Delo’s Divots: You could be the best putter in the world. Heck,
you could be a robot that makes the perfect stroke every time, and
you may still never make a putt if you don’t read the green
properly.
You could be the best putter in the world. Heck, you could be a robot that makes the perfect stroke every time, and you may still never make a putt if you don’t read the green properly.
Reading the green takes into account four main components: slope, speed, firmness and grain. The slope is the most important. The more it slopes, the more the putt will break. Look at the surrounding area of the green and take in the big picture. It is easier to see the slope of a green by looking at the terrain around the green as well as the area of your intended line of putt. The harder you hit a putt, the less it will break. Keep those short putts firm and take the break out of it.
The speed of the green is often related to its firmness. Hard greens are generally faster than soft greens.
The grain of the green – the direction the grass grows – is important if you are playing on Bermuda grass greens. Luckily, most of the greens are bent grass in this area. It is a very fine blade that grows straight up and doesn’t have much grain. The hot humid areas of the south, Hawaii, Florida and the desert tend to have Bermuda grass greens. The grain of the Bermuda will actually make a flat putt break or even a sloped putt break uphill slightly.
Look around the cup and see the direction the grass is growing. If the putt looks flat, play the ball to break the direction the grass is growing.
In all cases, take a moment to read your putt. People who just get up and putt the ball at the hole and then complain about missing it get what they deserve: a higher score.
