We’ve all been there: standing over a three -legged blow to the first hole to save money. It looks straight like an arrow. You are sure of your line. You make your blow. Right right on your start line, looks good … and then suddenly puts on the turn signal and only the sails cross the hole.
Not very encouraging for the following day in the greens, especially as your game partner has just drained a 20-foot with more vacations than a mountain road.
Sounds familiar?
Most players think that green reading is a kind of mystical talent that only possesses in favor. They will spend hours in the machine range perfecting their swinging, but walk on every green as if they play the tail in the donkey.
Here is the truth about green reading: it’s not magic – it’s a skill you can learn.
The best part? After you start reading the greens better, your confidence over any polluted skyrockets. You will stop leaving short putts because you are not sure of the line and you will make more of those knee knockers that once gave you yips.
Start reading from 30 jars away
This is great and most players completely ignore it.
By the time you are standing over your ball, you have lost the best perspective you will ever get. While you are walking to green, look at the overall slope and slope. Is the green built on a hill? Do you steep towards a water risk?
The green surroundings tell you everything about how the water will flow – and this is almost always exactly how your ball will roll.
Use your feet, not just your eyes
Your feet are extraordinary sloping detectors, but players rely a lot in their eyes.
When walking on a green, pay attention to what your feet are telling you. Are you walking uphill or downhill? Do you feel like you are leaning on one side? Your body naturally adapts to the slopes that your eyes can lose, especially on delicate holidays that deceive most players.
Find the autumn line first
Green green has a “autumn line” – road water would get if you pour it on the surface. This is your reference point for each blow.
Stay behind your ball and imagine rolling a marble out of your position. Which way would he naturally want to go? Once you find this autumn line, you can judge how much your drinking will break based on how it relates to this natural flow.
Look at the hole from both sides
Here is something that separates good putters from the excellent: they not only read the back of the ball.
Walk around and look at your putt in reverse, especially the area around the hole. You will often see slopes and holidays that were invisible from your original position. The view from below the hole is particularly detective – you can see exactly how the ball will behave as it slows down near the cup.
Pay attention to the direction of wheat
The grain is the direction that the grass grows and affects the ball rolling more than most players understand. In Bermuda greens, in particular, wheat can make a strong rest more or less than the slope suggests.
Look at the glossy or dull grass look – Shiny means that you are grain, dull means that you are against it. The puts roll faster with grain and slower against it.
Read the last three legs twice
The most important part of any stroke is what happens in the last three legs, when the ball is slowing down and gravity takes over. This is where delicate breakdowns can be made dramatic curves.
Spend extra time reading this section because a ball that rolls in speed setting reacts differently from a rotary to access speed. What looks like a straight kick from six feet can have a small wicked curve in the hole.
Trust your first instinct
Stop guessing yourself in three noodles. Your first reading is usually your best reading because it is based on instinct and generally feel than reversal. The more you analyze and re-analyze, the more confused you become. Choose your line, commit to it and flip the ball with confidence.
These bases work together as pieces of a puzzle. Understanding autumn lines helps you see the effects of wheat more clearly. Reading from multiple angles confirms what your feet are showing you. The trust of your instincts prevents paralysis by analysis.
Remember, green reading is not about making every blow-is to give yourself the best chance and avoid those frustrating three-strokes that kill your outcome card. You do not need to read greens as a Tour Pro, but you should read them better than you are thinking.
Mastery these bases and you will begin to roll with the trust that comes from the knowledge of where you are aiming.
office How to read golf greens more accurately first appeared in MygolfSSS.
