6 Tips for Reading Greens
by Bradley Turner Keiser University College of Golf Director of Online Golf Instruction – MBA, PGA
I was fortunate to spend a few days at Augusta National with some fellow golf professionals this past April. It is always a great experience as we watch the best players in the world test their golf skills at the Masters tournament. The players never disappoint as they display incredible skill in every facet of the game. For some reason, this year, we were struck by the consistent quality of their short game. We would sit in our Masters chairs and pontificate on the appropriate shot, the landing spot, and of course, the break the ball will take upon rolling towards the flagstick. A few times, we would predict that the player had no chance to get up and down, and of course, we were wrong. These guys are good!
In 1993, I watched then number one in the world Nick Faldo at Augusta National. On the fourth hole, he hit a terrible iron shot wide right of the green with the hole location front left. I was standing within six feet of Faldo’s ball and thought, “what would I do on this shot?” I visualized where I thought Faldo would need to land the ball, and I watched the ball roll in my mind next to the cup. Faldo arrives at this ball and takes plenty of time studying the shot. He takes out the right club (at least in my mind), takes a few practice swings, and then hits his little pitch shot. I almost laughed out loud as I thought he had hit the shot fat; the ball landed well short of where I thought he should land the ball. The ball kept rolling but very slowly and then dropped over a shelf in the green and kept rolling, inching its way toward the cup, finally stopping a foot away! If Faldo landed the ball where I thought he should, he would have been off the front of the green and chipping the ball back onto the green. I thought, “how would an average golfer handle the greens at Augusta National?” The green complexes are outrageous in contour and speed, so there would be plenty of three and four putts by the average golfer.
Most amateurs under-read the true amount of break on a putt. At their home course, they can learn the right amount of break after hundreds of rounds played. But take them to a new course, and their inability to read the proper amount of break becomes apparent. Green reading is so important to your performance, so here are six tips to help you unravel the mystery of green reading.
Green Speed
The first step in improving your green reading skills is to get comfortable with the speed of the greens. I do like to warm up on the driving range prior to stepping on the first tee, but if I want to perform well, I must spend time on the practice green, too. I suggest that you hit long putts in your warm-up session, ensuring you hit uphill putts and then downhill putts. Pay particular attention to the downhill putt and not how much the ball rolls out. Find the largest slope in the green and hit putts from all directions. The more you focus on getting the speed of the greens, the more likely you will be able to make some putts during your round.
Gauge the Green Contour
When an architect designs and builds a green, they ensure that water does not accumulate anywhere on the putting surface. Therefore, I suggest you imagine dumping a bucket of water on the green and determine in which direction the water will flow. You may have heard that a putt will break in the direction of the water. This is not always the case, but the idea is that it is best to design a green that flows in the direction that Mother Nature intended! Just remember, water needs to flow somewhere; your job is to make that assessment. It is often advantageous to view your putts from two vantage points: behind the ball and on the low side of the break. You can normally get a good idea from these two views while walking all around the putt like a PGA Tour player can end up confusing you.
Use Your Feet
In the early 1980s, I first heard about reading greens with your feet. I spent a weekend with my college roommate at his home club in Niagara Falls. One of the old-time amateurs and club champions tried to help me with my woeful putting skills. He explained how he used his feet to sense the break in the green. I thought it was the craziest stuff I had ever heard. Fast forward to 2022, and what are we seeing? PGA Tour players are using their feet to read putts! I am still unsure about this green reading technique, but AimPoint is the process tour pros use to help them read greens. Go to the AimPoint Golf website if you want more information. After 40 years of first learning about it, I still can’t help you with this one.
Reading Grain
Every golfer that I know does not like to putt on grainy putting surfaces. But it is important to accept the influence of grain if you want to make more putts. The amount of grain on a putting surface varies significantly. Bermudagrass greens found in the southern region of the country often have a more prevalent grain. Grain can be determined by looking at the edge of the cup. Usually, there will be one side that appears worn, which indicates the direction of the grain. Another way is to look at the color of the grass. If it appears darker in color, then you are against the grain. If it is lighter in color, you are with the grain.
It is very difficult to explain how much influence the grain will have on a putt, so I normally suggest adding “a little bit” to a putt. For example, if your putt is down grain, the ball will roll “a little bit” farther. If your putt is into the grain, the ball will roll “a little bit” shorter. On a right to left breaking putt with the grain flowing right to left, add “a little bit” more to the break. If the grain is in the opposite direction to the break, take “a little bit” of break away from the read. A little bit can go a long way in making more putts!
Visualize the Path of the Ball
Imagining the roll of the ball towards the hole is essentially what green reading is all about. You may have to visualize the putt a few times before the mind-body connection takes over and allows you to hit a good putt. Uncertainty is a sure sign of confusion in the golfer’s mind. Images can often work better for athletic performance rather than auditory cues. Visualize, then execute. Visualize, then execute.
The Two Dime Drill
It is now time to apply your newfound knowledge in green reading by practicing the Two Dime Drill. Grab two dimes and five golf balls, then head to the practice putting green. Find a medium-length putt of about 20 feet that appears to have a good amount of break. Place one dime as the designated starting point, and then place the second dime about six feet away from the first dime to identify the starting line. Hit all five putts from the same starting point and try to roll the ball over the second dime. The ball should be struck with good speed and should not roll more than two feet past the cup. If you read the putt properly, you will be making a fair share of the putts you hit. If the ball rolls over the second dime but you under-read the putt, then make a slight adjustment to the dime. Within a few moments, you will have identified the ideal starting line of the putt.
Regardless of skill level, green reading is something that most golfers struggle with. If PGA tour players are reading greens with their feet, that illustrates the difficulty in precise green reading. Spend some time working on these six suggestions, and your green reading skills will improve enormously. Soon enough, you will be shaving strokes off your game and enjoying the game so much more!
If you’d like to study with Bradley Turner and other PGA Master Professionals, contact the College of Golf today.
