To build your own stimpmeter, go to your home center / lumber yard and get a 4' section of moulding called "cove moulding" (s/b about $3.00). This moulding is flat on the back with a perfect golfball size groove in the center. Cut a length to 36". The groove for the ball should be 6" from the top.
How do you use a stimpmeter golf ball?
Holding the Stimpmeter by the notched end (use the standard “1X,” full-length notch on the top side of the Stimpmeter), rest the tapered end on the ground beside the tee, and aim it in the direction you intend to roll the ball. Place the ball in the notch and slowly raise the end until the ball releases.
What is a good Stimpmeter reading for golf?
A typical golf club usually aims for a Stimpmeter reading of 9 or 10. This is generally considered to be the goldilocks zone of green speeds; not too fast, not too slow. For golfing competitions, it’s not uncommon to see stimpmeter readings creep up to 11 or 12, which is the average stimpmeter reading on the PGA Tour.
What is a stimpmeter on a putting green?
The Stimpmeter is a very low-tech device, essentially just a small metal ramp that is angled down to a flat part of a putting green. How far the golf ball rolls across the green results in the "Stimp rating" of the green.
What is a stimp rating in golf?
How far the ball rolls before stopping becomes the "Stimp rating," indicating green speed. If the golf ball rolls nine feet, the Stimp rating is 9; if it rolls 11 feet, the green speed rates at 11. Who Invented the Stimpmeter? You might have noticed that "Stimpmeter" is capitalized; that's because the word is an eponym.
How do you calculate Stimpmeter?
1:445:04Stimpmeter - how to measure green speed. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipEnd up you measure from that point back to where the stimpmeter is go from two different directionsMoreEnd up you measure from that point back to where the stimpmeter is go from two different directions on the green. So if you're going one downhill one out he'll. Add. The numbers together divide.
What angle is a Stimpmeter?
A Stimpmeter is an inclined ramp that can be any length, with a starting point for the golf ball 30 inches from the bottom end. The key specific is that ramp must be set to a precise 20.5 degree angle. For the math nerds, the golf ball is 10.5" abouve the ground at release, 30" * sine(20.5 degrees) = 10.5". Tada!
How is golf green speed calculated?
0:462:07How Golf Courses Measure Green Speeds - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThree times take that average distance. Add it. Together with your original average distance. AndMoreThree times take that average distance. Add it. Together with your original average distance. And then you're going to divide that by two. So whatever you get there is gonna be your stamp.
Is 11 on Stimpmeter fast?
What is fast on the stimpmeter? Fast or slow is arbitrary but in general, anything over an 11 is considered fast amongst most golfers. Some of the fastest green readings are around 14 or 15 (like Augusta National) and are nearly impossible to putt on for most amateur golfers as the golf ball rolls forever.
What does a Stimpmeter look like?
0:294:00What is a Stimpmeter? | Golf Digest - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn 1935 Edward Stimpson invented an easy way to measure green speed the stimpmeter. I never actuallyMoreIn 1935 Edward Stimpson invented an easy way to measure green speed the stimpmeter. I never actually seen one though until I borrowed this one from my superintendent.
How fast are Augusta greens?
This ramp style device has a notch and the ball is pulled out of that notch by gravity when the device is slowly raised to an angle of about 20°, rolling onto the green at a repeatable velocity of 6.00 feet per second.
How do you judge the speed of greens?
As you stand behind your ball reading the break, ask yourself, “What is the best speed for this putt?” If it's uphill, breaking left to right or slow greens, go on the former side. If it's downhill, breaking left to right, and slow greens, go for the trickle approach.
How fast is 13 on the Stimpmeter?
A green speed of 7 is generally considered very slow and is slower than a green speed of 9 (a moderate speed). A stimp rating of 13 or 14 is considered lightning-fast. Most PGA Tour venues have green speeds of around 12.
How fast were greens in the 70s?
6.5 feetBefore releasing their modified Stimpmeter (briefly known as the “Speed Stick”), the USGA took green speed measurements in 1976 and 1977 on more than 1,500 greens in 36 states. The average green speed was 6.5 feet.
What is a normal green speed?
It found the average green speed to be about 6.5. Less than 2 percent of the 2,116 measurements recorded were higher than 9.
Why are PGA greens so fast?
On the PGA Tour circuit, green speeds also have become more consistent from one course to the next. The result is better ball roll and a more predictable playing surface. That means golfers can make a more uniform putting stroke, with fewer adjustments for surface conditions.
How fast are average greens I?
JPG. The average green speed on the PGA Tour is about 11 or above, which is significantly quicker than a regular golf club. One event that has always been associated with fast greens is The Masters and we have seen many players over the years struggle on the putting surfaces at Augusta National.
What is a stimpmeter?
A Stimpmeter is an inclined ramp that can be any length, with a starting point for the golf ball 30 inches from the bottom end. The key specific is that ramp must be set to a precise 20.5 degree angle. For the math nerds, the golf ball is 10.5" abouve the ground at release, 30" * sine (20.5 degrees) = 10.5". Tada!
