How to Use a Plumb Bob in Golf

Using your putter to read a green might sound like an old-school myth, but the plumb-bobbing technique is a tangible way to remove guesswork and see the pure, unadulterated break of a putt. This method uses gravity and a simple visual trick to give you an objective look at the slope, bypassing the optical illusions that can deceive even the best golfers. In this guide, we'll walk through precisely how to hold the putter, align your a_e, and interpret what you see to drain more putts.

What is Plumb Bobbing and Why Does It Work?

At its core, plumb-bobbing transforms your putter into a 'plumb line' – a tool carpenters and builders have used for centuries to find the true vertical line. Gravity is constant, it always pulls straight down. By letting your putter hang freely, the shaft creates a perfect vertical reference against the backdrop of the putting green.

Our brains and eyes are easily fooled. A tilted horizon, background contours, and even prevailing light conditions can make a flat-looking putt break significantly, or a sloping putt seem straight. Plumb-bobbing cuts through these illusions. By establishing a true vertical line with your putter, you can accurately perceive the tilt of the landscape around the hole. If the putting surface is sloped, the hole will appear to be on one side or the other of your vertical reference line. You’re not guessing at the slope anymore, you’re comparing it against a true constant.

Legendary golfer Ben Crenshaw, known as one of the greatest putters of all time, was a famous user of this technique. He trusted it because it gave him a simple, repeatable confirmation of what he was feeling with his feet and seeing with his eyes. The method gives you one final, objective check before you commit to the line.

When to Plumb Bob (and When to Pass)

Plumb-bobbing is an excellent tool, but it's not for every situation. Its primary strength lies in clarifying putts from about 5 to 25 feet that generally have a single, consistent break.

• Great for: Putts with one distinct right-to-left or left-to-right slope. It’s also incredibly effective for those tricky, near-straight putts where you suspect a subtle break but can't quite see it.
• Less effective for: Severe double-breaking putts or putts on heavy tiers where the initial slope is different from the slope near the hole. Plumb-bobbing gives you a general sense of the overall tilt from your ball to the hole, but it can't easily dissect multiple breaks.
• Not for: Very long lag putts. Over 30-40 feet, there are usually too many variables for the technique to give a precise aim point, although it can still give you a general sense of the primary slope.

Think of it as a specialist tool. Use it to confirm the break on scoring-range putts. For everything else, rely more on reading the green with your feet and looking at the overall topography as you walk up to the green.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Plumb Bob in Golf

Getting this right requires a specific process. If you miss a step, particularly concerning eye dominance, the reading will be off. Follow these steps carefully on the practice green until the sequence becomes second nature.

Step 1: First, Find Your Dominant Eye

Most people have a dominant eye, and using it is fundamental to the entire process. If you use your non-dominant eye, your reading will be inaccurate. Here’s a quick way to find yours:

1. Extend your arms out in front of you and create a small triangular window with your thumbs and forefingers.
2. With both eyes open, center a distant object (like a flagstick or tree) inside that window.
3. Without moving your hands, close your left eye. Did the object stay in the window? If yes, you are right-eye dominant.
4. Now open your left eye and close your right eye. If the object stayed in view this time, you are left-eye dominant.

The eye that kept the object in the frame is the dominant one you will use for plumb-bobbing.

Step 2: Get into Position Behind the Ball

Walk a few feet directly behind your golf ball so that your ball and the hole are in a straight line in front of you. Stand up straight with your feet on a surface that feels as level as possible. Standing on a significant slope will cause you to tilt your body and disrupt the reading.

Step 3: Hold the Putter Correctly

This is where many people go wrong. Do not grip the putter tightly. You need to let it hang like a piece of string.

Lightly pinch the very top end of the grip between your thumb and forefinger. Allow the putter to hang down freely, feeling the weight of the head pull the shaft into a perfectly vertical position. The putter head should be just an inch or two off the ground.

Step 4: Align Your Dominant Eye

Now, close your non-dominant eye. With only your dominant eye open, position your hand so that the hanging putter shaft visually covers up your golf ball. You’re trying to form a straight line from your dominant eye, through the putter shaft, to the ball on the green. Keep your head very still and level.

Step 5: Interpret the “Read”

With the putter shaft eclipsing the ball and your head perfectly still, observe where the hole is in relation to the shaft. This tells you the direction of the break.

• If the hole appears to be to the right of the shaft: Gravity is pulling the green downhill from right to left. The putt will break from right-to-left.
• If the hole appears to be to the left of the shaft: Gravity is pulling the green downhill from left to right. The putt will break from left-to-right.
• If the putter shaft hangs directly over the center of the hole: Congratulations, you have a dead-straight putt.

The amount of break is determined by how far the hole appears from the shaft. If it's just peeking out from the side, a_a_s a small break. If you see a lot of green between the shaft and the hole, you're looking at a significant break.

Wait, It Seems Backwards! Why?

It’s normal for this to feel counterintuitive at first. Let's think it through. Imagine a hill sloping down from your right to your left. When you hold up a vertical line (the putter), the bottom of that hill (where the hole is) will naturally be to the left of your vertical line. So, when the hole appears left of the shaft, the ground must be sloping *down* to the left. But remember: the ball will break *from the high side to the low side*. If the a_a_s is sloping down to the left, the ball will break from right-to-left. A handy way to remember it: The shaft shows you the high side of the putt. Putt away from the shaft.

Common Plumb Bobbing Mistakes

• Tilting Your Head: This is the most common error. If you tilt your head even slightly, you are tilting your vertical frame of reference. The entire reading becomes invalid. Concentrate on keeping your head straight and level, with your ears parallel to the ground.
• Gripping Too Tightly: Any tension in your hand or arm will prevent the putter from hanging freely and finding a true vertical line. It must dangle without interference.
• Incorrect Eye Usage: As mentioned, you must use your dominant eye. Get this one right every time.
• Swaying or Moving: Stand very still. Any body movement will cause the putter to swing and give you a false read. Let it settle completely before you make your observation.
• Overthinking the Read: Trust your first impression. Staring too long can cause your eyes to play tricks on you. Take your reading, trust it, and step into your putt.

The final piece of advice is to practice. Don't try this for the first time on the course_a_during a competitive round. Go to the practice green. Find a 15-foot putt with a noticeable break. Go through the steps, get your read, and hit the putt on the line you’ve chosen. Seeing the results with your own eyes is the fastest way to build the confidence you need to take this technique from the practice area to the golf course.

Final Thoughts

Plumb-bobbing is a fantastic addition to your green-reading routine, providing a final objective check against the illusions greens can create. By patiently learning the process - finding your dominant eye, positioning yourself correctly, and interpreting the visual - you can add a layer of certainty to your putting and make smarter, more committed strokes.

Of course, mastering any golf technique comes down to practice and understanding the "why" behind it. While a technique like plumb-bobbing gives you a direct reading for one specific putt, a deeper knowledge of green reading, course strategy, and swing mechanics is what truly lowers your scores. For any questions that pop up, whether you're at home wondering about the physics of a breaking putt or you're on the course staring down a tricky lie, I'm here to help. You can snap a photo of any tough situation, get a simple play recommendation, or just ask conceptual questions to build your golf IQ. By asking the right questions, you're not just finding answers, but becoming a smarter golfer. You can learn more at Caddie AI.