Green reading

[richart]

If you play just your own course, you will get to know most of the lines. First year at my Club I was missing putts by five feet wide. Now that I have had virtually every putt you can get, I only need a quick look, know the line, and then pull the putt left.

I struggle on links greens especially large ones like St Andrews. Putts can have three or four different breaks, and if you get one wrong you miss the next break, and can finish yards away.

Mind you, having putted into a bunker I perhaps should not be commenting on this thread.

 

[John Boy Saint]

Doing DIY etc I can normally see when something is even a few millimetres out and the spirit level normally confirms my thought. When it comes to greens obviously you can't whip a level out of your bag, but I think I have a good eye for reading the green from the direction I am playing in, stand at the flag and look at the run in and strangely it puddles my brain. At the end of the day a major factor is quickly sussing out the speed of the greens: which goes out the wind if it pours down with rain mid round.

 

[shortstuff]

Seen many replies to putting threads suggesting a trip to the Pro for a green reading lesson.

Has anyone actually done just that?

What did the lesson consist of?

I was taught to stand on the low side of the line, 3/4 of the way towards the hole, and judge it from there, paying close attention to the last 4 feet. This is better than just standing behind the ball and judging it from there because some greens can trick you from that view. It's also quicker than walking all the way to the back of the hole etc. Also, the exposure of the hole to the wind will give you a rough estimate as to whether it's quicker or slower than the previous hole because it will be drier or more damp.

Since that lesson I have learned the hard way to check for the lie of the grain. Although in the UK this is not usually an issue, in hotter countries it can play a big part because the grass is tougher and more grainy.

 

[3565]

I'm getting more confused by the minute

Well that's not hard to do is it

 

[chrisd]

I'd be much more interested in a foolproof method of sinking short putts than reading the long ones. If tour pro's only make 49% of putts from 6 foot on the standard of greens they play on I know a 12 handicapper is probably going to make 30'ish%, I would just like to convert the 2 footers more reliably.

 

[Hobbit]

I got through to the finals day of Britain's Best Putter at the Belfry a couple of summers back. I consider myself to be a damn good putter, and on a good day exceptionally good. Part of that day was taken up with a clinic run by John Jacobs & Oliver Wilson. There were a number of practice drills and green reading tips given, e.g. what is the longest distance you can guarantee you'll sink a putt from. Lay a club down that far behind the hole and hit 10 putts from distance, the aim being that any you don't sink should pass the hole but not hit the club.

Another tip was always read a downhill putt from below the hole. Its easier to see subtle slopes and borrows looking up hill than looking down hill.

Unless you are a putting god, there's always something you can learn. Are any of us putting gods? No.

 

[chrisd]

Unless you are a putting god, there's always something you can learn. Are any of us putting gods? No.

I'm not quite a putting God but I do use the name quite often when I miss the short ones!

John Jacobs did a short lesson on reading and playing long putts at GM/ Callaways Kings of Distance at Stoke Park some time back

 

[Svenska]

Seen many replies to putting threads suggesting a trip to the Pro for a green reading lesson.

Has anyone actually done just that?

What did the lesson consist of?

I actually had one 2 weeks ago. I posted a thread on here about how I struggled to read putts and was having a lot of trouble improving my game as I wasn't scoring well from good positions. Anyway, he's really helped me because it became very clear from the start that I had absolutely no routine when it came to reading putts and alignment. I was just getting to a putt, having a perplexed look at it, but invariably aiming at the hole as I wasn't lining up to where the putt may break and focusing on that spot rather than looking at the hole. It was amazing how much better my putting became when I followed this routine in the lesson.

So I would say that it can be of huge benefit to have a lesson on this, even if it's just to freshen up your routine. I now line the ball to the point I think it's going to break at, I align my putter to that line and have one look at the spot again which is essentially the hole if it's a straight putt and then pull the trigger.

All of this should have been common sense anyway but it's amazing how trapped you can become if you aren't doing something right. I thought I couldn't read greens because of it, but this was because I wasn't really reading them and then aligning to a particular spot. It was a vicious circle.

 

[Fish]

I prefer the longer putts with more break/s in them, I seem to concentrate on them far more and I do seem to get my fair share of them or just tap them in for a dent 2-putt, however, them pesky 2-3 footers with a break are scary, if there is a decent break do you play for it which is all about read, pace & feel or ram it home taking the break out, but the consequences of missing that way can be a longer un-guaranteed putt back!

I think putting is one of my more consistent and strongest parts of my game, just wish I could get to the green quicker in less shots

 

[pokerjoke]

I would say im a very good green reader,however not the greatest for getting the pace right.
Generally leave myself short and I hate short putts around the 3 or 4ft mark.

I suppose it doesn't help when I play on very slow greens at my home course
but travel to courses where the greens are much quicker.

I do believe if I played on fast greens always it would probably help.

 

[shortstuff]

I'd be much more interested in a foolproof method of sinking short putts than reading the long ones. If tour pro's only make 49% of putts from 6 foot on the standard of greens they play on I know a 12 handicapper is probably going to make 30'ish%, I would just like to convert the 2 footers more reliably.

People miss shorties because they try and get the ball to die in the hole rather than aiming issues. From 2 ft you should pretty much forget about breaks etc. Aim at the hole and putt it with a pace of a 4-footer. If it's downhill the pace might frighten you but it will drop. Try choking down on the putter a bit to improve control. I have a 'stock putt' that I use for pretty much any putt inside 6 feet.

One more suggestion. Practice a lot of putts from 6-8 feet. This is at the typical birdie/up-and-down distance and after a while it makes 2-4 footers feel very easy.