What Is An AimPoint Clinic? (11/15/11 Clinic Review)

I recently had the opportunity to host an AimPoint Clinic at Stonebridge Country Club in Naples, Florida.  For those of you who may be wondering, AimPoint is a green-reading system developed by Mark Sweeney.  Mark originally wrote the Emmy-Award winning computer software program; you’ve seen it on The Golf Channel when they show the blue line indicating the break of the putt.  In using the software, Mark kept seeing patterns occur and realized that once you gather a few components about the putt, putting is very predictable.  We can thank gravity for its constant force on Earth (golf ball included) as well as Mark for humanizing the process so that we as golfers can use the system too.

In the clinic, participants (members, PGA pros, circuit players, and local golfers) learned which factors control break, how to identify them, and how to then put them together to get a read from the AimChart.  In the course of the clinic participants also learned what certain green characteristics implied for their putt as well as how to handle optical illusions.

Here is a slight video excerpt from the morning clinic:

In attendence was a Futures Tour Player for whom I caddied the past two years in Q-School.  This year she averaged 29 putts (4 less than average) as the two of us implemented the AimPoint process for every putt for four days.

While being at work here is today’s feedback I received about the clinic:

In the shop: “I broke 90 for the first time in years the first time using that chart on the course.” […Would you say it took you more or less time to read the putt?] “Oh it’s much quicker.”

Walking in parking lot: “Hey Sara, I showed the others in the group!  It said 8 inches. [Did it go in?] “YEA!”

via Twitter mention: “Woke up this morning actually wanting to practice putting!  That’s a first.”

After continuing to learn, practice, experiment with different green-reading situations and implement the AimPoint process for the last six months, I was able to pass the final certification by teaching the afternoon clinic with and in front of Mark.

Not everything catches my eye but AimPoint caught me because it finally addressed something that nobody could every really and definitely explain to me; green-reading with constant precision.

As a Level 1 AimPoint Instructor now, I very much look forward to teaching AimPoint clinics as well as AimPoint specific lessons!

Much appreciation and thanks to those who fielded phone calls, tweets, and texts from me when I had furthering questions or progress to report, you know who you are.

As Mark said when the first person to hit a multi-planar putt at the end of the clinic made it on the first try…. “Yep. Make everything!”

If you have any questions or comments on this topic type them in the comment section below.  If you find this information useful please feel free to share it using the social media buttons provided.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day. #makeeverything