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How many fellow plumb bobbers out there?

mesaman777

mesaman777

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I've been doing it for so long, I just can't hit a putt anymore without the PB. Maybe it's the woodworker in me. I'll even PB chip shots around the green. It just works for me. I don't do it from behind the hole, and I'm pretty quick about it. Who's with me?
 
I've seen people do it plenty. I've tried holding the putter up but honestly I have no idea what I'm looking at or for.

So to answer your question, no I'm not with you
 
One of the guys that was put on my scramble team the last two days did it for every putt. He was always the first to go, and in the two days he never made one putt. And he never came close, so none of us could learn from it. I would try to help him, and read it and give him some guidance, but he wasn't taking it. Thank goodness more often than not, the other two guys would listen to me!
 
Do it all the time and then use a visual of the green to combine the two thoughts. Only takes a second and usually do it while someone else is putting.
 
No, not here.
 
Two people come to mind with this thread. MikeG and DNevs hahaha
 
jdtox said:
I've seen people do it plenty. I've tried holding the putter up but honestly I have no idea what I'm looking at or for.

So to answer your question, no I'm not with you
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I use it when i need verification of break i see. Ill stand over the ball or over the line just a couple feet in front of the ball and usually the putter head will tilt with the break
 
No clue how it works. It seems to slow down the round when my fellow golfers do it though. Seems to take them a long time to decide what they are looking at.
 
I laugh every time I see someone do it, always gives me a good chuckle. I love this game and the crazy things people do that because they are convinced they are meaningful/accurate (I have plenty myself, plumb bobbing just doesn't happen to be one of them).
 
I'm also in the "I have no clue what it does" club.
Even had someone explain it to me once and still saw no advantage to help me and cant even remember the explanation.
 
InHartWeTrust said:
I laugh every time I see someone do it, always gives me a good chuckle. I love this game and the crazy things people do that because they are convinced they are meaningful/accurate (I have plenty myself, plumb bobbing just doesn't happen to be one of them).
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This to me is a pretty harsh statement. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean that it's not a viable green reading process. I know I'm not delusional. I know it works for me because I understand how to do it. Would you laugh at someone who uses a claw grip because it's not what you deem meaningful?
 
Mizunofan99 said:
No clue how it works. It seems to slow down the round when my fellow golfers do it though. Seems to take them a long time to decide what they are looking at.
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It takes me like 5 seconds to read a putt. I am always ready to go when it's my turn.
 
Golfin Rev said:
One of the guys that was put on my scramble team the last two days did it for every putt. He was always the first to go, and in the two days he never made one putt. And he never came close, so none of us could learn from it. I would try to help him, and read it and give him some guidance, but he wasn't taking it. Thank goodness more often than not, the other two guys would listen to me!
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The Plumb Bob isn't going to help anyone who struggles with putting in general. Even if you gave him a line that's no guarantee that he would be able to putt to it.
 
Wouldn't you have to be certain you're standing on a nearly level surface when doing this to get an accurate reading off plumb?
 
JohnSinVA said:
Wouldn't you have to be certain you're standing on a nearly level surface when doing this to get an accurate reading off plumb?
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Not really. Just be standing on the same line as your ball. You are looking for break. The most important thing is to have your arm out straight and your shoulders square
 
JohnSinVA said:
Wouldn't you have to be certain you're standing on a nearly level surface when doing this to get an accurate reading off plumb?
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No, not at all. The club will hang straight regardless of the slope your on. You have to know how to interpret that data. Over time you learn how to compensate for slight slopes under your feet. Aim Point is similar. Part of it is feeling the slope with your feet. It's different for each individual. It's very much a feel thing that develops over time. It sounds like a bunch of hokum, but it really does work for me.
 
JohnSinVA said:
Wouldn't you have to be certain you're standing on a nearly level surface when doing this to get an accurate reading off plumb?
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You do have to take that into consideration and use your minds eye more than a PB on really sloped/undulating putts. It gives me a good starting point for possible break. Then add in what you see.
 
Maybe someone who uses it could explain how it works. I'm another one that doesn't understand how it works, and I'd be interested to find out.
 
mesaman777 said:
This to me is a pretty harsh statement. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean that it's not a viable green reading process. I know I'm not delusional. I know it works for me because I understand how to do it. Would you laugh at someone who uses a claw grip because it's not what you deem meaningful?
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Over the years I've read a couple of "how to's" for it, and had a guy who used it explain it, and all 3 processes were different from each other. To me that was a warning that it's something that really doesn't have a fixed purpose other than in the minds of those who use it. Center of gravity isn't the same either from one putter to the next, which changes the angle of the dangle, so that's yet another consideration.

So to answer your initial question - No I'm not with you.
 
Mark_UK said:
Maybe someone who uses it could explain how it works. I'm another one that doesn't understand how it works, and I'd be interested to find out.
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I stand or squat several feet behind the ball, keeping the ball between me and the hole. Holding the club lightly with 2 fingers just below the grip, I let the club hang naturally ( Putter balance plays a part here. Some putters hang straight when the head is turned to the side. You have to figure that part out on your own ) Using my dominant eye, I then sight the edge of the shaft ( the left side for me using my right eye ) through the center of the ball. Then I look on to the hole. If the same side of the shaft splits the hole it's a straight putt. If there is a space between the hole and the shaft, that tells me which way the ball breaks. If the space is on the right side of the hole than the putt is going to break left that amount. Theoretically that is. There are other factors, such as up hill/down hill, how much the end of the putt will snap as it's running out of steam on an uphill putt, etc. There is a lot of feel to it and develops over time based on past experience. Like I said, it works for me.
 
I don't use it ... it never made sense to me, plus I am cockeyed to start with ...

Aimpoint is the method that helped me ... however, I respect the fact that some folks love the PB approach ...
 
Yeah, I have trouble aligning myself on the tee box ... no way am I going to try plumb bobbing on the greens. I'm pretty good IMO at reading greens and so I'll line the ball up on my intended line and use the line on the ball as my guide. At that point no need to even look at the hole, just check for distance, look at the ball and putt away.
 
Nope. Not for me. But I suck at putting, so maybe I should.
 
I have no idea what this is.
 
I plum bob, then put my putter down, stand there and hold up one finger, two fingers and then one finger if I'm uncertain of the break. If that still doesn't work I pull out the level I use on the practice green.

Plum Bob + Aim Point Express FTW!
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