The Art of Green Reading: Vector Putting & the 1-in-1 Aim Rule

Key Points

• Takeaway:
  Master green reading by learning to recognize slope direction and applying the “1 foot = 1 inch” aim rule. Add feel and experience over time, but this simple system will instantly improve your reads under pressure.

• 1. Putting Style Comes First

  If you're making putts, don’t change your method — even if it’s unconventionalGood putting is personal — what works, works

• 2. The Science of Green Reading

  • Based on gravity vectors and slope.
  • Visualize the green as a tilted pancake — balls break from high to low.
  • This slope direction = gravity vector (or break direction).

• 3. Vector Putting Origins

  • Based on H.A. Templeton’s book, Vector Putting.
  • Introduced predictive green reading in the 1980s.
  • Focused on slope angles and break computation using math and logic.

• 4. The 1-in-1 Rule (Simple, Effective)

  • For every foot from the hole, aim 1 inch above the center of the cup, along the gravity vector (straight uphill line).
  • Example: 10 feet = 10 inches of aim from center of holeWorks from any angle around the hole — same aim point whether you're left, right, or below.

• 5. Foundational Green Reading Questions

  • Where is the high point? Where is the low point?
  • If a player can’t identify them, they need to learnKnow your distance from the hole and apply the 1-in-1 rule accordingly.