It will not take long for many of our avid golfers to memorize the breaks in our new greens, but in the meantime, I am going to share with you a few tips that I employ to help me make better reads and hole more putts.

Green reading starts as you approach the green.  Look for features around the greens like mounds or bunkers to see what influence their construction is having on the movement of the green.  Another useful tactic is to learn where water is likely to run off after a shower.  Usually, a green will have multiple run-off zones.  If you can visualize where these areas are on our greens it will help you understand how it will influence the speed and slope of your putt. 

Once on the green, I find it helpful to immediately go to the opposite side of the hole of my putting line to help see if the putt is up or down hill.   This is especially beneficial on longer putts to improve your lag putting and to avoid three putting.  I have heard people say that viewing the putt from the opposite side of the hole only confuses them.  I admit that I have been one of those players.  However, just recently if I had a shorter putt and I needed clarity on the read, I would go to the direct opposite side of the cup and set up as if I were rolling a ball from the there.   I discovered this gave me more confidence in committing to my line. 

Another practical tip is to view your putt from a vantage point perpendicular to your intended line.  Move to a point about half-way between your ball and the hole and look to see if your intended line is higher or lower than your feet because this will influence how much curve you need to plan for. 

If your eyes are still failing you, using your feet to help judge the break of your putt can be useful.  You see this practiced by the tour pros especially on short to mid-length putts.  Straddle your intended line at several points between your ball and the hole and try to determine if one foot feels higher or lower than the other.  Like other green reading practices this too will take some practice.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  If you want to hole more putts and have fewer three-putts, take the time to study our new greens.  Maybe you will even want to create your own map of each green.  The Golf Staff will be working on a new yardage book this summer.  It will highlight the movement in each green and many other factors from tee to green that will help you with course management.

Happy Golfing,
 
Allen Chandler, PGA
Director of Golf