Slow greens

[FairwayDodger]

Played a medal last night and really struggled on the greens. They were true, but much slower than anything I've putted on for weeks and I just couldn't get the pace. Long putts I felt like I was battering were coming up several feet short. Holeable putts, I just couldn't get to the hole and short putts that I usually putt firmly through the break were taking the break and either missing or just sneaking in. My brain was fried, I was lost on the greens, a shambles! I three putted 5 times, would've got a cut if I'd two putted all those. Frustrating to play well and blow it on the greens.

The only long putt I got to the hole was a 25 foot birdie putt on 18 that I whacked angrily and it was going 6 feet past if it hadn't gone right in the middle!

So, what tips have we got for getting the pace right on slow greens? Hoping for something a bit more practical than "hit it harder"!

 

[bobmac]

Widen your stance as the putt gets longer, then make sure the putter head reaches your right foot on the backswing. If its extra long, swing your putter beyond your right foot.
That will hit the ball further without you hitting it harder
HTH

 

[Hosel Fade]

Picture the hole x amount of feet further away than it is, essentially like how putting on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 or whatever works if you're familiar with it

 

[FairwayDodger]

Widen your stance as the putt gets longer, then make sure the putter head reaches your right foot on the backswing. If its extra long, swing your putter beyond your right foot.
That will hit the ball further without you hitting it harder
HTH

Cheers Bob, just the sort of practical tip I was looking for. Will try this in future.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Picture the hole x amount of feet further away than it is, essentially like how putting on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 or whatever works if you're familiar with it

Interesting idea but I'm not sure I can fool myself like that. Something to try though, thanks.

 

[duncan mackie]

Interesting idea but I'm not sure I can fool myself like that. Something to try though, thanks.

So how do you 'fool yourself' when playing your normal greens and having either an uphill or downhill putt - let alone one with borrow!

To a degree I see putting as one of two distinct alternatives - mechanical where you align the ball to the line you wish to hit it, putter to the ball and dial in the distance with your backswing; or establish in your mind where the real target is and leave your subconscious to make the stroke.

Clearly neither is right or wrong.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Fully endorse Bob's point - a longer backswing is the key. Practice by putting from a point on the practice green to the edge of the fringe/fairway hoping to stop the ball right on the limit. 15-20 of these from various distances will quickly get you prepared for the round. Works great at new courses as you don't have to worry about the hole, just focusing on pace.

 

[fundy]

Fully endorse Bob's point - a longer backswing is the key. Practice by putting from a point on the practice green to the edge of the fringe/fairway hoping to stop the ball right on the limit. 15-20 of these from various distances will quickly get you prepared for the round. Works great at new courses as you don't have to worry about the hole, just focusing on pace.

am a big fan of this, was advised to do it by a pro a few years ago and makes getting the pace of greens far easier for me (assuming the putting green is a decent guide obviously)

 

[Hosel Fade]

Fully endorse Bob's point - a longer backswing is the key. Practice by putting from a point on the practice green to the edge of the fringe/fairway hoping to stop the ball right on the limit. 15-20 of these from various distances will quickly get you prepared for the round. Works great at new courses as you don't have to worry about the hole, just focusing on pace.

Same, really like this or the variation where you take a few balls and hit the first one 20' or so, then see how many more balls you can between where the first one finished and the edge of the green with each ball having to go further than the last

 

[Slab]

am a big fan of this, was advised to do it by a pro a few years ago and makes getting the pace of greens far easier for me (assuming the putting green is a decent guide obviously)

Yup me too, spend half my 'practice green time' just working on the mid to long pace from different sides of a hole without worrying about line. Can't just do to one edge/target as the grain will play a part
(spend the rest of the time knocking in as many consecutive 2-3 footers before a miss)

Seems to work ok for me

 

[FairwayDodger]

So how do you 'fool yourself' when playing your normal greens and having either an uphill or downhill putt - let alone one with borrow!

To a degree I see putting as one of two distinct alternatives - mechanical where you align the ball to the line you wish to hit it, putter to the ball and dial in the distance with your backswing; or establish in your mind where the real target is and leave your subconscious to make the stroke.

