GOLF TIP by Phil Richards
Veteran Golf Writer
Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis, Indiana

"The Secrets to Plumb-Bobbing"

Look at your putt from the side to determine whether it is uphill or downhill.  Check the cut of the cup to see if it will tell you anything about the slope, but the truest read of the line is generally achieved from behind the ball.

Get down low and don't just look at your ball and the hole, track the entire line, from ball to hole.  Do it at the speed with which the ball will roll.  It will give you a better feel for the line and help you visualize your ball following that line.

Plumb-bobbing can be helpful, but it also can be deceiving until you master its nuances.  To plumb-bob, you must first determine the angle at which to dangle the putter shaft to establish a vertical line.  Do this by sighting the putter shaft against the corner of a building, which is presumably plumb, with your dominant eye.

Now, align yourself so that your dominate eye, your ball or marker, and the cup form a straight line.  Holding your putter loosely with thumb and forefinger on the grip, close one eye and with your dominant eye cover the ball with the bottom of the shaft.  If the cup appears to the left of the shaft, the green slopes left.  If the cup appears to the right of the shaft, it slopes right.

Use all your senses.  Feel your feet.  What does your balance tell you?  Are you leaning into a hill or back away from a slope?   Is your weight on your heels or toes?  Is the green damp?  Is the wind strong?  Those factors can affect the roll of the ball.  Once you have a handle on speed and slope, marry them. 

Practice your putting and your green-reading skills.   find a breaking putt, pick a line, and hit several ball.  Study the slope to determine why the putt behaved as it did and what you can learn from it.  If you can't putt, you can't play.  And if you can't read greens, you can't putt!