These three factors are all important in putting, particularly when reading putts and working out the slopes on the greens. Many senior golfers therefore, struggle with this aspect of golf and often hit putts on the wrong line costing them simple shots on the golf course. A method of reading the green that is impartial to feel is called Plumb-Bobbing and may be the difference of up to five shots on the golf course if used correctly.

A Plumb-Bob is usually used when decorating the house and putting wallpaper on the walls. The decorator would get a piece of string with a weight on the end and dangle the weight into front of a joint in the wallpaper to judge whether the wallpaper has been put on straight or not. A Plumb-Bob in golf is almost exactly the same except we use the putter instead of a string and a weight.

When you next line up your putt, take the flag out of the hole, crouch down behind the golf ball and dangle the putter in front of your eyes. Hold the putter with your finger and thumb nice and loosely so that the putter head points directly at the hole and therefore hangs straight. Close one eye and position the putter so that it hangs directly in the middle of the hole, but also so that you can see either side of the hole behind the putter shaft. Now judge whether one side of the hole is higher on the shaft than the other side. For example, if the right hand side is higher the green will break from right to left as the high side of the green is on the right.

For longer putts it will not be possible to use the hole as your guide, but you can still Plumb-Bob using the edges of the green and the same process.

Using an impartial method such as the Plumb-Bob can help to take away any feelings of apprehension or doubt regarding the putt and give the golfer confidence in the decision that has been made which results in better putts.