How do you read greens?

[Khamelion]

With the weather being better I've been out on the course 2 or 3 times a week, hitting the ball well, for the most part, but I'm really struggling reading the greens.

For example, I look for a line, stand behind my ball and see the slope 'appears' to run left to right, maybe a ball outside left of the cup. So I wander around to the other side and have a quick look and confirm my original thoughts, while wandering back to place my ball, nothing changes, the slope still looks left to right.

So I take aim, fire and as the ball comes up to the cup it rolls away in the opposite direction and that's not just on one hole, there are a few like that, where the ball does the opposite to what you think it should.

So how can you read that?

 

[Foxholer]

Where the slope is not 'consistent', I break it into approximately thirds and examine each third separately.

Anyone who has played on (some) roly poly links greens develops their own method or goes mad! And Craigielaw's buried elephants are/were as roly poly as you are likely to find!

For near flat greens, it pays to broaden you view and not concentrate on small areas too much. though the broad view can confuse too. Course designers can be evil sods at times!

I'm a pretty good green reader (though 2 consecutive bad reads a few years ago still grate!). It's the subsequent putt that's the problem!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Mainly have a rough guess at the slope no set method and just go with what I feel

 

[bladeplayer]

I start by seeing how the ball breaks into the hole , so judge the last foot of the putt or so first , then i work out how to get the ball to that point ..


Hard to tell in your case but from your description IMO it has to be either
(1) a bad read ( as you think)
(2) bad greens, the ball cant defy the laws of gravity,
OR
(3) what in thinking from your description you are not putting with a true roll on the ball , maybe you are putting side spin on the ball and over the length of the putt it is exaggerated so a fraction of a mill is a couple of mill by time it gets to the hole

Just guessing tho

 

[c1973]

I'll have a general read of the slope when approaching the green have a look from behind the ball and that's it, that's enough for me to get a read.

I generally read greens pretty well, it's the execution that lets me down. I can't quite understand why average club golfers need to be looking at a putt from 3 or 4 directions or using their putter as a plumb line tbh. Seems to be a bit time consuming and unnecessary to me. Each to their own though.

 

[jonny1409]

Badly!

Seriously though, I tend to do the same as Liverpoolphil and have a rough guess and go with my gut instinct.
To be honest I tend to have more trouble with pace than line, but that could be because very few of the courses I play have much in the way of sloping greens.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Mainly have a rough guess at the slope no set method and just go with what I feel

That. And I always go with my first read.

Edit; I concentrate more on pace than line.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I'll have a general read of the slope when approaching the green have a look from behind the ball and that's it, that's enough for me to get a read.

I generally read greens pretty well, it's the execution that lets me down. I can't quite understand why average club golfers need to be looking at a putt from 3 or 4 directions or using their putter as a plumb line tbh. Seems to be a bit time consuming and unnecessary to me. Each to their own though.

Because they see the pro do it

I normally only look from behind the ball but have on occasions looked at the line side on - especially if it's a sloping green

 

[Birchy]

Mainly have a rough guess at the slope no set method and just go with what I feel

That. And I always go with my first read.

Im with these two fellas. Unless I know for certain the break from experience of course

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Aimpoint

 

[bladeplayer]

Aimpoint

How long you been using this method Martin ? , and have you noticed much difference

 

[Khamelion]

My putting is generally quite good I can get length no problem and general direction is pretty good, yes there is the odd really bad read, but in the example I give, well here's a poor drawing



What I'm trying to get at is that how do you read a green that looks like the slope and everything thing tells you the ball should roll like the light blue path, but instead follows the pink path.

Yes I know the drawing has the ball going no where near the hole, it is just fro reference

 

[MashieNiblick]

My putting is generally quite good I can get length no problem and general direction is pretty good, yes there is the odd really bad read, but in the example I give, well here's a poor drawing

View attachment 10132

What I'm trying to get at is that how do you read a green that looks like the slope and everything thing tells you the ball should roll like the light blue path, but instead follows the pink path.

Yes I know the drawing has the ball going no where near the hole, it is just fro reference

There will always be putts that fool a player like that. I see it plenty of times personally and also on the TV. I have been playing my course for 25 years and still get caught out like this. It isn't just left and right breaks, even whether a putt is uphill or downhill can be tricky to work out on some of our greens. When I am fooled I try to remember in case I get a similar putt again but that is no guarantee I'll remember when the time comes.

Usually it is because the slopes are very subtle or because the break in the putt is somehow different to the general slope of the green, or because of undulations which mean the break near the hole is slightly different, or even because of optical illusions as to where the slope is. I don't think there is any specific answer to the problem. Sometimes you just won't see it but others might.

I actually think it is an inherent element of good greens that the slopes aren't always obvious and that these kinds of subtleties or illusions are there, whether by virtue of nature or man.

 

[Hobbit]

If the green is built on the side of a hill you'll sometimes get misreads like this - its an optical illusion thing. If it is something like this, cup your hands so that you only see the green and can't see the side slopes... failing that, laser treatment for your squint!!

 

[Scrindle]

I look from behind the ball, get a feel for the line and go with my gut. Concentrate on pace.

Used to be attrocious at putting but now I'm ok. Wouldn't mind some more 1 putts but I don't really 3 putt anymore unless I'm miles from the hole or have an extreme slope to contend with.

Oh and also, if I can't decide which way it goes I just reason that it's probably straight and hit it as such. Usually at least gets me close enough to hole the next putt if not being right.

 

[cookelad]

Honest truth?

I have no idea! I normally 'know' how it's going to break before I even look at it, and the look is just confirmation!

We have a good example of Hobbits post at SHGC our 6th green appears to have quite a steep sided valley running through the middle but anyone putting from front towards the back and aiming for a right to left break will more often than not be chipping with their next shot!

 

[Khamelion]

If the green is built on the side of a hill you'll sometimes get misreads like this - its an optical illusion thing. If it is something like this, cup your hands so that you only see the green and can't see the side slopes... failing that, laser treatment for your squint!!

I've seen a few people doing the hand thing, thought it was just because it was to sunny or the wind was making their eyes water. If I think on, I'll give it a bash.

 

[3565]

Aimpoint

+1.

 

[richart]

I like to have a look at a putt from the side. Seem to be able to see more of the break than from just behind the ball. I do it whilst others are putting, so as not to slow up play though.

 

[Martin70]

I obviously do something wrong as I can generally get the correct direction of the borrow but I quite often seem to overestimate it when a straighter put is called for.