How to Read Golf Greens

Reading greens is just deciding which way the ball is going to turn as you putt it across the green towards the hole. Look at the contours of the green, the subtle slopes, bumps and angles, then decide which route the ball is going to take to reach the hole.

The two most important things about reading putts is line and distance. The line is the direction the ball will travel to get to the hole. The distance determines how hard you have to hit the ball to get it to and in the hole. Some lines have the ball curving toward the hole, while other lines can be straight or curve in multiple directions as it travels to the hole.

The problem with reading a green is that it is subjective. You have to visualize, foresee and sometimes guess which direction the ball is going to travel as it rolls across the green. However, to help you read the greens better, use these tips when looking for your putting line.

Get Low Behind the Ball

Get directly behind your ball and look straight through the ball toward the cup, or hole. Do not stand over the ball, get down to ground level if you can or at least as low as you can go. By looking through the ball at this level, you can see which way the ball will travel as it moves across the green.

Change Your Angles

Don’t stop there. Move to one side of the ball and take a look from that angle, then move to the other side of the ball and look down the line to the cup. You don’t always see the subtle slopes from directly behind the golf ball.

Read From the Cup to the Ball

Once you have an idea about which way it is going to travel, walk to the other side of the cup and look through the cup to the ball. This may allow you to see a slope, curve or angle that you did not see from the ball side of the cup. Plus, as the ball is losing speed it will break more, making the slope near the hole even more important that near your where you putt from.

Uphill or Downhill?

Now decide whether you are putting the ball downhill or uphill. This will make a difference in how hard you have to strike the ball. You want the ball to travel past the hole, but only about 18 inches. Depending on the uphill slope of the ball’s line, you may have to hit the ball the same distance you hit a 15-foot putt, but you are only 8 feet away from the cup. Downhill is just the opposite. You may only have to hit a putt as hard as you would a flat 3-footer to have the ball travel 10 feet to the hole.

Conditions

The length of the putting grass, dampness of the green and wind conditions also plays a role in reading the green. The longer the grass, the slower the ball will travel and the harder you have to strike the ball. More moisture on the green means the same thing. Wind can slow a golf ball up, make it travel farther or even push it off-line, making it curve more.

These other conditions will also limit the curve of the ball as it travels or make the curve more prevalent. For example, if there is a lot of dew on the green and you read an 8-inch right-to-left curve in the putt. The ball will not curve 8 inches, it may only curve 6 inches, because the moisture prevents the ball from turning as much. The longer the grass, the less curve the ball will have as it travels toward the cup.

Grain of the Grass

Reading the greens takes experience. Knowing what type of grass the course uses on the golf course makes a difference. Which direction the grass is growing as it pertains to your putt. For example, if you are putting into the grain of the grass, the ball will move slower. However, if you are putting with the grain of the grass the ball will move faster.

So many factors, so the best thing to do is take your time. Look at the grain, moisture, slope, uphill or downhill travel, wind conditions, distance to the hole and finally decide which line you want to hit the ball so it moves as close to the hole as possible. Hopefully, the ball will fall in the hole.

No comments.