Have you ever had to deal with the situation where you hit a ball you thought was rolling only to see it move far to the right? You most likely misunderstood green if this has happened. Experience, good judgment and skill are required to correctly read the greens; That’s how he teaches my golf lessons.
Reading greens is very important to getting more putts because there is no cut-and-dry rule to determine which direction a ball should start, based on the slope of the green and the distance to the hole. And on any given day, sinking more putts results in a lower golf handicap, as my golf tips explain.
Let’s pause and talk about the speed of a ball. In the putt, the speed of the ball plays a fundamental role. Influencing factors are: (1) the water content of the grass, (2) the direction of grass growth, (3) the type of grass you are putting in. Fast greens tend to take the ball away from the target and wet greens tend to hamper ball speed.
Taking into account how these factors influence your putt, correctly judging a green helps you determine not only the direction of the putt but also its speed. We recommend nurturing a green reading routine to hone your skill in this technique.
Before we venture into details, let’s take a look at the placement sequence. First of all, all the elements that determine the speed and direction of the ball are absorbed by your subconscious mind. Second, you decide how hard to hit the ball and where to hit it. Now putt. By looking at the putt, you judge how accurate the reading is. You have read the green correctly if the putt goes in, but you may have made a wrong judgment if it goes off the hole.
To read a green correctly, my golf advice emphasizes that experience matters a great deal. Despite this, I recommend that when you study a green you take into account the following points:
As you get closer to the green, start thinking about the line of putt. Whether you lean to the right or left, the best view of the slope of the green is about 20 meters away. While you’re standing on the green, you might miss this. If the terrain around the green is to the right, the green may also slope to the right.
The green forms a basin that fills with water, if the green slides in the opposite direction. Trust me, no landscape architect with any self-esteem would do such a thing.
If you look at it from the side of the green you will know if you have a downhill or an uphill putt. For the best view and to account for ball speed, the side of the green is ideal. For downhill putts, the ideal perspective for judging the slope of the terrain is provided by the low side of the green.
To understand the area surrounding the hole, stand behind the hole. This zone is very important because the ball loses much of its speed when it reaches the hole. We see that the ground can really affect the direction of the ball.
To make a final decision on the speed and direction of your putt, get behind the ball. Your impression of the line and your perspective will surely change if you position yourself above the ball. To make a final point, being behind the ball is the ideal way to stand. Do not change your decision, but stick to it firmly.
Finally, don’t walk away in despair if you see the ball go through the hole. You can’t check the accuracy of your reading until after you hit the ball because there is negligible feedback before and during a putt. You need to ask yourself some key questions like: Did you have the right one online? Did it move at the correct speed? Did you take the right direction?
Answering these questions is very important if you want to improve your green reading sense and sink more putts. Being successful at that will definitely lower your golf handicap. That’s what my golf lessons say.
