‘Putting’ Articles at Golf Product Review by Experienced Golf Balls, Page 2

The Art of Reading Putting Greens

Article by Randy Raasch

Reading greens is one of the hardest skills in golf to master. Even if you have perfected your putting stroke and distance control, you will end up missing the target most of the time if you are having problems reading greens. The ability to effectively read greens is more of an art then a science. Sure, it involves the laws of physics, but without instruments available to take accurate measurements, we’re back to the art of guessing.

Reading greens can be broken up into the following components:

Slope of the Green

During your approach survey the entire area of the green along with the immediate surrounding areas. This perspective allows you get a great idea on the general slope of the green. Take note of what the overall contours are like. Is the green basically flat or does it have ridges, valleys or multiple tiers? Once on the green, you can identify the more subtle contours of the green itself.

The slope and contours on a green determine the path a ball will take while obeying the laws of gravity. On a side slope the ball with always turn towards the lowest point. On a downhill putt the ball needs to be struck with less momentum. This causes gravity to act upon the ball sooner along its path towards the hole. So for downhill putts we need to allow for more break. Uphill putts are much easier because they have less break. This is due to the increase in momentum of the strike required to hit the ball up the hill. With the increase in momentum, the ball will roll through much of the break.

Ground Condition

You can get a good indication regarding the condition of the green while walking on it. If the green feels wet and soft it tells you that the pace of the green is going to be slow, so you will need to hit your putts a little firmer. If the green is dry and hard it tells you that the green will be faster and you will not have to strike the ball as firm. Remember for a faster green, you need to account for more borrow. ”<em>The faster the green (downhill) = less momentum = more break'</em> and ‘<em>The slower the green (uphill) = more momentum = less break</em>.’

The Grain

Grain refers to the direction in which the blades of grass grow. The way the grain runs on the putting green can have a significant impact on the speed and borrow of your putts. One method in determining the grain of the green is by looking at the sheen or color of the grass. A shiny sheen or light color indicates the grain is with you (putting down grain). A dull sheen or darker color indicates the grain is against you.

The grain dictates the amount of resistance placed on the ball as it rolls. Speed will increase going down grain but the amount of break will lessen. Speed will decrease going into the grain but increase the amount of break.

Check the line from all Angles

It is a good idea to look at the putt from at least three sides: behind the ball, behind the hole, and the low side of the hole. These three looks give your mind the best information on the break of the putt.

When reading a green, you will get a more accurate picture when you are standing in a lower area looking uphill. Check from the side of the green if you have an uphill or downhill putt. This provides the best perspective for determining the speed of the ball. Behind the ball is the best place to take a final look.

Envision the Path

Never hit the ball until you have formed a vision of the path the ball will travel. Your goal is to visualize your putt as a straight line because the slope of the green is what will make your ball curve. Pick out a spot that represents the apex of the break, now to reach this point, just try to putt your ball over a spot three inches in front of your ball.

Finally, do not make your stroke until you have the best read you can get and then commit to it. It can be disastrous if you begin to second -guess yourself while your taking your stroke.

Final Thoughts

Good green reading comes with experience. After putting over enough different greens, you will develop a sixth sense of how the ball will roll.

I hope you have found these tips useful. Good luck in all your golfing adventures!

About the Author

Randy Raasch has been in golf for over thirty years. His website, Golf-Fever shares information and products that are sound and easy.

If you are looking for great Putting Tips to improve your game, visit: http://www.golf-fever.com/Putting/PuttingTips.html

In addition you will receive a free report ‘The Art of Reading Greens’.

Three Tips for Better Putting in Golf

In this article, we are going to explore three tips for improving your putting on the golf course. You might be surprised to know what you can learn about golf from the game of pool, your feet, and Stephen Covey.

We all know the expression, “drive for show, putt for dough” and we all know it because it’s universally applicable. You cannot score well in golf if you do not know how to putt.

Many of you have mastered the long drive, but are still inoperable when it comes to getting the ball in the whole. How is it possible that we can hit a ball consistently 270 yards down the fairway with the new Taylor Made Drivers but have trouble with a 5 foot putt? Well, this can be answered simply: the game of golf.

Golf is a fickle beast, rewarding you and chastising you within a matter of moments. How many times have you lost a hole to your playing partners because you had a three putt or missed a 4 foot birdie putt? To become a par golfer, you must know how to putt well.

With these three tips, you can improve your putting which will improve your golf scores.

In tip #1, we are going to compare putting in golf to the game of pool. You have all seen on TV how Camillo Villegas goes all the way down on the ground with his Spiderman technique to analyze putts. Do you know why he does this?

Yes, because it works. It allows you to view a putt like it was shot in a game of 8 ball. If I placed the queue ball on a pool table four feet from the pocket, would you be able to hit the queue ball into the pocket? Of course you would.

Why can you not do the same thing with a golf ball? The holes, though different sizes, are proportionately sized. Simply think of each 8 foot putt and under like hitting a cue ball into the corner pocket.

For tip #2, we will tell you to think with your feet and not with your head. When you are trying to read a break on the golf green, your feet often see better than your eyes. Walk the basic line of your put and let your feet feel the break. You will notice that your feet often tell you much more than your eyes.

Tip #3 involves a step from the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” authored by Stephen Covey. The habit that we are interested in is habit #2: Begin With the End In Mind. In this case, your end is to make the putt. How often do you envision your putt going into the hole? Ever? You need to see your putt going in before you’ve struck the golf ball.

In summary, you need to think of short putts like you would an easy pool shot, think with your feet, and envision your ball going into the hole every time. Follow these three pointers and you will become a better putter!

For the best golf tips, visit the How To Play Golf page where you can find great how-to golf videos including How To Putt A Golf Ball. Each of these pages is brought to you by ThisIsHowYouDoIt.com, your original home for how-to videos.