How To Read The Green
I think it is often forgotten how important reading the green is. My first couple of years golfing I spent little to no time reading the green before a putt. I though I could see what I needed to just by a simple glance. As a result I missed a lot of putts by inches.
Learning to properly read greens can truly lower your score by as much as 5 strokes.
Greens vary so much from course to course, and from day to day. If you play at multiple courses its even more important to learn to read greens effectively.
The first thing that you should do when you go out for a round, is hit the practice green. Even if you play at the same course every day, changes in the weather, and grass length can change the way a green behaves. If you have an idea how the greens are behaving you will have a head start when you get to the green on the first hole.
Learning to properly read greens can truly lower your score by as much as 5 strokes.
Greens vary so much from course to course, and from day to day. If you play at multiple courses its even more important to learn to read greens effectively.
The first thing that you should do when you go out for a round, is hit the practice green. Even if you play at the same course every day, changes in the weather, and grass length can change the way a green behaves. If you have an idea how the greens are behaving you will have a head start when you get to the green on the first hole.
If you want another way to lower your score, learn to read the green! I wish I had focused on this much earlier, don't make the same mistake! The best place to learn about reading the green is:
Ultimate Short Game System
Ultimate Short Game System
So what do you look for when you read the green?
The first thing is obviously the break (the slope). This is the most important thing to evaluate. It is a good idea to look at the green between your ball and the hole from several different angles. Look from behind the ball, from behind the hole, from each side, and from a standing position, and a kneeling position. You can also try to get an overall impression of the green. This can give you an indication of a subtle break that may not be apparent when focusing on a smaller portion of the green.
The first thing is obviously the break (the slope). This is the most important thing to evaluate. It is a good idea to look at the green between your ball and the hole from several different angles. Look from behind the ball, from behind the hole, from each side, and from a standing position, and a kneeling position. You can also try to get an overall impression of the green. This can give you an indication of a subtle break that may not be apparent when focusing on a smaller portion of the green.
Another thing that you may not think of when reading the green before a putt is, the grain of the grass. This is more important on some greens than others, it depends on the grass, but it can have a fairly significant effect on the putt. If you are putting against the grain (the way the grass lays) it can slow the ball down. Its also true that when putting with the grain can mean a speedier putt. It is something that can be evaluated on the practice green before a round, but it is certainly worth consideration.
If you want to shave up to 5 strokes off your average round, learn to read the green properly! I wish I had learned these techniques much earlier! The ideal place to learn is Ultimate Short Game System. There is a lot in this program besides putting, but they have a great section on putting including reading the green. Think of the rest as a bonus, and a good bonus at that!
