Jim Nantz Sounds Off on Green-Reading Technique: ‘It Really Drives Me Crazy’

It is safe to say Jim Nantz does not agree with AimPoint, a popular green-reading technique that has become a mainstay on the PGA TOUR.

Nantz, whose legendary voice has become synonymous with The Masters, among other golf events, said that AimPoint “drives him crazy,” and that he does not quite understand where the feel comes into play.

On John Huggan’s “The Thing About Golf” podcast, Nantz said (via Golf Digest):

“It really drives me crazy when you see their backs to the hole, and they’re trying to feel the break, and they walk another five feet and they do it again. They go through this process [but] where’s the feel in it?”

Numerous successful players have used AimPoint on the PGA TOUR for many years.

Adam Scott, Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and Max Homa are just a few names who have employed the technique to improve their flat stick.

Credit: PGA TOUR

It is time-consuming, it is dependable, it is trusted.

It is also certainly, and undoubtedly, controversial.

I wonder what Bobby Locke would make of this – pic.twitter.com/IoH2tbmFxT

— TheGolfDivoTee™  (@TheGolfDivoTee) June 13, 2024

However, it is effective. It uses feel from your feet to determine the grade or the green’s break and determines how many balls out from the hole you should aim. If it’s a 2 percent slope, you aim two balls out.

It takes some time to get used to. It is extremely useful, but it is also something that slows the game down. Rarely will you see recreational players use it.

Nantz continued:

“I know they’re trying to win and trying to find a shot over the course of four days that can make the difference but, to me, if you’re playing a lot of golf and you’re standing over a 20-footer, it’s a cup outside the left, it’s the left edge, play it a cup and a half. I mean, all this, is it really making a difference? Maybe it is. But I can’t stand looking at it.”

When there are millions of dollars at play, is it really unreasonable for players to be sure of where they should be aiming? Is it better than just reading the slope from behind the hole and ball and taking an educated guess?

Cover Image via Golfweek