app how close my read was. Maybe unsurprisingly, my read was closer on shorter putts than on longer ones. This will get better as we go along.

I spent the last 20 minutes or so working on the putts themselves. I used the app to get the read and tried to make the putt. At first I was consistently burning the edge. I pulled out the tape measure I brought just to confirm I had gotten the spot correct. I had, but I was still missing. It was then that I realized I was measuring my point from the edge of the cup and not the pin so I was off with where I was aiming. Once I got this corrected, I started draining putts. I made 9/10 from 6', 8/10 for 9', and 7/10 from 15'. I left the green feeling great knowing that if I spend the time internalizing this system, the potential is very much there.

I'm excited to see how it works on the next step, on course.
 
my putting was really good today and my reads were spot on because of this system…I’ll add more later but had to post this ASAP
 
I was struggling to hit greens today so I didn't have a lot of super long putts, but I felt my reads were quite good.

I made sure to use the app a bit on the practice green before the round, and had the chart open on my phone during the 9 holes. The misses I was seeing were all very close. I felt like I was hitting either hitting my spots and they were just off by an inch or so, or, more regularly, I had the read right but left it just short.

I plan to get back out and continue to work on just getting comfortable with the reads, especially pace, this week.
 
@anthonyt was showing @cmon man and myself the app today on the putting green. It was pretty damn cool.
 
Okay - let's dive in a little on how Tour Read felt for me yesterday in tournament conditions. I haven't finished plugging all my data in to Shot Scope, so I can add any of that afterwards if it seems like it's necessary, but I feel I can tell a good story without it.

I have started to refer to a lot of my putts in paces rather than feet, so I will probably reference paces a lot...just times by 3 to figure out the feet.

Warm Up
I started by trying to dial my speed in. I have had a speed drill I've used for a while where I set 2 tees down about a foot-foot and half apart, and I'll keep working my way backwards to try and stop my ball between those tees. I'll try and find a putt that's slightly uphill and downhill and alternate sides each putt. It helps me get locked in for my speed, and it also helps me figure out where the speed is relative to the "10" stimp mark that is standard for Tour Read. I felt like the speed was right around that 10 mark, they weren't overly fast or slow.

So then I started working with the app and hitting 2 pace putts around a circle. I would use the app to get the full read, then test my reads and speed using that. Once I felt like I had that dialed in, I found a different hole and did the same thing without the app...I would check my read after I hit the putt.

This was my initial warm up - very quick, and then went and hit balls.

Came back to the putting green and for the last 15-20 minutes before the round I just picked random putts and would go through my full reading routine and hit them. I did check a couple putts here and there to see what the app said compared to my read, but most of them were just acting like I was going out to the course.

On Course
I felt like I putted quite well yesterday. Let's talk both bad and good. The bad - I did have two 3-putts, and they were a 17 pace and a 20 pace putt where I didn't trust my read I had, and technically the 20 pace putt I was less than a yard off the green so a stats person could count it as 2, but I consider it 3. The good - I had 4 birdies - a 10 pace putt, 1.5 pace putt, 2 pace putt, and on 18 I hit a par 5 in 2 and hit lipped out my eagle putt from about 6 paces. Yes, my birdies came off shorter putts, but the 1.5 pace was on a 1.5 degree slope and the 2 pace was on a 2 degree slope. The confidence to make those was huge for me. If you look at my numbers from last year I was really good 3-4 feet and then struggled from 5-8. This system made those 5-8 footers a lot more confident.

The biggest place where this system stuck out to me was how much easier it made my 2 putts feel, especially from 15 feet and up (5 or more paces). I can vividly remember 3 putts I left dead in the heart of the hole just a roll short. That's totally fine by me though, it's a proper read with not enough speed those are good putts. Yes, I want to make as many as possible, but if I'm reading on line, I know more and more will keep pouring in.

It gathered the attention of my playing partners. They all asked about it as I warmed up, and by the time we hit the back 9 I was reading everyone's putts.

