Use of Flagstick

[natgolfer]

I like to "plumb bob" my short putts.

Do the rules permit me to use the flagstick for this purpose?

[Gary Hill]

Yes

[jimrobin]

What does " plumb bob" mean, I'm curious.

[natgolfer]

By plumbing shorts putts you can determine which way the ball is going to break.

There are a couple of ways of doing this. You also need to know which is your dominant eye. Mine is my right so my description will be based on that. First, stand in a position where the ball is directly between you and the hole. Second, hold a club or the flagstick near the top, loosely, and with your weak eye closed, line the top of the shaft with the centre of the hole. Thirdly, look DOWN the shaft toward the ball and if the shaft is on the left side of the centre of the ball, the putt will break RIGHT TO LEFT, and if on the right side, LEFT TO RIGHT.

I gather some golfers line up the centre of the ball and then look UP to hole to determine the direction in which it will break.

The reason I asked about using the flagstick is that it is essential the the club you use be hanging vertically and because of the non-symetrical nature of a golf club, it may not. The flagstick, being almost symetrical, assures a vertical hang. Athough it's tough to do on a windy day.

If done correctly, plumbing never lies, but, the grain of the grass may change the line along which the putt will travel.

If the green you are on is severly sloped, the grain usually runs dowhill (geotropism) or if the green is close to a pond, then it may run toward the water, (hydrotropism) although that , I feel, is too often exaggerated. Others have said that because of our northern position, that with the sun always in the southern sky, that the grass will grow toward the light (Phototropism) but, I am not sure. But checking for grain on putts is something to consider. Generally, if the grass is very shing you are with the grain and if it's dark, you are against it.

[Gary Hill]

Some putters have a "line-up" band on the shaft.

When the "line-up" line is pointed towards you, the putter is supposed to be is hanging vertically with reference to the player (ie. the horizontal deflection is pointed towards the player and not to the side).