The Putting Marker for Distance

[MikeRaz]

I'm sure this has been talked about before, but the search didn't yield any results. Can someone explain to me how to use the putting marker for distance in an easy to understand way? I've been playing TGC since it was released on the PS4 and I've never understood how the marker works for distance. I've tested it by moving it less than a foot away from my golfer, and if I swing it will still go the same exact distance if I place it 100 feet away. It seems like it's only there to show the break and distance. It doesn't seem like it actually does anything when it comes to putting strength. Putting is where my game suffers (same in rl). I can read the breaks pretty well, but I end up not using the marker for anything more than seeing the incline. I've watched a bunch of videos about how to use the marker, but it still doesn't make any sense to me. Thanks!

[xraylucy]

For uphill putts I usually leave the marker as is. Sometimes, on slower greens, I move the marker a little further (2 or 3 feet) away.
For downhill I use subtract 1 foot for every inch downhill.
I'm pretty new to the game and have been using this since a couple of weeks. My distance control has improved. Hardy any 3 putts anymore.

I aim for the distance give by the marker. I read somewhere that the marker has some effect on the pace of the ball. If the marker is 35 foot away and you give it a pace of 34 foot, the ball will roll till 35 foot. The same applies for a shot with 36 foot pace. If you shoot it at max it will have no noticable effect.

[NCFCRulz]

A well used rule here that most the top players use is

Uphill putts - Place marker 1.5ft past the hole for each inch uphil it is and then add 2 extra feet
EG - 10ft to the hole, 6in uphill - (6 x 1.5) = 9 + 2 = 11. Would place the marker 11ft past the hole (21ft)

Downhill putts - Place marker 1ft short of the hole for each inch downhill it is and subtract 2
EG - 10ft to the hole, 6in downhill - (6 x 1) = 6 - 2 = 4. Would place the marker 4ft short of the hole (6ft)

[NCFCRulz]

For what it actually does, it gives you a larger margain of error for that distance. If you set it to 20ft the game will know you are aiming to hit the ball 20ft and therefore will give you a higher margain of error around that number to compensate. If you pull the marker really short or really long it tells the game that you dont want to use the marker and the game will just go by your stroke length which means you dont get that margain of error. Its been well proven you will get better results using it than not because of that margain of error increase it gives you

[MikeRaz]

Apr 5, 2016 9:19:47 GMT -5 NCFCRulz said:

For what it actually does, it gives you a larger margain of error for that distance. If you set it to 20ft the game will know you are aiming to hit the ball 20ft and therefore will give you a higher margain of error around that number to compensate. If you pull the marker really short or really long it tells the game that you dont want to use the marker and the game will just go by your stroke length which means you dont get that margain of error. Its been well proven you will get better results using it than not because of that margain of error increase it gives you

So basically if I set it to 15' and take the same length backswing as I would take if I set it to 30' it should only go about 15'? For arguments sake assume the green is completely flat.

[pc17]

Hi Barrett, putting, is by far the hardest part of this game. Moving the marker has no affect on putting distance, it's only an aid. There is a formula which you can find in the Tips & Tricks thread, but this is only accurate for certain distances.
The idea of the marker is this..... If you have, for example a 10ft + 6" uphill putt and you calculate this putt to be the equivalent of a 20ft put on the level, then the idea is, you move your marker to 20ft to aid your putting strength. I personally don't use this method as I find it difficult taking the break into account if my marker is way behind the pin. For uphill putts, I always leave my marker level with the pin, and move it either left or right for the break. The strength of putt comes from a counting method I have developed, but too difficult to explain here.
Downhill putting is different, as I do move the marker towards me. This is how I set myself up. Lets say we have a 20ft - 5" downhill putt. First thing I do is place the marker over the hole to check the gradient at that point. Now lets suppose we have a break from left to right and I find moving my marker left to the first grid line is enough to take the break into account. Now I have calculated my putting strength to be around 13ft. Next, move the marker to 13ft, and in doing so you will notice the marker has moved in from the grid line you had it set on. You just need to move the marker back on the line. How hard you hit this 13ft putt will depend on whether the green is still running away from you after the hole, or it becomes uphill around or after the hole. Unfortunately, putting in this game IS rocket science, and I'm sure just about everyone will have their own method. But I hope the above will help - Best of luck.

[NCFCRulz]

Apr 5, 2016 10:00:50 GMT -5 MikeRaz said:

Apr 5, 2016 9:19:47 GMT -5 NCFCRulz said:

For what it actually does, it gives you a larger margain of error for that distance. If you set it to 20ft the game will know you are aiming to hit the ball 20ft and therefore will give you a higher margain of error around that number to compensate. If you pull the marker really short or really long it tells the game that you dont want to use the marker and the game will just go by your stroke length which means you dont get that margain of error. Its been well proven you will get better results using it than not because of that margain of error increase it gives you

So basically if I set it to 15' and take the same length backswing as I would take if I set it to 30' it should only go about 15'? For arguments sake assume the green is completely flat.