Conclusion
I have found this system to be extremely effective. When you start to learn how much length affects the read on even a 1% slope you get so much more comfortable on how the putt will look. Every time I trusted my read I had 3 feet or less for my next putt, that's phenomenal in my eyes. First hole I didn't totally trust it and I didn't play nearly enough break - after that we hit our stride.

2 more tournament rounds next week this will be implemented again.
 
Great write-up @bsbmike and congrats on the great round!

On your point with 2-putts, I wholeheartedly agree and think this is where the system could shine - getting the line / target right to avoid the damaging 3-putts, while also helping build a better system to read greens overall.
 
some questions:

1. how did you read greens prior to tour read? Maybe I missed this in the thread so just tell me if i did and I will go back and re-read.
2. Hiow are you doin translating a distance to a spot on the green? Are you able to do this from the ball or do you have to go to the hole to find a spot. Essentially, how are you doing the “finger“ portion of aimpoint express; do you really have a feel for say 19” from the center?
3. since you are walking along your line, have you found instances where you need to walk on another players line or do you just walk farther away from the hole?
4. is the prediction of slope more instInctual based on visualizing past slopes or is there a “procedure” to calculate the slope %?
5. why do you think this is potentially better than aimpoint? Think cost and long term material review as well. I can buy the aimpoint course for about $100, but Tour read is a subscription based model at $100 a year meaning next year I can watch the aimpoint training at no additional cost.
 
cnosil said:
some questions:

1. how did you read greens prior to tour read? Maybe I missed this in the thread so just tell me if i did and I will go back and re-read.
2. Hiow are you doin translating a distance to a spot on the green? Are you able to do this from the ball or do you have to go to the hole to find a spot. Essentially, how are you doing the “finger“ portion of aimpoint express; do you really have a feel for say 19” from the center?
3. since you are walking along your line, have you found instances where you need to walk on another players line or do you just walk farther away from the hole?
4. is the prediction of slope more instInctual based on visualizing past slopes or is there a “procedure” to calculate the slope %?
5. why do you think this is potentially better than aimpoint? Think cost and long term material review as well. I can buy the aimpoint course for about $100, but Tour read is a subscription based model at $100 a year meaning next year I can watch the aimpoint training at no additional cost.
Click to expand...
Happy to answer for myself

1. I was an AimPoint user
2. The feel for how many inches has been pretty comfy for me so far. I try and picture things like a ruler for 12 inches, or a cup for roughly 4 inches. The more you can understand the size of things (putter head, shoes, flagstick, etc.) it makes it easier to get a feel
3. Haven't disrupted anyones line, no...there was an occasion where I waited to step it off but I had guys on both sides of me. I'm not really near my line, I'm just stepping off the distance...and anything inside like 4 paces, I have a feel for without needing to step it off all the time
4. This is different for everyone. I use a digital level and the app to help calibrate myself pre round - meaning I find all the different slopes and get a look at them for me eye. I thought at first I might still try and find slopes with my feet while using this, but I didn't at all yesterday. I have also played enough where I can see there's some movement and I know it's between 0.5 and 1% for example...you start to get a feel for it I think, but I tend to look at the slopes before every round just to know
5. I've answered a few times in this thread, but I think it's better in terms of taking away some variances for me. In AimPoint how far away your fingers are from your eyes is the gauge of green speed and people have different widths of fingers...yes I know each person can calibrate this, but I find the "calibration" much easier with Tour Read. As long as I have a general idea of green speed I know based off my paces and slope it's X amount of inches from the center...doesn't matter how fat my fingers are or making sure I keep my arm the same distance every time.
Cost difference wise - it's what you get in the app - both AimPoint and Tour Read provide videos yes - but Tour Read has the tool to use on your phone for reading putts, it includes a training tool where it gives you reads and you can practice knowing what the aim would be. I just think you get more stuff to use to help you with Tour Read. If you're willing enough to spend 100 on AimPoint, I think it's worth the 100 a year for this app, just my opinion

Fire any more questions if you want me to further elaborate
 
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