Played today at a course I've never been on, i didnt putt too bad but the greens were SOOOOO hard to read! I would put it 2 inches outside left lip and was totally CONFIDENT that was it(along with my playing partners confirmations) and it would move left instead of right into the hole???? I mean I think im a decent putter but what do you guys do when you can't read the greens? I hit 14 GIRs and had 36 putts! Not one birdie putt fell and I had all kinds, 7ft, 10ft, 15ft....nothing droppped cuz I couldn't read the greens....
I mean do I just continue to settle for all these two putts? I was very aggravated nothing fell cuz usually if I hit that many GIRs i can at least sink 2 or 3 birdies.....
Are you affording yourself the opportunity to watch your playing partners' shots on the green either putting, chipping, or approach to see how it is rooling? This is one great advantage to getting inside them to give you the read on how it breaks as it approaches the hole. Also, were the greens fast or slow. If the were playing slow, you can always count on more break as the ball slows. Recently I played on some really fast greens (rolling 11 on the stimp) and that was an adjustment over my home course (usually around 9.5). I had to adjust real quick to play a little less break and to make a smoother putt. After the first few hole, they started to fall and actually enjoyed playing the faster greens. Also, what was the terrain? Water? Higher ground? These are usually good indicators of how the ball is going to break as well. Look at it this way though, sounds like you weren't three-puting which means you didn't leave a whole lot of strokes out there.
Are you affording yourself the opportunity to watch your playing partners' shots on the green either putting, chipping, or approach to see how it is rooling? This is one great advantage to getting inside them to give you the read on how it breaks as it approaches the hole. Also, were the greens fast or slow. If the were playing slow, you can always count on more break as the ball slows. Recently I played on some really fast greens (rolling 11 on the stimp) and that was an adjustment over my home course (usually around 9.5). I had to adjust real quick to play a little less break and to make a smoother putt. After the first few hole, they started to fall and actually enjoyed playing the faster greens. Also, what was the terrain? Water? Higher ground? These are usually good indicators of how the ball is going to break as well. Look at it this way though, sounds like you weren't three-puting which means you didn't leave a whole lot of strokes out there.
Well I am usually pretty good at reading greens but I guess you are right when you said I should've played a little less break, most of the greens I play are around 9 on the stimp and this one played maybe, MAYBE 11 but it wasnt too fast for me just tricky breaks. I mean im not a dumb green reader but i guess I should've been a little smarter...
some greens are like that, tough. i'll bet if you played that course again, you'll read them much better and start dropping some. experience can mean a lot. gotta love the challenge!
some greens are like that, tough. i'll bet if you played that course again, you'll read them much better and start dropping some. experience can mean a lot. gotta love the challenge!
Yes! exactly the one thing in golf that I lack. I've only been playing less than a year so i have lots of golf ahead and lots of experience to gain.
so be patient and give it some time. golf is learn as you go and enjoy your accomplishments as they happen. if you don't have some bad days now and then, the good days aren't as special. most guys would love to have an 11 handicap within a year of playing.
Yea, seems like you are doing great for only playing a year. But really next time you are playing, really pay attention to anything that can give you a hint on how it is breaking, whether it be other putts from the playing partners, environment around the green, etc. Here is a quick little qupte from the pgaprofessional.com site:
Things that will help:
(Do these things as thoroughly as you like and at your leisure while practicing. But, of course, don't do all these things on every putt during a round of golf -- keep pace of play in mind.)
+ Get your eyes down lower (that's why everybody is squatting down to read the putts -- the closer your eyes get to the level of the plane you're trying to see the better your perspective). An extreme version of this would be lying down (don't do this when you're playing, but I've seen it done and have done it myself in practice just to see what it's like).
+ Get any information you can from approaching chips and putts -- yours or those of the other players in your group -- especially if they're on a similar line to the putt you will hit next. It's especially good to see how the ball behaves as it slows down and gets very near the hole.
+ Look from the low side of the hole. This is just another way of getting your eyes lower. Of course, this only works on putts where you can tell which side is the low side.
+ Get far enough away from what you're looking at to give yourself a good angle or perspective. A good place to start, at least on shorter putts, is to get back as far away from the ball as the ball is from the hole.
+ Take a look from the side of the putting line (approximately perpendicular to the intended line of the putt). This helps you to see if the putt is uphill or downhill.
+ Imagine pouring a bucket of water on the green between your ball and the hole, which way would the water run?
Judging the speed and line of your putts can be obvious or very subtle from putt to putt. But with a little time and experience and lots of trial and error anybody can develop the ability to read greens. It's an art, in the end, but nothing that focusing your attention won't get you.
Yea, seems like you are doing great for only playing a year. But really next time you are playing, really pay attention to anything that can give you a hint on how it is breaking, whether it be other putts from the playing partners, environment around the green, etc. Here is a quick little qupte from the pgaprofessional.com site:
Things that will help:
(Do these things as thoroughly as you like and at your leisure while practicing. But, of course, don't do all these things on every putt during a round of golf -- keep pace of play in mind.)
