Reading Greens
Even if you have the best putting stroke and distance control in the world, if you struggling with reading greens you simply won’t be able to hole any putts.
Reading greens is an art form in its own right, and many amateurs struggle with this part of their game. Experience will definitely help, so try to play on a variety of courses if you can.
In Europe golfers only have to be concerned with the slope of the green and weather conditions, but in America and most of the rest of the world we also have to contend with different types of grass. There are a number of types, the most common being Bermuda and Bent grass which are designed to cope with more extreme weather.
The type of grass can play havoc with reading greens because the blades of grass can affect where the balls goes. The putt may look as though it will turn from right to left, but it turns the opposite way because the grass leans that way. This is called the grain.
So – how do you see the grain?
- If the grass is shiny it means the grain is growing away from you
- If the grass is dull it means the grass is growing towards you
How does the grain affect your putt ?
- If the grain is growing to the left – the putt will turn to the left – this is also called the ‘break’
- If the grain is growing to the right – the ball will turn or break to the right
- If the grain is growing away from you - it will make the putt faster
- If the grain is growing towards you – it will make the putt slower
And finally bear in mind that the grain direction changes during the day because it follows the sun!
Start looking at your putt even before you get to the putting green – look at the slopes on and around the putting green as you’re walking up to it. If the surrounding ground slopes from left to right, you can be 99% sure that the green will also slope from left to right to help with drainage.
Once you get onto the green make sure you look at your putt from as many angles as you can (without holding your playing partners up! ) and try to learn from other players’ putts but remember you are not allowed to stand directly behind another player when they are putting.
If you’re in doubt about which way the ball will turn, hit it straight!
Finally – once you’ve picked your line, commit to it, have confidence and trust your ability to reading greens.
If you’d like to learn more about reading greens and what other factors can affect your putt (there are more factors), check out the Golf Putting Online DVD where there is an entire lesson dedicated to reading greens with Maurice and Tim.
