How Do You Read Putts Better? It Starts At The Hole
G'day golfers! Today, we're going to unlock a little secret to better green reading that can also help you keep up the pace of play. It's all about where you read your putts, especially on those longer ones.
Most players tend to read the green exclusively from behind their ball. While this gives you one perspective, you're often missing crucial information about how the putt will behave closer to the hole – where gravity and subtle slopes have the most significant impact on the ball's final curve.
The Power of Reading Around the Hole
As I walk towards my ball, I make a point to also read the green from the side and even slightly past the hole. Here's why:
The Late Break is Key: The ball will typically do most of its curving, influenced by gravity and subtle undulations, in the last third of its journey towards the hole.
Multiple Perspectives Reveal More: A putt that looks straight from behind the ball can reveal significant late movement when viewed from the side or beyond the hole.
Double Breakers Unveiled: Often, putts will break one way initially and then change direction. This "double break" can be easily missed if you only read from one angle.
Example in Action
On this tricky putt, I've got to go over a ridge and then come downhill. From behind my ball, it looks like it might be fairly straight. However, as I walked up and read it from the side and slightly past the hole, I could see it was definitely going to go left to right initially and then likely straighten up at the end.
From behind my ball, I wouldn't have anticipated that late rightward movement. I would have aimed significantly further left than necessary. It was only by reading the green from around the hole that I got a clearer picture of the putt's true path.
Reading for Better Players & Pace of Play
Here's a tip for more experienced players who want to thoroughly read their putts without holding up play:
Read While Walking: As you walk from your cart or previous shot towards your ball, take the opportunity to read the green from various angles around the hole.
Gather Information Early: By the time you reach your ball, you'll already have a good understanding of the green's contours near the hole, allowing for a quicker final read and setup.
Highlighted Lessons:
Read Around the Hole: Don't just rely on the view from behind your ball. Observe the green from the sides and slightly past the hole.
Focus on the Late Break: Pay close attention to the slopes and undulations in the last third of the putt, as these will heavily influence the final curve.
Multiple Angles, Clearer Picture: Reading from different perspectives reveals subtle breaks and double breaks you might otherwise miss.
Read While Walking (for Better Players): Utilize your walk to the ball to gather crucial information about the green around the hole, improving pace of play.
Trust Your Eyes: What you see from around the hole can often be more telling than the view directly behind your ball, especially on longer putts.
By incorporating this technique into your pre-putt routine, you'll gain a more comprehensive understanding of the greens, leading to better reads and more holed putts – all while keeping things moving!
Ready to see the greens in a whole new light? Book a lesson with Paul Williamson today!
