Dear Richard,
The fundamental objective reality that you can take to the bank is that there is ONLY ONE READ to perceive. Hence, if you perceive this one read differently from different perspectives, you are NOT seeing DIFFERENT READS, but are getting different PERCEPTIONS of the same read.
Unless you visualize with different delivery speeds in mind, there is never more than one objective reality to visualize as the read. Changing perspectives is not changing delivery speeds, so changing perspectives is not REALLY showing you different reads -- it is showing you different perceptions of the same read.
The accuracy of the read tied to delivery speed always is most accurate at the end of the putt where the delivery speed is most accurately known and predictable. In order to bring the perceptions together in a consistent manner, even though generated from different perspectives with different body postures and employment of the senses, the trick is to hold fast to the perception of the end of the putt as visualized as closely as possible to the anticipated ball movement according to your usual delivery speed into the hole.
To the same effect: NEVER visualize your read of the putt in isolation from the predicted rolling speed of the ball at the end of the putt.
Then, the read from different perspectives will look the same (or at least much more closely the same) where it counts -- at the end of the putt.
That said, golfers are generally better at perceiving the predicted delivery speed from behind the hole, seeing the ball approach the hole and the golfer with its anticipated terminal velocity. Golfers who don't know how to do this tend to see the read more accurately from behind the ball, visualizing the ball moving towards the hole and away from the golfer. Almost all golfers have difficulty visualizing the read from beside the ball.
So in rank:
1. The preferred perspective is from behind the hole unless the golfer can't see the putt in this direction approaching him
2. The next best is from behind the ball.
3. The least accurate is from beside the ball.
But focusing on the one read for the one speed and the visualization of the end of the putt with predicted realtime ball motion is best, as this harmonizes all three perspectives and minimizes the perception conflicts.
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
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