What is PE in golf?
The potential energy, or stored energy (PE) is the energy stored in the golf ball's weight (W) at whatever the distance it is from the ground (H) PE = W*H. Obviously the higher the ball is, the more distance it has to gain speed during its ride down.
When did the USGA start using the stimpmeter?
In 1978 , the Stimpmeter was finally adopted by the USGA for use at golf courses around the United States, and the American governing body began making them available to courses, along with instructing superintendents in their use. The Stimpmeter's use spread around the world in the years after.
What is a stimpmeter?
Updated April 09, 2018. A Stimpmeter is a simple tool used to measure the speed of putting greens: how easily a golf ball rolls across the surface of the green . The Stimpmeter is a very low-tech device, essentially just a small metal ramp that is angled down to a flat part of a putting green.
Why did Stimpson measure green speed?
Open at Oakmont Country Club, Stimpson realized that golf course superintendents needed a way to measure green speeds in order to ensure that each green on a golf course rolled at the same speed.
How long is a stimpmeter?
Here are some specifics about how the Stimpmeter is built and works: Stimpmeters were originally wooden, modern Stimpmeters are made of aluminum. They are 36 inches long. Working on a flat portion of the green, the superintendent or other course or tournament official places a golf ball at one end in a notch about six inches from that end.
What does the groove on the stimpmeter mean?
There is a groove, or channel, down the center of the Stimpmeter, which keeps the ball on track as it rolls down. When the golf ball exits the ramp, it rolls out across the green. How far the ball rolls before stopping becomes the "Stimp rating," indicating green speed.
Who invented the stimpmeter?
That is, its name comes from the name of its inventor. The inventor of the Stimpmeter was Edward S. Stimpson. Stimpson was an accomplished amateur golfer; he won the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1935. And that was the same year Stimpson invented the simple tool for determining green speeds that bear his name.
Do putting greens have flat areas?
But in 2012, a small modification was made to take into account the fact that modern putting greens sometimes don't have flat areas large enough to allow a full roll-out by a golf ball released from a Stimpmeter. Today there is another notch on the reverse side of the Stimpmeter, halfway down the ramp.
What is a stimpmeter?
A stimpmeter offers greenkeepers a way of monitoring the pace of their putting surfaces. For any venue hosting the world’s best players like Augusta National, this is a vital piece of kit both in the build up and during the tournament itself. A stimpmeter is a relatively primitive contraption – a long narrow metal tray with a hole in one end, ...
Why do greenkeepers use stimpmeters?
A stimpmeter is useful for greenkeepers to be able to check the pace of their greens. This is particularly important at links venues where strong winds can occasionally make overly fast greens unplayable. Being able to test and then adjust the green speed is a way of ensuring the greens are playable everyday.
What Is a Stimpmeter?
A Stimpmeter is a simple device used to measure the speed of a putting green. It is a three-foot (36 inches) long extruded aluminum bar with a V-shaped groove extending its entire length. At one end of the bar is a little notch for placing the ball, positioned approximately 30 inches from the end that rests on the ground.
How Does a Stimpmeter Work?
You start by finding a flat piece of green and placing a golf ball in the notch of the Stimpmeter. Then, keeping the other end to the ground, you slowly raise the ball end.
What is Considered a Good Stimpmeter Reading?
A typical golf club usually aims for a Stimpmeter reading of 9 or 10. This is generally considered to be the goldilocks zone of green speeds; not too fast, not too slow.
How Fast are the Masters Greens?
At Augusta National, the beautiful, uniquely challenging home of the Masters, things work a little differently. Quite simply, Augusta National authorities don’t publish or reveal Stimpmeter readings, and they don’t let anyone take a formal stimp reading.
Who Invented the Stimpmeter?
The Stimpmeter is named after Edward S. Stimpson, an accomplished amateur golfer who created a simple but lasting legacy of green speed reading.
Final Thoughts
Other than that, the design of the stimpmeter remains more or less unchanged. Thanks to Stimpson, ground keepers everywhere have a reliable way of monitoring green speeds, allowing a more regulated and balanced playing field across the world of golf.
What is the use of a stimpmeter in golf?
Have you ever felt that on particular days and on particular greens, you simply can’t putt? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that because greens change their speed very frequently. To understand these changes, Edward Stimpson got the idea for this device at the 1935 U.S. Open, when he felt the need to prove that the greens were unreasonably fast.
How is it used?
It is a three feet ‘stick’, with a notch on one of the ends. After selecting a flat area of the green, the stimpmeter is laid flat on the ground and the ball is placed in the notch. Slowly, one end of the device is lifted to form a ramp, until the angle is right and gravity propels the ball to slide down.
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Ishita Bhargava is a Golf content writer at Essentially Sports. Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, she has a keen interest in sports and fitness. When not playing or watching a sports event, Ishita can be seen spending time with her pets or binge-watching.
