Using the Plumb Bob Method in Golf

← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Course Management & Strategy

BLOCKQUOTE_0

Quick Answer

• Use a plumb bob to get a dead-accurate read on how a putt will break by showing you the true slope of the green.
• Hold the plumb bob directly over the center of your ball at address, letting the weight hang freely.
• Observe where the string naturally settles relative to the hole to determine the putt’s break.

Who This Is For

• Golfers who are serious about improving their putting accuracy and understanding green reads.
• Players who appreciate traditional, tactile methods for visualizing the subtle contours of a putting surface.
• Anyone looking for a reliable, visual aid to complement their existing green reading techniques.

What to Check First for How to Plumb Bob

Before you even think about dropping that plumb bob, a few quick checks will save you headaches and ensure you get a solid read. This isn’t rocket science, but a little prep goes a long way out on the course.

• Level Stance Assessment: Stand over your ball as you normally would for a putt. Pay attention to the ground beneath your feet. Are you standing on a noticeable slope yourself, separate from the putt’s break? If you’re on an incline, your perspective will be skewed, and the plumb bob’s reading will be off. Try to find a spot where your feet feel as level as possible relative to the putt’s general direction.
• Unobstructed String Swing: Gently hold your plumb bob and let the weight hang. Does the string swing freely without touching anything? You don’t want it brushing against your ball, your shoe, the grass, or any stray debris. Any contact will create friction or drag, making the string hang at an angle that doesn’t reflect the true slope. Give it a little wiggle to ensure it’s got room to dance.
• Wind Conditions Assessment: This is a big one, especially on exposed greens. Even a light breeze can cause the plumb bob’s weight to sway, making the string point in a direction that isn’t dictated by gravity alone. If it’s noticeably breezy, the plumb bob method might be less reliable. You might need to wait for a lull in the wind or consider it a secondary read. A heavier plumb bob will be less affected by light breezes, but strong gusts are still a problem.
• Ball Position Verification: Make sure you know exactly where the center of your ball is. The plumb bob needs to be positioned directly over this point for an accurate reading. Sometimes, a ball can settle slightly into a depression or on a tiny mound, making its exact center a bit tricky to pinpoint. A quick glance from directly behind is usually sufficient.
• Understanding the Putt’s General Break: While the plumb bob gives you the precise slope, it’s helpful to have a general idea of the putt’s direction. Are you looking at a straight putt, a left-to-right breaker, or a right-to-left? This context helps you interpret what the plumb bob is telling you.

Step-by-Step Plan: How to Plumb Bob Your Putt

Alright, let’s get down to business. This is the core of the method. It’s simple, but precision is key. Think of it as a visual cheat code for the green.

1. Address the Ball and Find Your Stance:

• Action: Step up to your ball and get into your normal putting stance. Get comfortable, feel the ground under your feet, and visualize the putt to the hole.
• What to look for: A stable, balanced posture. Ensure your feet are positioned so you’re not standing on a significant slope that would misrepresent the green’s contour where your ball is sitting. You want to feel as level as possible.
• Mistake to avoid: Standing with one foot significantly higher than the other, or on a noticeable side-hill lie that isn’t part of the putt’s break. This will throw off your entire reading.

2. Hold the Plumb Bob String:

• Action: Take your plumb bob. Grip the string lightly between your thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand (or whichever hand feels most stable). Let the weight hang freely, allowing it to settle into its natural vertical position.
• What to look for: The string should hang perfectly straight down, with the weight at its lowest point. The string should be taut but not strained by your grip.
• Mistake to avoid: Clenching the string too tightly. This can introduce a slight tremor from your hand, causing the plumb bob to swing erratically and not settle true. A relaxed grip is crucial.

3. Position the Plumb Bob Directly Over the Ball:

• Action: With the plumb bob hanging, carefully bring your hand and the plumb bob assembly over the center of your golf ball. The goal is to have the hanging string suspended directly above the exact middle of your ball.
• What to look for: The plumb bob’s weight should be hanging precisely over the center point of your ball. The string should be vertical, and the weight should be just a hair’s breadth above the putting surface, not touching it.
• Mistake to avoid: This is where most people mess up. Holding the plumb bob too far forward, backward, or to the side of the ball. Even a small offset will lead to an inaccurate reading of the slope. It needs to be dead center.

4. Observe the String’s Natural Hang:

• Action: Once the plumb bob is positioned over the ball and the weight has stopped swinging, observe where the string naturally settles. Don’t force it or move your hand; just let gravity do its work.
• What to look for: The string will hang in the direction of the steepest downhill slope from that point. If the green is breaking left, the string will point slightly left of the hole. If it’s breaking right, it will point slightly right. If it’s straight, the putt is straight (or the break is negligible).
• Mistake to avoid: Looking at the string too quickly before it has fully settled. Patience is your friend here. Give it a moment to stop its subtle sway and hang true.

5. Compare the String Line to the Hole:

• Action: With the plumb bob hanging steady, compare the line indicated by the string to the direct line between your ball and the hole.
• What to look for: The difference between the string’s hang and a direct line to the hole is your putt’s break. If the string points directly at the hole, it’s straight. If the string points, say, 3 inches left of the hole (and you’re 10 feet away), that tells you the putt will break left.
• Mistake to avoid: Trying to judge the break from too far away. Get close enough to clearly see the relationship between the string and the hole. You need to see the subtle nuances.

6. Check from Behind the Ball to Confirm:

• Action: After you’ve made your initial read, step back and repeat the plumb bob process from directly behind the ball.
• What to look for: Consistency. The reading from behind the ball should confirm what you saw from the side. If the readings differ significantly, re-evaluate your stance, plumb bob positioning, and wind conditions.
• Mistake to avoid: Only checking the putt from one angle. Greens are rarely uniformly sloped. Checking from behind helps confirm the overall contour and ensures you haven’t missed a subtle break.

