Top 5 Tips to Reading Putting Greens

Without question, reading putting greens is one of the hardest skills in golf to master, so don't feel like you are alone if you are struggling with it at times. The majority of golfers, if honest, would admit that they have hit many a putt without having the foggiest idea of where it is going to end up, just hoping that it gets somewhere close to the hole!

In its simplest form, reading putting greens boils down to 2 fundamental questions that you need to ask yourself and aim to get right!

1. How hard do I need to hit this Putt? and....

2. With how much Borrow? (the amount that you are allowing for the ball to deviate from its initial direction, due to slopes and laws of gravity!)

Obviously getting these 2 questions perfectly right every time is not going to happen as there are too many outside influences to consider. However, I have outlined 5 great tips and techniques below, which will help you to understand some of the crucial elements involved, when it comes reading putting greens.

Reading Putting Greens Tip 1 - Slope of the Green - as you are approaching the putting green, always check to see where the high and low points are. From this perspective it will give you a great idea as to which way the overall green is sloping and by how much. Naturally you will need to identify the more subtle rises and falls when you are on the putting green itself, but at least you will have a general impression.

Reading Putting Greens Tip 2 - Check the line from all Angles - this is one mistake that the majority of golfers make! To give yourself the best information possible, always check the line of the putt from all angles, i.e. from the front and from both sides and not just from behind. Having only the one perspective can end up being deceiving at times.

Reading Putting Greens Tip 3 - Ground Condition - your feet will give you a good indication of how wet or dry the green is. If it 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 hard and crunchy will mean the green will be faster. It is important to note that the faster the green is, the more borrow you will need to account for. This is because to reach the same distance on a faster green requires less force, so the ball will be rolling slower and take more time, thus allowing the slope and laws of gravity more time to have their influence.

Reading Putting Greens Tip 4 - Length of Grass - you will be amazed at how quickly grass can grow during the course of a nice sunny day. So the difference between playing in the morning to playing in the afternoon can be significant. The basic rule here is, the shorter the grass on the putting green is, the faster the green will be,

Reading Putting Greens Tip 5 - The Grain - the way the grain runs on the putting green can have a significant impact on the speed and borrow of your putts, especially if the grass is Bermuda. Just remember that your putts will be slower when you are putting into the grain, as there is more friction pulling the ball up. If the grain is running from right to left, then you will need to allow for more borrow, and consequently less borrow if it is running from left to right. If you are finding it difficult to see the grain, you can scrape your putter blade along the apron of the green, if the grass scuffs up, you have dragged the putter against the grain.

I hope you have found these putting tips useful and good luck with your golfing adventures! If you are serious about taking your golf putting game to the next level, then you might well be interested in checking out my Review of the Top 3 'Golf Putting eBooks' available online or visit my 'Golf Putting Tips' page for more great Tips to help you improve your golfing game.