Why PGA Tour Pros Swear by AimPoint While Golf Fans Can’t Stand It

You want to know what’s got the golf world in complete uproar? More than 250 PGA Tour pros are using a putting technique that many golf fans want eliminated from the sport entirely. And trust us, this isn’t going away anytime soon. Welcome to the AimPoint controversy that’s tearing the golf world apart. Fans rage against Aimpoint Express, which they see as golf’s biggest pace-of-play killer. The system transforms green reading from art to science. Yet critics call it everything from “ridiculous” to “truly embarrassing.”

AimPoint critics slam PGA Tour pros for slow-play controversy

Mark Sweeney created AimPoint in the early 2000s after struggling with green reading. The software engineer spent years developing computer models that analyzed hundreds of thousands of putts. His original system required over 100,000 lines of code. It achieved over 99% accuracy.

However, the complex version proved too technical for use in the course. This led Sweeney to develop AimPoint Express. The streamlined method could be learned in minutes while maintaining scientific precision. The Golf Channel featured his technology in Emmy Award-winning Virtual Putting Line broadcasts.

The system works through three core principles: slope, green speed, and percentage break. Players straddle their putting line at the midpoint between ball and hole. They use their feet to determine slope percentage on a scale from 0.5% to 5%. This tactile approach replaces visual assessment, as the eyes often miss subtle changes in slope.

Next, players stand behind their ball with one eye closed. They hold up fingers corresponding to the slope percentage felt. The index finger aligns with the edge of the hole on the high side. The outside edge of the final finger indicates the precise aim point. Players then trust the physics to guide their ball toward the hole.

The results speak volumes. But critics haven’t stayed quiet about their frustrations. CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz leads the charge with scathing commentary.

“It really drives me crazy when you see their backs to the hole, and they’re trying to feel the break, and they walk another five feet and they do it again,” Nantz said. “Where’s the feel in it?” The criticism reached new heights after Golf Digest’s Alex Myers reported on players’ routines. “That’s not a new dance step he’s doing there, turning around, spinning around a couple of times. That’s AimPoint,” Myers observed. Social media erupted with responses calling Nantz’s reaction “hilarious.”

Lucas Glover has also harshly criticized the tech.

“AimPoint, statistically, hasn’t helped anybody make more putts since its inception on the PGA Tour,” the 2009 U.S. Open champion declared. “It’s also kinda rude to be up near the hole, stomping around, figuring out where the break is in your feet. It needs to be banned. It takes forever.”

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac joined the chorus after witnessing A Lim Kim use AimPoint on an 18-inch putt. “Ban Aim Point,” Spiranac posted on X. “When they are so conditioned to use AimPoint that it’s a habit, they have to use even on tap ins. Trampling around the golf hole is not it.” 

The controversy intensified when Keegan Bradley took 51 seconds to analyze a five-foot putt at the Tour Championship. Fans erupted with criticism, calling his routine everything from ridiculous to truly embarrassing. Bradley’s extensive AimPoint process drew comparisons to dancing rather than putting.

Major champions like Adam Scott, Lydia Ko, Dustin Johnson, and Collin Morikawa attribute their success to AimPoint. ShotLink data supports the effectiveness claims. “If you know when a player started AimPoint, and you look before and after, 90 to 95% improve,” Sweeney emphasizes.

Collin Morikawa and AimPoint defenders fire back with data

Collin Morikawa fired back at Glover’s criticism with pointed responses. “I have nothing against Lucas, but if we’re banning AimPoint, we should ban long putters as well,” Morikawa said at the Genesis Invitational. The two-time major champion highlighted Glover’s own controversial putting technique.

Morikawa defended AimPoint’s effectiveness passionately. “From my perspective, AimPoint has 1,000 percent helped me,” he stated. “It’s just like reading something from behind the hole or behind the ball. That’s how I’m getting my general read for that.”

The putting coach to the stars, Phil Kenyon, supports AimPoint for amateur golfers. “AimPoint can help average golfers because they’re so poor with their green reading that they have no solid concepts,” Kenyon explained. He believes the system provides structure where traditional techniques fail.

Europe’s senior AimPoint instructor Jamie Donaldson disputed pace-of-play concerns directly. “I think if everyone used AimPoint, it would speed up play as it takes an average of 10 seconds to get a read,” Donaldson argued. “AimPoint is proven to be the fastest way to read a green.”

Mark Sweeney called Glover’s statistical claims “malicious” and “factually wrong.” He provided concrete examples of improvement. “Adam Scott went to number one in the world when he started using it. Lydia Ko went to number one; Stacy Lewis went to number one,” Sweeney countered.

The solution might lie in proper education rather than outright bans. Certified instructors teach specific etiquette guidelines about positioning and timing. Players should take reads while others are putting rather than waiting for their turn. This preparation eliminates the lengthy delays that frustrate viewers.

Max Homa exemplifies proper technique with efficient reads. “It gives clarity. I see things in straight lines,” Homa explained. “It’s a certainty thing. I’m not nervous when I’m standing over the line trying to figure out the feel.”

AimPoint’s scientific foundation has revolutionized putting for professionals worldwide. However, the implementation needs refinement to address legitimate pace concerns. The future of green reading depends on finding a balance between performance and pace.