How to Judge the Speed of Greens…Fast!
How to Judge the Speed of Greens…Fast! A Guide to Master Your Putting
I played at a course I was visiting for the first time. The greens were pristine, perfectly manicured, and faster than anything I had ever putted on. On the first green, I had a simple 10-foot putt for birdie. I gave it a good stroke, but the ball rocketed past the hole, ending up another 10 feet away. The return putt was a complete disaster. It wasn’t a matter of reading the break; it was a matter of total shock at the speed. My score ballooned on the front nine as I struggled to make even the shortest putts. That day, I learned a crucial lesson: reading the line of a putt is only half the battle. If you can't judge the speed, you're not going to make a single putt. The ability to calibrate your touch on the greens is a skill that can save you countless strokes.
This problem is more common than you might think. Green speeds are variable and change from day to day, even from hour to hour. A green that was fast on Saturday morning might be slower on a humid Sunday afternoon. The grounds crew might have double-cut and rolled the greens for a tournament, or they might have left them a little shaggier to save water. Your own feel can be off if you haven’t played in a while.[00:14] Judging distance is an essential skill in putting, and adapting to the day's conditions is the most important thing you can do to play well.
Over the years, I've developed a simple, five-minute routine that I use before every round to dial in the speed of the greens. It’s a fast, efficient way to get a feel for the day, and it's particularly useful when playing on a course I’m unfamiliar with. [00:39] I can do this on the practice green in about five minutes, and it gives me a clear idea of what to expect once I get on the course.
The Problem: Why Putting Speed is the Missing Link
Most golfers, when they miss a putt, blame the line. "I misread the break," they'll say. And while that's often part of the issue, the true culprit is frequently the speed. A putt that is hit with the correct speed but a slightly incorrect line will still end up close to the hole, leaving you with an easy tap-in. A putt with the perfect line but the wrong speed is either going to be left a mile short or blasted past, leaving a difficult second putt. It’s the speed, not the line, that determines if a miss is a three-putt or a two-putt.
The challenge of speed control is that it’s not purely a mechanical action; it’s a feel. It’s a personal calibration that needs to be reset every time you step onto a new green. There are so many variables at play:
Grass Type and Length: Some greens are built with a grass that is naturally faster, like Bentgrass. Others, like Bermuda grass, can be slower and have a more prominent grain. The length of the cut on any given day also has a huge impact.
Moisture Levels: A green that is wet from rain or morning dew will be slower than a dry, afternoon green. The moisture creates friction that slows the ball down.
Time of Day: Greens tend to get faster as the day goes on. The sun dries them out, and the foot traffic and mower activity can pack them down.
Slope and Grain: These two factors work together to influence speed. A putt downhill will roll faster than a putt uphill, but the direction of the grass grain can also add or subtract speed from a putt.
Because of all these variables, trying to rely on a generic putting stroke for every green is a recipe for disaster. You need a method to quickly adjust your touch, and that’s where my pre-round routine comes in.
The Go-To Solution: My 5-Minute Green Speed Test
My method is simple, fast, and highly effective. It’s all about creating a baseline for your day. I don’t try to make putts or even read the break. I just find a relatively flat part of the practice green and get to work.
Establish a Reference Swing: The very first step is to establish a personal reference swing. For me, this is a simple pendulum motion where I bring the putter head back to my toe and then through to my other toe. [00:49] The point of this swing is that it is a repeatable length. It doesn't have to be your full putting stroke; it just needs to be a stroke that you can replicate over and over again. This reference swing is your measuring stick for the day.
Hit Putts in One Direction: After I’ve established my reference swing, I'll hit about five putts in one direction, for example, slightly downhill. I don’t worry about the ball going in the hole. I’m just paying attention to how far the ball rolls. [00:55] If the ball rolls a short distance, I know the greens are slow. If it rolls a long distance, I know the greens are fast. [00:55]
Repeat in the Opposite Direction: Once I’ve hit my five putts, I’ll hit another five back in the opposite direction, again using the exact same reference swing. [01:33] This is a crucial step because it helps me account for any subtle slopes in the green and gives me a more comprehensive feel for the day’s pace. [01:42] If my downhill putts go far but my uphill putts stop short, I know the slopes are a major factor. If both go a similar distance, I know the green is relatively flat.
