Dear Geoff,


looking forward to get your book anytime soon .

you define touch as "the ability to STOP a ball at a predetermined distance
or location on a green with accuracy and consistency." - Does that mean that I should chose a target point beyond the hole, to get optimal delivery speed at the hole ?

Since I today work out the target point from the hole, I have a tendency of dying the ball into the hole, and worse -to many times stopping at the lip of the hole.

If you would recomend to target beyond the hole, but how should your Spider model be adjusted to that. Because as I understand it, you decide the location of the "head of the spider" on "zero-break-line" through the center of the hole. Which to me would indicate a target point in the hole, or equivalently so ?

If you do not recomend to target beyond the hole, would not my "touch" lead me to die the ball into the hole ?

Could you possibly, help me out on this dilemma ?

Best Regrds
Christer

Dear Christer,

For purposes of sinking putts, "touch" means a consistent speed of roll as the ball crosses the lip of the hole. (I like 2-3 revolutions per second as the best over-the-lip speed.)

When you use the "spider" pattern to identify a "target spot" on the fall line above the cup, this "target"is imagined to be a second hole, with the intention of rolling the ball into this second hole with 2-3 revolutions at the lip of this second hole. That is, the same speed you usually roll the ball into the real cup.

So, there is no adjustment to the target as the "head" of the spider. As a spot of grass, yes, you roll the ball "over" or "past" the spot but in reality you imagine the spot as the center of a hole for the usual "delivery speed" over the lip.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist

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