Hi Geoff
I was interested to read about the Manhattan College Jaspers' visit, but this is not the nature of my enquiry.
It said in the write-up that you used the LinksPutt putting runway. In Perth Australia there is never an opportunity to experience first-hand these sort of items so I will direct my questions to you for your help.

Firstly my experience of synthetic putting turf for use indoors is that it has a slight pile like a carpet and therefore the ball runs quicker in one direction than the other. I don't have a problem with this. However, I have found all synthetic turfs that I have been able to try, develop a track when you putt repeatedly down the same line. After a while the ball runs down an indentation groove and hides the accuracy of your putting stroke. In other words you start to get incorrect feedback of your stroke. I see this as a problem in systems such as LinksPutt and Tour Links Modular Putting Green Training Aid depending on the turf used. Both are designed with a moveable foot stand, but in effect you putt to a hole on the same line each time.

I would appreciate if you could describe the turf used by LinksPutt and whether this problem of the turf developing a memory occurs. The only synthetic indoor turf I have found that may be strong enough to resist the weight of the ball forming a groove is manufactured by Mirage Putting Greens and is call TourPutt. Are you familiar with this? Unfortunately I can't establish the efficacy of this turf as I was sent only a piece a couple of inches square.

I would be interested also to hear how you used the LinksPutt to instruct your group.

Kind regards
Neville Walker
Perth, Oz

I would be interested as well to hear your response on this Geoff.

Dear Neville

I do know that Geoff is away at present setting up a new indoor putting studio at the Country Club of Whispering Pines, where he will be using LinksPutt for coaching.

It is a little difficult to forward a large enough sample of the turf to Australia, due to shipping costs and import duties. Therefore at present we do not supply to Australia.

However we are in discussions with an Australian distributor at present and we hope to have the contracts signed within the next three months. I will keep your details on file and will forward these to our distributor.

With regards to the turf I can confirm that the surface will not produce grooves through continuous use. I have a unit myself, which I and my son have used daily, and there is no wear at all on the surface. I occasionally soft brush the surface to remove any dirt or dust; the surface is still as new after one years use.

The turf runs approximately 9.5 on stimp, and is used the other way (holes to stance board) it runs around 11 on stimp.

We are currently redesigning our website, which will be live in 2 weeks; this will provide our latest news and reviews from some of the top European Tour Professionals who now use LinksPutt for championship practice.

I will keep you informed on the distributorship and I am sure Geoff will answer you questions upon his return.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

Lynne Fisher
LinksPutt
Tel: +44 (0) 1738 587815
Email: lynne.fisher@linksputt.com
Website: www.linksputt.com
Registered Office
PIED Limited
11 Malvern Terrace
Perth
United Kingdom
PH1 1LY

The Next Generation in Practice & Coaching
From Scotland - The Home of Golf

Still interested in Geoff's comments as well.

Geoff, any comment here?

Sure, David!

Sorry for the delay, but I was trying to address the specific concerns raised in these posts about a track forming on the surface. From my experience, tracks form when the material is a pliable fabric, or the synthetic fibers are somewhat thin.





The material used in LinksPutt's surface is a dense, thickly tangled synthetic material, and not like a textile carpet or even a synthetic surface with stand-up pile. I have had only a limited time with the surface so far (about a month or more), but I have hit lots of putts on the same line using the LinksPutt along with the Science and Motion Puttlab system, and I can flat out tell you that there is no sign thus far of a groove appearing (since I miss either left or right with frustrating regularity!). And it appears that any grooving can probably be brushed out if needed, or perhaps the surface could by placed face down for a while?

This description appears on the LinksPutt website:

"The realistic putting surface is made from polypropylene fibre, it is UV stabilised and protected from bacteria, mildew etc. The stimp rating of the green is between 9 and 10, a typical UK summer green. If you want to practice on slightly slower or quicker greens, simply incline or decline your LinksPutt slightly and you can set any speed you require."

I verify that the surface putts about 9.5 on the Stimp towards the pre-cut holes, and that it putts faster than that in the opposite direction. It also can be made somewhat faster or slower by creating uphill or downhill contouring.

I suppose a future version could easily incorporate pre-cut holes at both ends without much trouble, and this would spread any load around by reducing to as much as half what a right-handed golfer would inflict by allowing him to put from either end -- sort of the same idea as rotating hole locations on a green to avoid excessive wear.

I like the LinksPutt surface and use it every day as an integral component in my teaching studio.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
http://puttingzone.com
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I too have been using the LinksPutt for about a month with great results. I have seen no grooves as well. Geoff, what version do you use 3 m, 4 m or 5 m version?