Is it option 1, 2 or 3?

[Javs]

Found this article on reading greens interesting. I grew up as a caddie. So, to me option 2 would be the answer. It’s how I read greens now as well. What say you?https://golf.com/instruction/putting/one-cup-left-confusing-green-reading-guidance/?utm_campaign=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_content=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_medium=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_source=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&amp=1

[cnosil]

You should have done a poll for this.   The answer is 2 based on the way it is phrased.    I am guessing the confusion comes in because of systems like aimpoint do some of their reads from the middle of the hole.  

[Stuka44]

For me when told  one cup outside, I am using #2.   The truth is I rely very little on how far out, anyone else tells me.  Most of the time the person you are playing with has little idea how hard you strike a putt of a given distance.  Especially on putts, under 10 feet anyways.    I have to be honest, in terms of a caddie player relationship, I would automatically assumed #2, was what was meant by one cup out.  Clearly thinking about it, this would be something that as indicated the understanding of terminology would have to be worked out ahead of time.

[Erin B]

I also look at position 2. I always have looked at that position on a breaking putt. To be honest I’ve never even considered the other positions. That might be something to think about as I let quite a few birdies get away from me yesterday  

[funkyjudge]

1 hour ago, Javs said:

Found this article on reading greens interesting. I grew up as a caddie. So, to me option 2 would be the answer. It’s how I read greens now as well. What say you?https://golf.com/instruction/putting/one-cup-left-confusing-green-reading-guidance/?utm_campaign=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_content=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_medium=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_source=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&amp=1

I would say 3; at least, that is where I aim if told “one cup left”.

[funkyjudge]

BTW, if I am aiming one cup left or right (especially right), the break is almost always two cups.

[TJ Hall]

#2 all day long.  

[Javs]

56 minutes ago, cnosil said:

You should have done a poll for this.   The answer is 2 based on the way it is phrased.    I am guessing the confusion comes in because of systems like aimpoint do some of their reads from the middle of the hole.  

I didn’t put that much thought into a survey.

[Rob Person]

# 2

[Bad Golfer]

I had seen the graphic before and said definitely number 2. After reading the article I could see why some people would say #3 but I would never look at it that way.

[poprocksncoke]

Answer is #2 

[Shankster]

If you all are saying #2… no wonder why I miss these low all the time.  I’m at #1 all day.

[Shankster]

I mean 3.  Not 1

[Shankopotomous]

Its #3 for me since i picture the ball rolling to the middle of the cup.

[Shankster]

59 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

Its #3 for me since i picture the ball rolling to the middle of the cup.

Same, those other ones are 1.5 cups out and 2 cups out respectively.

[KC Golf]

I have always thought it was #2.  I have never seen or heard about any other interpretations…  it’s almost amusing to think that 1 or 3 are possibilities…

[Shankopotomous]

Just curious, if somebody says 1 ball out and the graphic is similar using balls what number are you thinking?

[Gusset]

#2 for me.

[William P]

#2 for me as well. Now if I could get that precise with my aim...

[funkyjudge]

6 hours ago, poprocksncoke said:

Answer is #2 

I’m not sure that I agree with that point of view.

[Josh Parker]

I would say 2 but can see 3 as an answer for the matter of fact golfer. 

I always hate listening to others in scrambles because I am typically the only lefty and I tend to let the ball die into the hole. Knowing that most hit harder, don't mind giving an aim point but know everyone is different. 

[poprocksncoke]

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_0zv2CPdX2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Edited September 12 by poprocksncoke

[Shankopotomous]

OK....so lets think about this....but only because I am procrastinating on something else I should be doing....  

When you have a straight putt where do you aim.....the middle of the cup.

Playing it one cup out means to me there is 4.25" worth of break.  And if the putt will break 1 full cup = 4.25".....then you would aim at the center of the imaginary cup to the right or left of the real cup....option 3!  

If you aim at the edge of the imaginary cup, get 4.25" of break, it will burn the edge of the real cup.

So if you say to play it one cup out, then you mean there is more than one cup worth of break but less than 2 cups of break, somewhere between 4-3/8 and 8-3/8".  Who can putt with such inexact information?!?!  

Isn't this like asking what club I hit and I say 7 iron but you don't know the loft of my 7 iron or how far I hit my 7 iron!!    

I guess I am done procrastinating.

 

[Josh Parker]

6 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

OK....so lets think about this....but only because I am procrastinating on something else I should be doing....  

When you have a straight putt where do you aim.....the middle of the cup.

 

 

Aren't they all straight putts?  Calling in backup.... @chisag

[Shankopotomous]

7 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Aren't they all straight putts?  Calling in backup.... @chisag

Exactly.....therefore a straight putt should be aimed at the center of a cup!!  

[chisag]

18 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

Aren't they all straight putts?  Calling in backup.... @chisag

 

... Hard concept for some to grasp but Yup, every putt is a straight putt. That straight putt may start breaking right after leaving your putter face or close to the hole but you putt dead straight every single time. "Aim" is a different animal all together. I may want to aim my straight putt 6" or 6' outside the hole. But we all know the KISS principle so describing the break in inches or feet is as simple as it gets. I would never give the advice of 2 cups outside the hole because as this discussion illustrates, that can mean different things to different people. And other than some Frat Boys, 6 inches is 6 inches. 

Edited September 13 by chisag

[Indy_Oz]

For me, I’m using the width of the cup as a unit of measure and from either edge. That means it’s option 2 for me. 
One cup left of the hole is one cup width left of left edge. Half a cup left is measured from the edge. Otherwise ½ cup left would be the same as left edge. 
Talking with friends, we all consider it as option 2. But as we are all engineers, we tend to give break in inches or feet and then may (or may not for one friend) approximate whether it’s one or two cups etc.

Beyond two cups, I move away from cup width as the unit of measurement, because continuing to use cups would be pure insanity.lol

[The TXBexar]

Well according to the article, myself & my playing friends are psychopaths because it'd be #3 for us. 

But typically we don't tell anyone where to aim when we're scrambling, we instead reference it with how much break we're seeing and where we'd aim. Or, after the first one of us putts & misses (as is required for any scramble match), we'll ask where you aimed/how much outside the cup you aimed(feet/inches). That info, plus the results of the putt, is usually the best info you can get on how you should address the same putt, regardless of the different putting speeds we each have.

But I think we can all agree that whoever the hell is picking the #1 aim spot is the true psychopath, and the reason these 18 holes are taking close to 5hrs to finish.

[Javs]

21 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I would say 2 but can see 3 as an answer for the matter of fact golfer. 

I always hate listening to others in scrambles because I am typically the only lefty and I tend to let the ball die into the hole. Knowing that most hit harder, don't mind giving an aim point but know everyone is different. 

Solid point about speed of the putt. I like to hit it like it is going 12 inches past. If you are a die it in the hole guy, then our reads are different. Great point on scrambles. I hate having a 20 handicap trying to tell me where to hit a putt. That internally drives me nuts. Especially if I nutted a drive and just hit it to 5 feet and watched him miss the putt by a foot…… Yes, still have scares from scrambles! Ha ha

[Josh Parker]

2 hours ago, Javs said:

Solid point about speed of the putt. I like to hit it like it is going 12 inches past. If you are a die it in the hole guy, then our reads are different. Great point on scrambles. I hate having a 20 handicap trying to tell me where to hit a putt. That internally drives me nuts. Especially if I nutted a drive and just hit it to 5 feet and watched him miss the putt by a foot…… Yes, still have scares from scrambles! Ha ha

I tend to take the information and see how it compares to my feeling/thought, but at the end of the day, make MY putt.