+ Get your eyes down lower (that's why everybody is squatting down to read the putts -- the closer your eyes get to the level of the plane you're trying to see the better your perspective). An extreme version of this would be lying down (don't do this when you're playing, but I've seen it done and have done it myself in practice just to see what it's like).
+ Get any information you can from approaching chips and putts -- yours or those of the other players in your group -- especially if they're on a similar line to the putt you will hit next. It's especially good to see how the ball behaves as it slows down and gets very near the hole.
+ Look from the low side of the hole. This is just another way of getting your eyes lower. Of course, this only works on putts where you can tell which side is the low side.
+ Get far enough away from what you're looking at to give yourself a good angle or perspective. A good place to start, at least on shorter putts, is to get back as far away from the ball as the ball is from the hole.
+ Take a look from the side of the putting line (approximately perpendicular to the intended line of the putt). This helps you to see if the putt is uphill or downhill.
+ Imagine pouring a bucket of water on the green between your ball and the hole, which way would the water run?
Judging the speed and line of your putts can be obvious or very subtle from putt to putt. But with a little time and experience and lots of trial and error anybody can develop the ability to read greens. It's an art, in the end, but nothing that focusing your attention won't get you.
I usually try to get pretty low, if Im having trouble figuring the break i'll get down like Mr. Villegas but I dont usually go to the other side of the hole unless that is the direction I walk to the putt from. I guess I need to make it more of an art for my game than a mechanical type thing.
My routine is usually; While I walk to the putt I am getting a feel up whether it is going to be uphill or downhill, once I get to my putt I mark my ball and get behind the putt to read, if I cant get a firm read on uphill or downhill i'll go perpendicular to my line and see, when I get a good idea of my read I just say for example "Okay im gonna start this putt 6 inches outside the left lip" the I concentrate on that spot 6 inches off the left lip and line up, take a good practice stroke and fire away.
I'll hafta change that up I guess...off to the practice green!
No actually your routine sounds solid. I wouldn't change that at all. I know it sounds silly, but when I'm completely stumped on a putt (don't know which way it will break) I just concentrate on putting a good stroke and getting the speed on the putt right and aim right in the middle of the cup. It sort of turns out to be a lag putt (assuming you are 15ft. or more out) and has worked pretty well for me in terms of giving me more tap-ins than not. I have found that when you are having that much trouble trying to read subtle breaks, then it is just easier to get the speed right, make it a tap in and go on to the next hole. Reading greens just takes time, and the more you play a course the more you'll be able to read their greens. I say don't be too hard on yourself, stick to your routine, and you'll start seeing results as time goes by.
No actually your routine sounds solid. I wouldn't change that at all. I know it sounds silly, but when I'm completely stumped on a putt (don't know which way it will break) I just concentrate on putting a good stroke and getting the speed on the putt right and aim right in the middle of the cup. It sort of turns out to be a lag putt (assuming you are 15ft. or more out) and has worked pretty well for me in terms of giving me more tap-ins than not. I have found that when you are having that much trouble trying to read subtle breaks, then it is just easier to get the speed right, make it a tap in and go on to the next hole. Reading greens just takes time, and the more you play a course the more you'll be able to read their greens. I say don't be too hard on yourself, stick to your routine, and you'll start seeing results as time goes by.
Yes that is exactly my back up, that course I played, I had one putt that looked like a huge double breaker from about 7 ft. from the cup, i was stumped so i tried to get it in that little 3ft. radius, preferrably missing it high...and who knows sometimes maybe we'll get lucky and sink em! But thats a sound way to go about things i guess, I hope things do come around cuz my ballstriking is coming around again and I need to start dropping these putts.
Those greens sound like some of the ones in San Diego! The first time I played there I was totally baffled as to what kind of break to play. I would read 4-5 inches of right to left break and it would either break 12-14 inches right to left or it would go the other way! We played 6 courses and some had those mysterious greens and some didn't. I finally started listening to my feet and putted much better. Simp
Those greens sound like some of the ones in San Diego! The first time I played there I was totally baffled as to what kind of break to play. I would read 4-5 inches of right to left break and it would either break 12-14 inches right to left or it would go the other way! We played 6 courses and some had those mysterious greens and some didn't. I finally started listening to my feet and putted much better. Simp
Sounds like my day out at Pebble Beach, although it was a good deal for $25 play all day deal after 3pm on weekends, the greens were in great shape though....lol
I guess I need to get a level and compass put into the toes of my golf shoes...
June 25th, 2006, 03:55 AM
but I dont usually go to the other side of the hole unless that is the direction I walk to the putt from. I guess I need to make it more of an art for my game than a mechanical type thing. 
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