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Lessons for reading greens?

brians

brians

2023 GRANDADDY X (marks the spot)
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Been posting in the putter threads and it got me to thinking about how difficult it is to read greens. It’s one of those things that I struggle to learn because I don’t know what to look for in the first place. It’s hard to practice what you don’t know.

The question: Do pros offer green reading lessons?
Is it something that’s usually done in an outdoor putting lesson?
 
Yes I would say good pros should be able to help with green reading.

One tip is that reading the green starts before you even get there. You should look at the general slope of the area around the green as you walk up to it. Try to envision where water would run off the green. That is a good starting point. Rarely do greens break against the general slope of the terrain. It happens but is unusual.
 
brians said:
Been posting in the putter threads and it got me to thinking about how difficult it is to read greens. It’s one of those things that I struggle to learn because I don’t know what to look for in the first place. It’s hard to practice what you don’t know.

The question: Do pros offer green reading lessons?
Is it something that’s usually done in an outdoor putting lesson?
Click to expand...
I know a few pros around here offer a short game lesson that includes green reading. It would be worth looking into if you struggle on the greens.
 
Chef23 said:
Yes I would say good pros should be able to help with green reading.

One tip is that reading the green starts before you even get there. You should look at the general slope of the area around the green as you walk up to it. Try to envision where water would run off the green. That is a good starting point. Rarely do greens break against the general slope of the terrain. It happens but is unusual.
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Do you look at the overall green or are you eyeballing a quick look between your golf ball and the pin?
 
Following along as this has been something I have struggled with for a long time. I do all the basics such as looking slopes as you approach and 360 walk and read. However, I just continue to fall short in my reading.
 
brians said:
Do you look at the overall green or are you eyeballing a quick look between your golf ball and the pin?
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When I'm walking up to a green I'm looking at the whole thing to see what the larger trend of the green is. As I get closer to my putt obviously I'm more focused on that, but when I'm walking up I look at the whole thing to get an idea of which way the majority of the green slopes, any ridges or other larger features that might be harder to see when you're on the actual green if that makes sense.

I'm still learning to read grain. Had a lot of that on my trip to FL and it was a bit feast/famine for me. Interested to see what folks have to offer there.
 
JonD said:
When I'm walking up to a green I'm looking at the whole thing to see what the larger trend of the green is. As I get closer to my putt obviously I'm more focused on that, but when I'm walking up I look at the whole thing to get an idea of which way the majority of the green slopes, any ridges or other larger features that might be harder to see when you're on the actual green if that makes sense.

I'm still learning to read grain. Had a lot of that on my trip to FL and it was a bit feast/famine for me. Interested to see what folks have to offer there.
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I was told to look at the cup. You'll generally see a smooth side and a jagged side. The grain runs from smooth to jagged.
 
Best thing to do would be to contact a pro at a course. I'm sure they'd be happy to take you out on the putting green and work on green reading, and optimally, maybe a few holes too.

I think many people who struggle with green reading are too focused on their mechanics in putting. They make a mechanical stroke with no "flow," that's too hard or to soft and then blame the miss on not being able to read putts.

Green reading (and putting in general) is about instinct. You have to take in all the information you can and let your brain guide you to the read. Then you make a smooth stroke and try to allow your instinct to take over.

Some general tips:

1). ALWAYS pay attention. Take in all the information you possibly can. Pay attention as you walk up to green. Where's the high side? Where's the low side? Is there a dominant feature nearby such as a mountain, stream, or pond? Really pay attention to everyone's chip shots and putts. Which way did they break? Did they seem fast or slow? Did it look like they broke the amount you expected?

2). Aways, always, (quickly) read your putts from both sides. Do a quick circle from your ball to the back of the hole and back. From behind the hole, see where you think the ball is going to need to enter the hole. From the low side of the putt at the midpoint, look and see whether the ball or the hole is higher.

I cannot tell you how many times I've missed putts by being lazy and just walking up to the ball on what seems a straightforward putt. Once I walk around to the other side, the reason why I missed is immediately obvious and it infuriates me I missed simply because I neglected my process.

3). Once behind the ball, imagine where you need to putt the ball to make it enter where you thought it needed to from behind the hole.

