The Win Point is a new green reading system discovered by Gonzalo Vicente, caddie for Ángel Hidalgo on the DP World Tour. The name says it all. Win is the nickname by which Gonzalo is known, while Point directly refers to Aim Point, the formula on which it is based. In fact, the Win Point is a 2.0 version of the Aim Point, especially useful for those who have trouble calculating the slope of the greens with the sensitivity of their feet.
As is often the case with such discoveries, Win invented this new formula by chance. He is a close friend of Álvaro Alonso, currently the caddie for Alfredo García Heredia. Álvaro is considered one of the best at reading greens, and his skill is based on the Aim Point. He learned the system directly from the creator and has become a level one instructor. His ability does not go unnoticed. He helped Carlota Ciganda a lot in the past and is now doing so with García Heredia. In fact, on Saturday, after the third round of the Irish Open, Rory McIlroy, with whom they shared a round, congratulated him on his effectiveness in reading the slopes.
Álvaro’s father was the first sponsor of Gonzalo Vicente when he was making his way in the professional world. That’s where their connection comes from. They have been friends for a long time. For this reason, Álvaro was sharing the secrets of making good use of the Aim Point with him. Win understood it, but it was not entirely efficient regarding the sensitivity of the soles of his feet on the greens. Thus, he spent a lot of time trying, looking for a way for it to work, and one day, suddenly, he found a different visual formula that could be revolutionary. It happened at the British Masters, at The Belfry.
The system is quite complex, but we will cover the essentials. It involves standing on both sides of the putter line. Up to that point, it’s like the Aim Point. However, once in that position, he moves his right knee back until the leg is locked, and lets the left one flex, something that happens almost automatically. The next step is to maintain an upright position, looking with his dominant eye tracing a vertical line that grazes that flexed left knee down to the shoe. Well, depending on exactly where on the shoe his gaze falls, Win can determine the slope percentage of a putt according to the Aim Point system. It replaces the sensitivity in the soles of the feet with the eye. (Win, for example, uses the Puma logo on the instep of his shoe to establish the percentages, depending on the height of the logo where his gaze falls).
The discovery was accidental, but since then he has worked tirelessly on it. Gonzalo Vicente is no visionary, make no mistake, he takes his work very seriously, is very perfectionist, and has dedicated many hours to refining his revelation. Among other things, because he feels it can help Ángel Hidalgo and other golfers, not just professionals. In any case, the most important thing is that it works. At least, it works for him.
Win has checked it with the master, Álvaro Alonso, and his success rate is very high. Above average. This is confirmed by the device used in practice to verify if it is being done correctly. Gonzalo has already used it in competition, and the results have been good. This does not mean that suddenly all putts will be holed, as other elements come into play: the imperfections of the grass, the skill of the putter, the wind… But it certainly helps to convey a greater sense of security that at least the slope is correct.
Interestingly, Gonzalo doesn’t usually help Hidalgo much on the greens. Basically, because the player from Málaga is an excellent putter and has great skill with the slopes. However, he has already put this system into practice in recent tournaments, and it is yielding results. No, in case you were wondering, Hidalgo did not finish third in Ireland because of this revolutionary Win Point; he finished third because he played great golf, but you know that every little help is welcome to give the player more confidence and eliminate doubts. Especially on the greens.
The Win Point has just been born, and although the vast majority of players and caddies were sceptical at first, with some even mocking the matter, more and more are asking Gonzalo about it and trying it out. Basically, the story of any great discovery. We will have to wait to see what becomes of the Win Point, but it looks promising, a tool that can help many players. By Gonzalo Vicente Elena.
