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How Much Will My Putt Break?
The BreakMaster will tell you accurate information about what's happening on the green that your eyes can never see: the exact break direction (downhill) as well as the exact amount of break (shown as degrees of slope).
But once you have this information, what do you do with it? How do you put BreakMaster data into practical use to adjust your putt?
At Exelys, we've done extensive testing in real-world situations to find out how much putts will actually break at various kinds of slopes. We've tested on greens of different types (bent grass, Bermuda grass) at varying green conditions and with various popular brands of golf balls. The following table can be a useful general guideline to helping you adjust your putt.
| Break/Dist.
| 3 Foot Putt
| 6 Foot Putt
| 9 Foot Putt
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| 1 Degree
| 4 - 6"
| 10 - 12"
| 14 - 18"
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| 2 Degrees
| 8 - 10"
| 16 - 18"
| 22 - 26"
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| 3 Degrees
| 10 - 12"
| 20 - 24"
| 40 - 46"
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| 4 Degrees
| 14 - 16"
| 38 - 42"
| 52 - 58"
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Note: all of these measurements were taken putting straight across the break, meaning at a right angle to the downhill line (the break or fall line) which is indicated by the arrow on the BreakMaster display.
As you would expect, for each degree of break, a putt will break more and more depending on the length of the putt. Therefore, putting across a 1Degree slope (a fairly shallow break) can yield a break ranging from 4" for a 3 foot putt to 18" for a 9 foot putt.
Likewise, putting across a 4 Degree slope (a much more severe slope angle) can yield a break ranging from 14" to 58" (over 5 feet of break!) depending on the length of the putt.
Adjusting Your Aim Line
The drawings on the left illustrate the various readings from the table. You'll see that as the distance of your putt increases, you need to increase the amount of offset for your Aim Line. So for a 3 foot putt across a 1 Degree slope you need to adjust your Aim Line 4 - 6" from the hole to sink the putt, whereas if you were putting 9 feet across this same slope you'd need to adjust your Aim Line 14 - 18".
These numbers may change slightly depending on the speed of the green, and whether the green is wet or dry, so adjustments should be made to your putt according to these additional factors. We recommend entering these numbers in your Greens & Yardage Book to take out on the course with you.
Another interesting factor that can be useful on actual greens is that the Offset Angle (meaning the amount you must adjust your Aim Line uphill from the cup) is consistent (for each degree of slope) no matter what distance you are putting.
| Break Amount |
Offset Angle |
| 1 Degree Slope |
10 Degrees Offset from Hole |
| 2 Degree Slope |
15 Degrees Offset from Hole |
| 3 Degree Slope |
20 Degrees Offset from Hole |
| 4 Degree Slope |
30 Degrees Offset from Hole |
Referencing the table and the drawings you will see that, for example, a 2 Degree slope requires a 15 Degree Offset Angle from the hole. So, whether your putt is a 3 footer or a 9 footer, you need to adjust your Aim Line 15 degrees uphill from the hole and then make your stroke.
So once you know the amount of break (degrees of slope) this gives you another means of adjusting your Aim Line for your putt - sometimes far beyond what your eyes might tell you.
Uphill and Downhill Breaks
Not every breaking putt is going to be at exactly 90 degrees to the downhill break line. So how do you adjust the above numbers to fit these situations? Again, knowing the exact break direction (by using the BreakMaster) is infinitely preferable to merely guessing which way the ball might break.
By showing you the exact downhill break of a given putt, the BreakMaster allows you to see whether you're putting uphill across the break, or downhill across the break. Each of these putts will react differently, but in a predictable manner.
Uphill breaking putts will break LESS than putting straight across the break.
Downhill breaking putts (known as the "downhill slider") will break MORE than putting straight across the break.
So on the green, if you're putting uphill across the break, allow for a little less of a break. Likewise, if you're putting downhill, allow for a little more of a break than you would see in the numbers in the table.
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