7. Consider the Entire Putt’s Trajectory:

• Action: Use the plumb bob read as a guide for the start line of your putt. Remember that the break is often more pronounced the closer you get to the hole.
• What to look for: The plumb bob tells you the slope at your ball’s position. You need to translate this into where you aim to start the ball, knowing it will curve as it rolls.
• Mistake to avoid: Aiming directly at the hole based on the plumb bob’s read. The plumb bob shows you the slope at your ball, not the entire path. You need to aim to the side of the hole, accounting for the ball’s curve. This takes practice and interpretation.

Common Mistakes When Using the Plumb Bob Method

Even with a simple tool, you can trip yourself up. Here are the usual suspects that will mess with your green reads:

• Not Centering the Bob Over the Ball — This is the cardinal sin, folks. Holding the plumb bob even slightly off-center from your ball will give you a completely false reading of the slope. It’s like looking at a map upside down.
• Why it matters: The plumb bob measures the direction of gravity from the point it’s suspended. If that point isn’t directly over your ball, you’re measuring the slope from the wrong spot, leading to an incorrect break prediction.
• Fix: Make a conscious effort to position the hanging weight directly over the exact center of your ball. Take an extra second to verify this before letting the string settle.

• Allowing the String to Touch the Ball or Ground — If the plumb bob string brushes against your ball, your shoe, or the turf, it’s going to sway and give you a bad read.
• Why it matters: Any contact creates friction or drag, which will pull the string off its true vertical line. This artificially alters the direction the plumb bob appears to point, leading to misjudgment of the slope.
• Fix: Hold the plumb bob slightly above the ball, ensuring the weight and string hang freely without making contact with anything. Keep your grip steady and your stance stable to avoid accidental brushes.

• Ignoring Wind Conditions — A puff of wind can make that string dance around like a jitterbug, leading you astray.
• Why it matters: Wind is an external force that directly interferes with the plumb bob’s primary function: indicating the direction of gravity. A swaying string is not an accurate representation of the green’s contour.
• Fix: Wait for a lull in the wind before taking your read. If the wind is consistently strong, consider this method less reliable or use a heavier plumb bob that’s less susceptible to minor breezes.

• Rushing the Process — Green reading, in general, takes time and careful observation. Don’t try to speed through using the plumb bob.
• Why it matters: The plumb bob needs a moment to settle. If you pull it away or try to read it while it’s still swinging, you’re not getting an accurate measurement of the slope. Patience allows gravity to dictate the true line.
• Fix: Be patient. Hold the plumb bob steady over the ball and wait for the weight to stop swinging and hang perfectly still. This might take a few seconds, but it’s crucial for accuracy.

• Not Checking from Multiple Angles — Greens are rarely uniformly sloped. A reading from one spot might not tell the whole story.
• Why it matters: The plumb bob tells you the slope at the exact point it’s positioned. A putt might have a significant break from the ball to the hole, but the slope might change along that path.
• Fix: After you’ve used the plumb bob from your putting stance, step back and repeat the process from directly behind the ball. This gives you a more complete picture of the green’s contour and helps confirm your read.

• Misinterpreting the Read — The plumb bob shows you the steepest downhill slope, but translating that into a starting line requires skill.
• Why it matters: The string points to the direction of the break, but you need to aim your putt to the side of the hole to allow for the ball’s curve. Simply aiming where the string points will likely miss the hole on the low side.
• Fix: Practice. Understand that the plumb bob’s reading is a guide. You’ll need to develop a feel for how much to compensate and where to start your putt based on the plumb bob’s indication and your experience with similar breaks.

FAQ

• What is a plumb bob in golf?

A plumb bob in golf is a simple tool consisting of a weight on a string, used to determine the precise direction of gravity. Golfers use it as a visual aid to gauge the slope of a green and read how a putt will break by showing the steepest downhill direction from the ball’s position.

• When is the best time to use a plumb bob on the green?

The ideal time to use a plumb bob is after you’ve addressed your ball and are in your putting stance, but before you begin your stroke. It’s a tool for reading the green’s contour and determining the break, not for making the putt itself.

• Can wind affect the plumb bob method?

Absolutely, and significantly. Wind can cause the plumb bob’s weight to sway, making the string point in a direction that isn’t dictated by gravity alone. This can lead to an inaccurate reading of the green’s slope. It’s best used in calm conditions or when you can wait for a lull in the breeze.

• How do I know which way the putt will break based on the plumb bob?

The plumb bob string will naturally hang in the direction of the steepest downhill slope from where it’s suspended over your ball. If the string drifts left of a direct line to the hole, your putt will break left. If it drifts right, it will break right. If it hangs straight down, the putt is considered straight, or the break is negligible.

• How far above the ball should I hold the plumb bob?

You should hold the plumb bob just high enough so that the weight hangs freely and does not touch the ball or the putting surface. Typically, this is only an inch or two above the ball, but the key is ensuring it has a clear, unobstructed swing.

• Does the plumb bob tell me how much the putt will break?

The plumb bob tells you the direction of the break by indicating the steepest downhill slope. It doesn’t give you an exact measurement of the break in inches or feet. You’ll need to interpret the string’s angle relative to the hole and your experience to estimate the amount of break needed for your putt.

• Is the plumb bob method legal in professional tournaments?

While the plumb bob itself is legal, using it to determine the line of a putt is generally discouraged and often considered against the spirit of the rules, especially in professional play. The Rules of Golf aim to have players read greens by their own eye and feel. However, for casual play and practice, it’s a fantastic tool to improve your green reading skills.

Sources:

• How to Plumb Bob a Putt for Better Reading
• How to Plumb Bob Your Putt