How To Read Greens Like A Pro
Jack Moorehouse
Ever hit a putt you thought was going in only to have it drift
wide right? If you have, chances are you misread the green. My
golf lessons teach that reading greens takes skill, good
judgment, and experience. Since there’s no formula for
determining the direction a ball must start based on the slope
of the green and the distance to the hole, reading greens is
key to sinking more putts. And sinking more putts, as my golf
tips emphasize, produces a lower golf handicap.
Let’s talk about ball speed for a second. Ball speed is
critical in putting. The factors affecting speed are (1) the
type of grass you’re putting on, (2) the direction the grass is
growing, and (3) the moisture of the grass. Wet greens tend to
slow a ball down. Fast greens tend to drift the ball away from
the hole.
Reading a green correctly—accounting for how these factors
affect your putt— helps you determine not only the speed of a
putt but also the direction. To sharpen your skill at this
technique, we recommend developing a green-reading routine.
Let’s look at the putting sequence before getting into
specifics. First, your subconscious mind absorbs all the
factors affecting ball speed and direction. Next, you decide
how hard and where to hit the ball. Then, you putt. You judge
the accuracy of your read by watching the putt. If it goes in,
you’ve read the green correctly. If it goes by the hole, you’ve
may have misread the green.
My golf tips stress that experience contributes greatly to
reading a green correctly. But I also recommend that you keep
the following in mind as you approach a green:
• Start thinking about the line of the putt as you walk to the
green. The best view of the green’s slope (whether it slopes to
the right or left) is from 20 yards or so away. Standing on the
green can’t tell you this. If the terrain surrounding the green
slopes to the right, the green probably slopes to the right. If
a green slopes in the opposite direction, it creates a basin
that collects water. No self-respecting landscape architect
will do that.
• Check from the side of the green if you have an uphill or
downhill putt. You can make this judgment by standing behind
the putt. The side provides the best perspective for this and
for determining the speed of the ball. For downhill putts, the
low side of the green offers the best perspective for judging
the terrain’s slope.
• Stand behind the hole to judge the area around the hole. This
area is crucial because a ball loses most of its speed by the
time it gets to the hole. Here, the terrain can really
influence the ball’s direction.
• Read the green with your feet. Use your sense of balance to
determine the green’s slope. It will also give you clues about
the putt’s speeds
• Stand behind the ball to make a final decision on the putt’s
direction and speed. When you stand above the ball, your
perspective changes, as does your impression of the line.
Behind the ball is the best place to take a final look. Once
you’ve made the decision, don’t change it.
In addition, here’s a few putting tips I always highlight in my
golf instruction: watch the roll of another player’s ball, don’t
underestimate the break on a putt, and pay attention to the
influence of the wind and dampness.
Watching another player’s ball, especially if he or she has a
similar shot, provides hints on how the ball rolls. Sometimes,
it even provides you with a near perfect line. Also, miss a
break on the high side of the hole not the low. That way the
ball has at least a chance of rolling in. And it doesn’t roll
as far away from the hole on the high side as it does on the
low. In addition, a strong wind affects the speed and direction
of the ball as does dampness. So factor these elements in. A
ball rolls a lot slower on wet grass than on dry grass.
Finally, watch the ball if it goes by the whole. Don’t turn
away in anger. There’s little feedback before and during a
putt, so you can’t check your reading accuracy until after you
hit the ball. Key questions you need to ask yourself are: Did
it have the right direction? Did it have the right speed? Did
it have the right on line? Answering these questions is crucial
to improving your ability to read greens and sink more putts.
And doing that, as my golf lessons point out, will lower your
golf handicap.
About The Author: Jack Moorehouse is the author of the
best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros
http://www.howtobreak80.com .” He is
NOT a golf pro, rather a
working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven
continents lower their handicap immediately.
Find More Golf & Sports Related Information:
Index of All Sports Articles
Index of all Golf Articles