No it aids. If you set it to 15' and take a 30' backswing it may only go 25 for example... If you take a 80' backswing it may only go 65 for example.

It gives you like a warphole around the distance you have marked. The closer you are to that distance to your backswing the more the game will compensate and pull it in

IE. If you set it to 15' and his a backswing of 17' it will give you say 15.5'

This has been proven over thousands of rounds by the very best. Those that dont use the marker are at a distinct disadvantage because they dont get that pulling in. If they dont use the marker and want to go 15' and hit is 30' it will go 30' whereas someone who has set that marker at 15' will maybe go 25'. This has been proven. So playing without the marker is giving yourself a disadvantage.

[Jared]

I'm just going to copy and paste the response I gave in another thread with this exact question.

Just fyi for anybody who never found the putting thread on HB's forum.

Wherever you set the yellow marker, lets say at 45 feet, it tells the game that this is your intended distance. Now, lets imagine the backswing goes from 0 (putter not moving) all the way back to 100 (the putter at its furthest back). And let's say, for the purposes of this demonstration, that your putter's max distance on a flat, medium speed green is 90 feet. So to achieve 45 feet, you would need to pull the putter back to 50 in that 0-100 scale, right? Well, the yellow marker has told the computer that 50 is your intended power and it smooths the edges around that 50 mark by 1 or 2 on each side. So if you pull back to 48-52, you will get the same results.

[NCFCRulz]

Apr 5, 2016 15:47:43 GMT -5 Jared said:

I'm just going to copy and paste the response I gave in another thread with this exact question.

Just fyi for anybody who never found the putting thread on HB's forum.

Exactly what I said

[champ39]

Apr 5, 2016 16:24:45 GMT -5 NCFCRulz said:

Apr 5, 2016 15:47:43 GMT -5 Jared said:

I'm just going to copy and paste the response I gave in another thread with this exact question.

Exactly what I said

With a scientific explanation of the "gravitational attractiveness" of warpholes to boot haha.

[nantez88]

Apr 5, 2016 8:27:37 GMT -5 MikeRaz said:

I'm sure this has been talked about before, but the search didn't yield any results. Can someone explain to me how to use the putting marker for distance in an easy to understand way? I've been playing TGC since it was released on the PS4 and I've never understood how the marker works for distance. I've tested it by moving it less than a foot away from my golfer, and if I swing it will still go the same exact distance if I place it 100 feet away. It seems like it's only there to show the break and distance. It doesn't seem like it actually does anything when it comes to putting strength. Putting is where my game suffers (same in rl). I can read the breaks pretty well, but I end up not using the marker for anything more than seeing the incline. I've watched a bunch of videos about how to use the marker, but it still doesn't make any sense to me. Thanks!

I have started using the marker lately and I swear by it I can't remember the last time I had a 3putt
I'll try explain as best I can. The game has a built in invisible circle ( can't think of another thing to call it haha) but it is coded in the game.
If you adjust the marker using the formula 1.5 x elevation roughly and you hit your putt power '' In the ball park'' of the required amount (slightly under or over) of power, the code in the game will aid you to make your putt go in or leave a tap in everytime.
Let's just say your on 187 greens and you have a massive downhill putt and you don't set the marker and are slightly off with your power by feel. The game will recognize there is no marker set and will not aid you and the ball will run a mile.
Trust me you are giving away shots by not using it and the marker aid was confirmed by Anthony Kyne.
Hope this helps sorry it's very hard to explain haha. If your still unsure feel free to ask anyway pal :-)

[Terry Grayson]

Well thanks to the posts here, I finally started using the putting marker as intended or as explained by you folks here..

No three putts in my four tour rounds which I don't ever remember not having a three putt.... Even sunk a winder from like 60-70 feet about 30 inches uphill

so thanks for the tips... Really made a difference for me..


Terry

[ballgame923]

Good gravy, I've played almost 1000 rounds and I never use the putting aid.

Now I will.

Watch out, I'm gonna shoot in the 40s now.

John

[wellsa27]

redrhinoceros

[andy6467]

I tend to use the defaulted location of the putting marker as a guide for the distance. In other words, if i have an uphill 20 footer and the marker appears behind the hole at the 30 foot mark (10 feet behind the hole), I try to use enough power for the ball to travel a level 30 ft. I never move the marker forward or back as I am assuming that the defaulted location of the marker is my distance target.