4). Step up and do your best to let the putt flow into the picture you have in your mind. Evaluate your putt on how well you accomplished THAT task, not whether the putt missed or not. If you hit the putt you wanted, be content. Do take note of whether you missed high or low, or short and long and consider making a small adjustment as the round goes on. Again, just assimilate more information.

If you do those things, you'll have done all you can do.
 
IMO, it is better to work with someone who specializes in putting over just the pro at the course.

The best guys have the putting tools, technology to help you improve what you need.

In AZ we are fortunate to have James Jankowski come during the winter from England; he also does online now - but not sure how I feel about that.
 
Bad speed will make a good read look pretty questionable.
 
My pro taught green reading, or at least he showed me how to learn read them. He also assured me I would never be 100% correct with my reads.

First thing he taught was the importance of rolling a straight putt, on my chosen line. That all putts are straight, just not always at the pin.

Reading greens is not much different than any other part of golf. It takes practice, practice, and more practice.

He would have me look at a green, from different views, and tell him what I thought the ball would do. Then I would hand toss the ball to see if the ball rolled like I described to him.

Eventually, after so much time was spent doing reads, I began to recognize a lot of these reads at a glance. Seeing the read, was a lot easier than finding precise line, and speed to the hole. He heavily preached the importance of speed.

He also showed me the importance of looking at the area 2' around the hole. This was where the ball would be at it's slowest rpms, and be more at the mercy of the green's surface. Spike marks, and poor hole/cup installation were big problems to look for.

He taught me how to read multiple breaks on the path to the hole. The roll would have multiple starting, and ending points. The path would would have two, or more reads for the one roll.

Another thing I learned from him was the importance of finding, and hitting balls to the easier putting parts of the greens. Putting from a more level area, when ever possible, was much better than having to hit a breaking putt.

He also taught his "no fear" approach to solving breaks. Just putt the ball hard enough, to roll a straight putt into the cup, to eliminate any breaks. A risk, reward type thing.

I should also mention I spent 8+ years with this same instructor, and reading greens was something we continuously worked on quite a bit.

Even today, I will take the time to visit unfamiliar greens at other courses to practice my reads.

At my home course, there is one practice putt from 12+/- feet that the putt is almost impossible to make. The line, and speed is so precise, luck is the major factor in making it. I use this putt to remind myself just how hard putting can be.
 
lockstockrye said:
In AZ we are fortunate to have James Jankowski come during the winter from England; he also does online now - but not sure how I feel about that.
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this part here. The online advice doesn’t click with me very well because reading seems so much more of a feel thing.
It’s like explaining baseball to someone who has never seen it. It will make sense but only once they’ve seen it.
( yes I threw a subtle reference from the incredibly underrated movie “blast from the past” )
 
wadesworld said:
Best thing to do would be to contact a pro at a course. I'm sure they'd be happy to take you out on the putting green and work on green reading, and optimally, maybe a few holes too.


3). Once behind the ball, imagine where you need to putt the ball to make it enter where you thought it needed to from behind the hole.
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yes. I think I’m definitely going to follow up with a pro. I’ve always had any putting done indoors which is great for stroke and mechanics but zero help outdoors.

Quoting your third tip: I’m not sure what you mean on hitting it to the other side? Do you trust one side more than the other? (Uphill side vs down hill, or front side vs or back)?
 
Canadan said:
haha, what did YouTube tell you to do?
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So much of it is using your putter upright and sideways to “quickly read”.
I totally get that, but WHAT are they reading. Not so much how is my concern, but what am I reading while doing all of the crouching or standing or aiming 2 feet behind the hole.
 
Canadan said:
haha, what did YouTube tell you to do?
Click to expand...

Animated GIF
That search in YouTube is not for the faint of heart.
 
brians said:
yes. I think I’m definitely going to follow up with a pro. I’ve always had any putting done indoors which is great for stroke and mechanics but zero help outdoors.

Quoting your third tip: I’m not sure what you mean on hitting it to the other side? Do you trust one side more than the other? (Uphill side vs down hill, or front side vs or back)?
Click to expand...

Not sure if I understand your question completely, but let me try:

When reading any putt from behind the hole, look to see where you think the ball will have to enter the hole. You should be able to work out "OK...if putt the ball straight, it's going to miss low. Therefore, I'm going to have to putt it... at about about that point there...which means it will then curve down and enter here." This is particularly important because what happens around the hole is often the most break due to the ball going slower.

