The AimPoint debate has taken a fresh turn! The controversial green analysis process has received some mixed opinions from the golf community. There are those who are completely in favor of it, while others despise it beyond measure. And neither of the sides has shied away from sharing their views on AimPoint. It’s like a tennis match where the opinions are being passed around like a ball, but neither side has been able to win the bout.

In one corner, we have Collin Morikawa and Byeong Hun An, who are fighting in favor of the unique practice. Morikawa has been an avid fan of the putting approach and he has been quite vocal about it. Fans can see him practicing AimPoint on the course in nearly every PGA Tour event. While Morikawa says that his putting has improved immensely, his record in 2024 doesn’t complement the statement. Byeong Hun An has also been using AimPoint frequently. But he too has been winless in the PGA Tour so far.

On the opposite end, Lucas Glover, Jim Nantz, Brandel Chamblee, and Paige Spiranac have been quite critical of AimPoint. Lucas Glover was the first one to criticize players like Collin Morikawa for using it. He said, “AimPoint, statistically, hasn’t helped anybody make more putts since its inception on the PGA Tour. Statistics have beared that out”. Nantz also chipped in with his views by adding “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”. The repetitive motion of determining the variations in the line to the cup seemed to really frustrate the analyst.

Famed reporter Brandel Chamblee also joined in on the party by sharing statistical data that proves AimPoint hasn’t improved putting. He stated “On average players putt worse/make fewer putts over the last five years (2019-2024) than they did the first five years (2004-2008) of measurement and from every distance : 4-8 feet, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25 and >25 feet”. During this period, Paige Spiranac also shared her frustration watching A Lim Kim use the AimPoint method. The diva bluntly stated, “Ban Aim Point”, joining Nantz and Chamblee in the battle.

The ball was in Byeong Hun An’s court now and he retaliated with more information in favor of AimPoint. Re-sharing A Lim Kim’s tweet, he mentioned “No.1. i agree it makes lots of spike marks around the hole but people get close to the hole to pick the ball anyways. When I have short one left, I try to stay away from it until other players finishes the hole. 2. It doesn’t slow up my play or some other guys who do aim points. Slow players will be slow no matter what they do. There has to be a clear data to see which one is slower.”

Hun An admitted that using AimPoint does interfere with the composition of the green before he sought “clear data” that it doesn’t lead to slow play. Mark Sweeney, the founder of AimPoint, did share some data. But it was not what Byeong Hun An might be looking for. Either way, he tweeted, “Putting conversion rates on PGA Tour over the last 10 years show a steadily increasing trend. False narratives about putting getting worse and worse just leads to conjecture based on a false premise. Decide for yourself.” The post included a graph that showed how putting has improved over the past 10 years.

As the graph reads, putts 10 inches or under have had a 10.4% increase. Those between 10 and 20 inches have been better by 3.2% and putts ranging from 20 to 30 inches have shown a 1.9% increase. But how authentic is the database shared by Sweeney? The AimPoint founder hasn’t shared the source of his information anywhere. So let’s look at the alternative information available on the internet.

Has AimPoint really improved the putting conversion rate?

AimPoint was first developed by Mark Sweeney in 2003. Since then, it has been tried and tested by multiple players. However, the data shared by the founder of the method didn’t share a verifiable source from which he retrieved the information. So the validity of his claims is limited to the database he shared.

However, there is a database from the PGA Tour available that shows the deterioration in the putting conversion rate. Back in 2022, Plane Truth Golf shared a screenshot of the information the PGA Tour shared that compared the putting conversion average from 2004 and 2021. It clearly shows that the numbers have dropped over the years. Although not exceeding -2%, the conversation rate refutes Mark Sweeney’s claims.

An alternative theory to the situation would be, even if the putting conversion rate has improved, how much of this should be credited to AimPoint? Around 65% of PGA Tour pros use the method on the course. This was a claim made by the AimPoint team. Even if it’s true, there is still a large proportion of players who don’t go through the process during professional events. Players like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Bryson DeChambeau don’t use AimPoint. They still manage to get a lot of victories, unlike the other golfers who are trying to justify its usage.

What is your take on AimPoint? Do you believe it’s useful, or is it just another factor contributing to slow play? Share your views in the comments section.