Introduction
I received the AimPutt as a birthday present. It wasn’t exactly an unexpected one, as I had been dropping some fairly unsubtle hints beforehand. It was not supplied free by the company, and AimPutt has had no involvement in this review.
Putting training aids can sometimes be unnecessarily complicated (see my HackMotion review), but the AimPutt is based on a very simple idea. It helps you find the physical position from which your eyes see the intended line correctly. That might sound basic, but your putter can be perfectly aligned and still look wrong if your eyes, head and body are in the wrong position.
The best training aids are often the simplest, and the AimPutt is one of the simplest and most effective putting aids I own. I’ll admit that I was a bit sceptical when I first got it, but I overcame that pretty quickly.
What Is the AimPutt?
The AimPutt combines a putting gate with a vertical alignment stick. You position it between the ball and the target, take your normal address position and look towards the hole. When you are set up correctly, the vertical stick should appear to divide the hole in half.
If the stick appears to one side, you can make small adjustments to your head position, posture or distance from the ball until the view changes. The base also acts as a putting gate, giving feedback on whether the ball starts on the intended line.
There is no app, camera or complicated calibration process. The feedback is immediate and easy to understand.
The package also includes The Golf Worm and a good-quality towel. The Golf Worm is a flexible spike that goes into the ground and bends to hold the alignment stick horizontally above the putting surface, allowing it to be used as a stroke-path guide. I tried it once, but I already have a raised string line for that type of practice and, in truth, I’m not a great fan of either. The towel is a more useful addition for me, particularly on the practice green, where it gives you something to stand on if you are making repeated putts from the same position and want to avoid wearing the surface.
The AimPutt feels well made, and the supplied carry case is robust, although the shape could perhaps be reconsidered to accommodate The Golf Worm. The alignment stick has to be carried separately, which makes the package slightly less neat than it might otherwise be. A retractable stick, similar to a telescopic aerial, could make it easier to transport, although the taper might affect the visual feedback. It may also be more prone to bending.
In practice, that has not been a major issue because I have mainly used the AimPutt indoors. When I do take it to the practice green, I keep it in the putting practice bag that stays in my car, alongside balls, tees, a chalk line, notepad and digital level.
You can find more details, including the current price and package options, on the AimPutt website.
How Do You Use It?
It’s simplest when using a putting mat, but on the practice green, you just need to find a relatively flat putt between 5 and 10 feet in length. Position the AimPutt between the ball and the target. The gate and vertical stick need to be centred on the intended line, so it is worth taking a little time to make sure the device is aimed correctly before stepping into the putt (easier on a mat).
From address, the vertical stick should appear to divide the hole/target in half. If it sits to one side, adjust your position until it is in the centre. The important part is not simply finding the correct position once. Step away, reset and try to reproduce it, gradually learning what that position feels like.
The concept reminded me of an alignment test Bruce Rearick used when I went through his putting protocol. In that test, an alignment stick was placed on the ground between the ball and the hole, and you moved your setup position until you saw it pointing at the target. The AimPutt works similarly, but the stick rises vertically from the top of the gate.
I have also found it particularly useful alongside my putting mirror. The mirror lets me check ball position relative to my eyes, as well as my posture and alignment. The AimPutt then confirms whether that physical position allows me to see the intended line correctly.
What Has It Taught Me?
One of the clearest things the AimPutt has shown me is that, when I move into the position where I see the line correctly, I naturally grip down on my 34-inch putters. I already tend to grip down slightly, but I need to do it more to make the AimPoint system work. Interestingly, I have found that I am more comfortable doing that with my Lajosi putter than I am with either of my SeeMore putters.
For future putter reviews, before conducting any performance testing, I plan to use AimPutt to confirm my correct setup position with each one. Most demo putters come at 34 inches, so that will likely mean gripping down and paying closer attention to how the putter sits at address before judging its performance.
It will also be interesting to see what the Vertex putting sensor shows now that I have changed my set-up. The AimPutt has helped me find a position that looks and feels better, while the Vertex sensor should give me an objective view of what that means for my stroke.
Used alongside the putting mirror, the AimPutt has helped me build a set-up that feels more comfortable and repeatable.
Pros
Immediate feedback on setup and visual perception
Simple to understand and use
Works at home and on the practice green
Also functions as a start-line gate
Combines well with a putting mirror
Feels well made
Easy to keep with the rest of my putting practice equipment
Cons
Some golfers may consider it expensive for a simple training aid
It needs to be aimed carefully before use
Best used on straight, relatively flat putts
The alignment stick has to be carried separately
Repetition is still required before the set-up begins to feel natural
Verdict
The AimPutt does not measure face angle, stroke path or impact conditions. It does not connect to your phone or produce pages of data. It simply helps you find a position from which you can see the intended line correctly.
That simplicity is its strength.
It has helped me understand how I want to stand over a putt and given me a more comfortable, repeatable setup. Used with a putting mirror, it has become one of the simplest and most useful putting aids I own.
For me, a more comfortable and repeatable putting setup is worth far more than the cost of the AimPutt.
The best training aids do not always give you a new answer. Sometimes they help you see the right one more clearly.
Final Thoughts
Have you used the AimPutt, or any other simple training aid that changed the way you set up to a putt? Let me know in the comments.
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Keith, this is a very interesting training aid. Thanks for sharing one question how wide is the gate what part dispersion is it built for which means how far away should it be from the Ball to get that?
Second as needed as it looks I believe it’s way too expensive. I would probably spend $50 for something like this just the gate in the stick but not $130.
Of course, if somebody gave it to me for my birthday, which is August 3 by the way, I guess I would take it. 😊😊😊
I think Bruce replied, but I’m curious a lot exactly what he thinks about using it. Maybe you already said that, but I didn’t see it.
I've looked at this for a while and decided it wouldn't work for me as my eyes are ~1.5" inside the ball (as I also learnt from my work with Bruce), so I imagine I'd struggle to make this work, as my eye position would make the stick appear to the right of the hole? Would your experience agree with that assessment Keith?