How to Measure With a Plumb Bob
By Britt Barclay
Plumb bobbing is a rather advanced method of measuring break and elevation change of a putt; the methods are founded in basic geometry. The technique was derived from that used by land surveyors to measure the slope of the ground at a given point. An important point to remember about this technique is that it is used to find the slope of the green at the spot where you stand; essentially it can only provide a small piece of the puzzle required to read a putt.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Stand about 10 feet from a vertical edge such as a wall corner or a door frame.
Loosely hold the putter you will be using on the course between your thumb and forefinger just below the grip.
Slowly rotate the club in front of you until the shaft is parallel with the perpendicular surface chosen in step 1. Mark the spots where your thumb and forefinger are on the grip. This will ensure the shaft is perpendicular when you hold it out on the course.
Straddle your ball, being sure not to step in your line or that of another golfer.
Hang your putter perpendicular by loosely holding it between your forefinger and thumb on the marks you made in Section 1.
Observe which foot the putter head is closest to. This is the direction the putt will break.
Turn perpendicular to the line of your putt; making sure you stand outside the line of any putt, repeat steps 2 and 3. This will tell you whether the putt is uphill or downhill.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 as desired to find the slope at different points on the green.
Tips & Warnings
Some putters are balanced in such a way that they will not hang vertically.
Always remember the technique only measures the spot where you stand.
Some putters are balanced in such a way that they will not hang vertically.
Always remember the technique only measures the spot where you stand.
Never walk in the line of your putt or that of a fellow golfers when attempting to plumb bob.
About The Author
Christian Barclay is currently an undergraduate in the Farmer School of Business at Miami University of Ohio. He has research experience in the field of chemical engineering and interned this previous summer at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza in Cairo, Egypt. He has written for Demand Studios since May 2009 and has been published on eHow.com and Golflink.com.
