Reading greens

[holeinone]

I've really struggled this year with the flat stick...I can't read greens anymore lol. I usually take a quick look behind the hole and then go behind my ball for another look. Seems like every time I go over my ball, I see something completely different. Just looking for general tips on how to improve my reads/routine. What has worked for you guys? Thanks.

[Kiwi]

Great post! Cant' say I ever was a "good" green reader. This year I committed to hit it straight at the hole unless it is obvious there is a break. I still struggle with anything outside 3 feet... but I fear it is all in my head. The other day, I was out alone at Meadows and I missed at least 4 birdies (inside 10'). When I played another ball right after, I sank them all, and I felt that my stroke was more fluid. Back to reading greens, do we have to worry about the grain on our northern greens, like the seem to do in the US?

[Domo]

Should have attended Aimpoint clinic today. We got the answers on grain, Rae's creek, and a whole lot more. It was superb and can't wait to try it on course.

[sensfan63]

Great post! Cant' say I ever was a "good" green reader. This year I committed to hit it straight at the hole unless it is obvious there is a break. I still struggle with anything outside 3 feet... but I fear it is all in my head. The other day, I was out alone at Meadows and I missed at least 4 birdies (inside 10'). When I played another ball right after, I sank them all, and I felt that my stroke was more fluid. Back to reading greens, do we have to worry about the grain on our northern greens, like the seem to do in the US?

Grain exists mostly on bermuda grass greens. In the "northern greens" there isn't much grain to speak of, maybe a little at the very end of the day. By then it's quite obvious.

[DenisO]

I attended as well. Pretty informative and looking forward to practicing it on my own time.

Should have attended Aimpoint clinic today. We got the answers on grain, Rae's creek, and a whole lot more. It was superb and can't wait to try it on course.

[Shank]

I've really struggled this year with the flat stick...I can't read greens anymore lol. I usually take a quick look behind the hole and then go behind my ball for another look. Seems like every time I go over my ball, I see something completely different. Just looking for general tips on how to improve my reads/routine. What has worked for you guys? Thanks.

Have a read through here: http://puttingzone.com/

[justsomeguy]

Reading a green starts when you are walking up to it from about 20 -30 yards away, and has nothing to do with where your ball is or where the flag is. Every green is designed for rainfall drainage, so the first thing you should do is try to visualize how this green is designed to shed water. That will give you the overall break tendencies of the green.

Behind the hole and behind your ball are good vantage points, but once you get over your ball you shouldn't even be thinking about reading the green. Its a terrible spot to see anything. Find your spot after you've read the green from 20 yards away and behind the hole and behind your ball - and commit to it. You can't make them all, but your percentages will be better.

I've really struggled this year with the flat stick...I can't read greens anymore lol. I usually take a quick look behind the hole and then go behind my ball for another look. Seems like every time I go over my ball, I see something completely different. Just looking for general tips on how to improve my reads/routine. What has worked for you guys? Thanks.

[Husband]

I find people focus way too much on line and break of a green when they should be focusing more on speed. If you focus on speed, you'll almost always be 2 putting and take 3's off the card.

Yes- line is important, but especially with beginners you need to be thinking about speed more than line.

I find I'm fairly good at putting and the approach I take starts from about 30 yards out. When you're that far out, regardless of the slope of the fairway your body will have you standing up nearly straight to maintain balance, so it's a good chance to try and see from a distance roughly what the green does relative to what you believe is 'flat'. As someone else mentioned, picture water fountaining down the green; what path does it take?

Next I crouch behind the ball and try to find a point of reference in the background (ie. trees, water, bushes) that is roughly flat. From there I compare the lay of the green to that and fine tune my mental image of the greens slope.

If I'm still not sure, I like to take a walk alongside the line I figure my ball will follow. You'd be surprised how little slope it takes before you begin to feel it beneath your feet.

For speed - I never paid attention to grain. I generally spend 20-30 minutes on the practice green making series of 40-30-20-10 foot putts until I get a rhythm and then bring that to the course.

[Wknd_Warrior]

Must be the grass this year. Every second putt I hit breaks uphill.

I second that post of getting a look at the flow of the whole green, not just the 8 feet between your ball and the hole.

[leftygolfguy]

Have a read through here: http://puttingzone.com/

This looks great.

thanks for sharing.