Assess and Adapt: After hitting about ten putts, five in each direction, I have a very clear understanding of the green speed for that day. [01:45] I can then adjust the size of my swing accordingly when I’m putting to a hole. If the greens are fast, I know that my stroke needs to be a little shorter. If they're slow, I know I need to give the ball a bigger motion. The feeling of that reference swing is now my internal guide.
Beyond the Drill: Deeper Insights into Green Speed
The five-minute test is a great starting point, but the true skill is applying that knowledge on the course. Here are some of the additional insights I’ve gained from this method that have transformed my putting.
Speed Dictates Line: This is a crucial lesson. On any given putt, there is a relationship between the speed you hit it with and the line you need to take. A putt hit with more speed will break less, while a putt hit with less speed will break more. For example, on a downhill, left-to-right breaking putt, if I hit it firmer, I need to aim further left. If I hit it softer, I need to aim further right. The five-minute drill gives me the confidence to pick a speed and fully commit to the line that corresponds with it.
The Three-Foot Rule: My goal on every putt, no matter the length, is to get the ball to stop within a three-foot radius of the hole. This isn’t a hard rule, but it’s a mental framework that helps me with speed control. It forces me to think about a putt’s entire journey, not just getting it to the hole. I’ve found that my three-putts have almost disappeared since adopting this mindset.
Reading the Grain: The direction the grass is growing can have a huge impact on speed. Grass grain that is growing "with" the putt will make it faster, while grass growing "against" the putt will make it slower. You can often see the grain by looking for a shinier or darker color on the green. Knowing this allows me to make even finer adjustments to my stroke after my initial read.
Long Putts are All About Feel: On a long, 50-foot putt, the five-minute drill is especially useful. I use the feeling of my reference swing and then imagine how much bigger my swing needs to be to get the ball all the way to the hole. I don’t try to hit it with a full-on stroke; I let the momentum of my body and the putter head do the work, using the greens' speed to my advantage.
Practical Drills to Master Speed Control
While the pre-round test is great for calibration, I also use a few drills to continually work on my feel for speed.
The Ladder Drill: I place four balls in a line, about three feet apart. I then putt each ball to a target a long distance away, like 40 feet. The goal is to hit each ball progressively harder, so that the second ball goes just past the first, the third just past the second, and so on. This drill helps me to develop a feel for very small changes in stroke length and speed.
The Gate Drill: I place two tees in the ground just wider than my putter head. I then place a ball behind the tees and putt it through the "gate." The goal of this drill is not to make the putt, but to ensure that I am making a pure, straight-back-and-through stroke. This drill helps with the mechanics of my stroke, which is essential for having a reliable starting point for my speed.
The One-Putter Drill: I grab my putter, a ball, and a towel. I put the towel down about five feet from the hole. I then hit putts from various distances, trying to get the ball to land just on the towel and roll out to the hole. This drill is all about getting a feel for a soft, decelerating putt, which is crucial for downhill and fast greens.
The Mental Game of Putting Speed
Finally, I want to talk about the mental side of putting speed. The physical drills and routines are only as good as the mental approach you bring to the course.
Commit to the Line and Speed: The biggest mistake I see golfers make is being tentative. They're unsure of their read, so they make a half-hearted, jerky stroke. This leads to poor contact and a wild result. My five-minute routine gives me the information I need to commit. When I stand over the ball, I’ve already decided on the speed and the line. My only job is to make a smooth, confident stroke.
Focus on the Target: When I hit a putt, I don't look at the ball; I look at the point on the green where I want the ball to enter its journey toward the hole. This visual focus helps me to make a more controlled stroke and keeps my mind from getting cluttered with negative thoughts.
By implementing these strategies, you'll be able to manage your putting on any green, on any given day. It’s all about adapting your approach, trusting your adjustments, and focusing on the fundamentals that matter most when putting. This simple five-minute routine has saved me from countless blow-up holes and has made putting a part of my game I actually look forward to. Give it a try, and I’m confident that you’ll see a major improvement in your speed control and overall game.
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