Clearly neither is right or wrong.

Tends to be all feel with me. I address the putt, take a long look at the hole to focus, turn back to the ball and pull the trigger. That takes in slope etc. I just think I wouldn't be able to fool my subconscious that the hole was further than it is, but I'll certainly try it.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Fully endorse Bob's point - a longer backswing is the key. Practice by putting from a point on the practice green to the edge of the fringe/fairway hoping to stop the ball right on the limit. 15-20 of these from various distances will quickly get you prepared for the round. Works great at new courses as you don't have to worry about the hole, just focusing on pace.

I do this as well. Trouble last night was the actual greens were slower than the practice green. I was quite dialled in on the practise green but a disaster on the course. First green, I had a 20 foot birdie putt that I left 6 feet short. Mental stuff.

 

[Slab]

I do this as well. Trouble last night was the actual greens were slower than the practice green. I was quite dialled in on the practise green but a disaster on the course. First green, I had a 20 foot birdie putt that I left 6 feet short. Mental stuff.

Can sometimes catch me out when its a early morning shotgun start meaning practice green's been cut but they've not got to the 12th yet, which sods law is where I'll be starting

 

[3565]

Like above, if your going out to play a round, take ONE ball, start in the centre of the green and putt to the fringe, vary the lengths, uphill, down hill, any right to left or left to right putts, do this for 5-10min, then give yourself a 30-40 ft putt to a hole. Then finish off by hitting 3ft putts around the hole. It's what I do every time before play. The only time you take more then one ball onto the green is if your doing dedicated practise session only.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

I do this as well. Trouble last night was the actual greens were slower than the practice green. I was quite dialled in on the practise green but a disaster on the course. First green, I had a 20 foot birdie putt that I left 6 feet short. Mental stuff.

Always a tough one, variation like that. Our practice green almost always runs slower than the main ones! I always try to watch PP's shots to see how the ball reacts on the first green, if that's not possible just have to be prepared mentally for any eventuality and keep in your routine

 

[patricks148]

always a tough one. I struggle with slow greens if i ever play an away open, as ours are so nice most of the time. Plus i like to use the roll of the ball and die it into the hole. longer swing makes sense. You story reminds me of the 36 hole comp at Dornoch a couple of years ago. played the Stuey in the morning round and got a 0.2 cut, didn't miss a green or Fairway on the championship course, but could not get the ball to the hole after the 1st...

 

[Tashyboy]

Widen your stance as the putt gets longer, then make sure the putter head reaches your right foot on the backswing. If its extra long, swing your putter beyond your right foot.
That will hit the ball further without you hitting it harder
HTH

Nah then Bob me man, would that "routine/stance" work when the greens are fast (like ours) or would you advise owt else.
Cheers me duck.👍

 

[selwood90]

I tend to imagine a larger hole around the hole I'm putting into if that makes sense. Particularly for long putts and even more so when slow. Idea being to prevent a 3 putt. The larger hole being about 3 foot in diameter, a long putt into the larger hole I imagine I class as a good putt as even though it hasn't gone in I'm no further than 1.5 feet passed or 1.5 feet short. Seems to be brilliant for the mental side of things. But absolutely no help what so ever for those must drop 6-10 footers. But does seem to prevent how often I am 6-10 foot short for a second putt. May sound like a load of tosh for some, but works fine for me. Was something an old boy told me when I first started and have used it since

 

[bobmac]

Nah then Bob me man, would that "routine/stance" work when the greens are fast (like ours)

Yeup.
Or you could hit it more out of the toe on the fast ones

 

[pokerjoke]

I do this as well. Trouble last night was the actual greens were slower than the practice green. I was quite dialled in on the practise green but a disaster on the course. First green, I had a 20 foot birdie putt that I left 6 feet short. Mental stuff.

On the first green I wouldn't say leaving it 6ft short was mental just probably hadn't got the speed of the greens yet or didn't hit it pure.

If it was after a few holes then maybe a little more confusing.