When reading a downhill putt, trust what you see from below the hole.

When deciding whether a putt is downhill or uphill trust what you see from the midpoint of the low side of the putt, or what you feel in your feet as you walk from the hole to the ball.

On any putt about 3 feet or under, rarely give up the hole. It takes a pretty massive slope for the ball to break all the way across the hole from that distance, and such severe slopes are not that common. Aim it inside the hole and hit it with sufficient pace. Generally that'd be about enough pace for the ball to drop in the middle of the cup without touching the sides, but it obviously is dependent on the situation.
 
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wadesworld said:
Not sure if I understand your question completely, but let me try:

When reading any putt from behind the hole, look to see where you think the ball will have to enter the hole. You should be able to work out "OK...if putt the ball straight, it's going to miss low. Therefore, I'm going to have to putt it... at about about that point there...when means it will then curve down and enter here." This is particularly important because what happens around the hole is often the most break due to the ball going slower.

When reading a downhill putt, trust what you see from below the hole.

When deciding whether a putt is downhill or uphill trust what you see from the midpoint of the low side of the putt, or what you feel in your feet as you walk from the hole to the ball.

On any putt about 3 feet or under, rarely give up the hole. It takes a pretty massive slope for the ball to break all the way across the hole from that distance, and such severe slopes are not that common. Aim it inside the hole and hit it with sufficient pace. Generally that'd be about enough pace for the ball to drop in the middle of the cup without touching the sides, but it obviously is dependent on the situation.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I was looking for on the break read when walking from behind the hole. And the uphill downhill “feel”. Thank you for deciphering so well!
 
brians said:
Been posting in the putter threads and it got me to thinking about how difficult it is to read greens. It’s one of those things that I struggle to learn because I don’t know what to look for in the first place. It’s hard to practice what you don’t know.

The question: Do pros offer green reading lessons?
Is it something that’s usually done in an outdoor putting lesson?
Click to expand...

So there are instructors who specialize in putting. The best advice I got from a putting lesson is get a digital leveler and then go find puts that break different directions within 10 feet and practice a lot of them. Train your eyes.
 
Ludin said:
Following along as this has been something I have struggled with for a long time. I do all the basics such as looking slopes as you approach and 360 walk and read. However, I just continue to fall short in my reading.
Click to expand...
I've actually been thinking about starting a thread kind of something like this, about reading older greens. My buddy and I rediscovered the old muni course last year. The city parks department is actually taking care of it and the greens are in wonderful shape and putt fairly fast. According to a pamphlet about it in the clubhouse, the course was completed in 1923 and the current greens are the original greens. So the course and its greens turned 100 years old last year.

I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but those greens drove us both bonkers! They always seemed to break the oppposite way of what our eyes told us. I thought that maybe the greens being so old might have something to do with them being so tricky. Then it occurred to me that we have 36 of Donald Ross designed golf locally that were completed in the late 1920's, and I have no problem reading them. As far as I know they are the original greens. I also know that I have played hundreds of rounds there!

Maybe it will just take some time, or maybe the greens that we can't read were made by a malevolent genius!
 
The problem is that your green reading is always going to depend on the speed you hit your putts with, which makes it a difficult thing to teach. There is no such thing as "the right read". Honestly, I'd probably do an aimpoint course with a certified instructor in your area. It will teach you a lot about green reading even if you end up not using the method.
 
That would suffice for an explanation if the putt simply broke the way I read it, just not enough or too much depending on how hard I hit the putt. It does not explain the putt breaking in the opposite direction from how I read it. Or how I can't tell downhill from uphill! Case in point, the practice green at the muni. It is located behind the clubhouse, and I swore that it sloped away from the clubhouse just looking at it. Yet, all the putts going away from the clubhouse came up short, and all the putts toward the clubhouse went long. So, I decided to putt across the green parallel to the clubhouse and guess how it broke? In the direction that appeared to be uphill!

And the idea of feeling the slope with your feet, which I understand to be a part of the Aimpoint method, didn't seem to work there either. Heck, I figured that out for myself a long time ago. These greens seem to be very subtle. As I said before, I'm usually pretty good at reading putts. I think I just need a little more time with these to figure them out.
 
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