The Speed-Line Connection: How Pace Affects Your AimPoint Putt

You’ve got your AimPoint read dialed in, the perfect line determined, yet your putts are still missing. What gives? According to Oakville’s PGA Certified Golf Instructor and AimPoint Putting Coach, Sean Carlino, the answer often lies in the critical, yet frequently overlooked, relationship between your putter’s pace and the ball’s breaking line.

“AimPoint is phenomenal at giving you the correct starting line,” explains Coach Carlino, “but it assumes a certain pace for the ball to follow that line. If your speed is off, even the most perfect AimPoint read will lead to a missed putt.”

Think of it this way: a golf ball breaking on a slope is like a car taking a curve. If the car goes too fast, it goes wide. Too slow, and it falls short. The same physics apply to your golf ball.

The “Fast” Putt Scenario: “If you hit a breaking putt too hard, you’re giving gravity less time to act on the ball,” Carlino illustrates. “This means the ball won’t break as much as your AimPoint read predicted, and it will end up going ‘through’ the break, often past the high side of the hole.” Many golfers, especially those with a tendency to leave putts short, will hit it too firm, negating their precise AimPoint read.

The “Slow” Putt Scenario: Conversely, “a putt hit too softly on a breaking green gives gravity more time to pull the ball downhill,” Carlino explains. “This results in the ball breaking more than your AimPoint read anticipated, often falling short and below the hole.” This is a common issue for those who fear rolling the ball too far past the cup.

Finding the Right Pace: So, how do you find that sweet spot? “The ideal pace for an AimPoint putt is generally one that would roll about 12 to 18 inches past the hole if it missed,” advises Carlino. “This ‘dead-weight’ pace allows the ball to interact with the slope as intended by the AimPoint calculations.”

Carlino emphasizes integrating speed control drills into your practice routine alongside your AimPoint work. “Practice hitting putts to a specific distance, not just at a hole,” he recommends. “Use gates or chalk lines to ensure you’re controlling your speed consistently. A perfect AimPoint line combined with ideal speed is an unstoppable putting combination here on the greens of Oakville.” Understanding and mastering this speed-line connection is the key to truly unlocking your AimPoint potential and sinking more putts.