How long do you take to read your putt?

[ramrockgolfer35]

Even though I have an incredibly high handicap, putting is actually one of my strong points. I almost always two putt. A three putt for me is rare. My biggest problem is my driver(always!) and my wedges. The wedges come in and out, I think I made a mistake getting a fourth wedge, too many options.

But back to the subject, I walk up to the green and read it as I walk on, then I may squat down if the green is especially hilly or steep, no practice strokes, easy straight back straight through stroke. Unless I am 10 feet out or more I usually sink'em.

[CarlSpackler]

I should have taken more time last night on a putt that was a downhill double breaker and could have avoided that four putt. Is there anything worse than a double after a GIR?

[shades9323]

I should have taken more time last night on a putt that was a downhill double breaker and could have avoided that four putt. Is there anything worse than a double after a GIR?

Yes. Not golfing would be worse!

In my 20+ years of golfing, I have never looked at my ball from anywhere other than from behind the ball.

[CarlSpackler]

Yes. Not golfing would be worse!

Hmmm. Good point.

[Leftygolfer]

Lefty,

I am aware I am not a pro and I am aware of other players. I know I will never take the time the pros do because they take too much time for casual golf. I do agree with everyone that a minute is too long and I do not take that. If I am out of the group it will take a little longer than if I have time to mark my ball read the green while others are putting so when it is my turn all I do is line up my ball, confirm that it is lined up correctly, take 2 practice strokes and line up my putter, one look, gone. (that will take about 15 seconds)

Everyone talks about how important pre shot routine is and you do see better players use them. I do, mine is very short and to the point, but then people say I shouldn't use a routine on the green? This is when there is no room for error, no getting up and down, it is you make or don't. So in my perception routine is more important on the greens than anywhere. I agree that people need to play golf more quickly. I do my part. I am always ready to go and not BSing with my friends, My bag is right there and as soon as the last tees off I am gone walking. One thing that I take very seriously is short putting. I believe that the 3 foot putt is the most important shot in golf. Most players take it for granted and are given these putts. You can not be a good competitive player and not be really good at these. You get good at these by making them and putting the same pressure on yourself as you would in a tournement. You think there is a reason people do worse in tournements than casual rounds? The reason is they take things for granted any other time but in them so you aren't used to having to make them when your nerves are burning and it is to save a bad hole.

[SubPar]

When I take the time to read a putt from front and back I'd say 50% of the time I get a better result. This is more true with long putts on greens I am less familiar with.

Walking around the low side and around back of the hole sometimes allows you to see up-grade or down-grade changes you won't see from behind the ball.

Many's the time I've hit a good putt based on my initial read from the ball, only to have the ball hit and up-slope or side slope I could not see until I went around the hole. This leads to unnecessary 3-putts.

SubPar

[shankapotamus]

Casual play: 15 seconds
Tournament play: 25 seconds

Roughly.

[ramrockgolfer35]

And then you wake up your playing partners, flip off the people who are screaming for your head in the group behind you, and eventually wander over to the next tee where you notice, for the 14th hole in a row, that there's nobody to be seen in front of you... right?

I know right? there is nothing worse than a guy who takes forever to putt, only to hit it 3 times. some people take themselves way too seriously.

[Leftygolfer]

I know right? there is nothing worse than a guy who takes forever to putt, only to hit it 3 times. some people take themselves way too seriously.

To each there own. There is something worse. Some hack who almost misses the ball, slices the ball and has to look for 3 minutes, tops the next shot, blades the one over the green, then gets on the green, and wonders why you aren't going to rush through a par putt because they took way too much time.

You will never meet a good golfer who isn't a good putter and a great short putter.

[lumpuckeroo]

I kind of go to the John Daly putting school, look at the putt from behind, step up and pull the trigger. The longer I look at a putt the harder it becomes, so I prefer to putt pretty quickly.

[NoGimmies]

I don't think this is a cut-and-dried situation. Some putts don't take as long to read as others...if you're playing in a tournament and you have a downhill left-to-right breaker on greens rolling 11-11.5, you're probably going to be a little more careful in reading that putt that you would be on, say a 15 footer, straight uphill on slower greens in a round with the guys/girls from work.

That being said, I think that every player should be analyzing their putt from the moment you approach the green complex. Look at the mounding, see where the ground slopes (in the big picture, I mean), imagine how a bucket of water would drain off of the green if someone poured it out standing in the center...Watch other players in your group to see how their putts react around the hole.

All of this gives you the general idea of your putt and how it is going to break. When it comes time for your turn, your final read should really be to determine the line you want to hit the putt on AND how hard you want to hit it.

Honestly, when it comes down to choosing the correct line versus choosing the correct speed--most amateurs would be MUCH better served focusing on speed. Keep your misses inside of 2 feet and you're going to have a lot fewer 3-putts...

And after all of that, to answer the question (LOL )--I generally take about 10-15 seconds behind the ball once it is my play. A few seconds to get the read, a few seconds to line my stripe up on the line I want and then I'm up and getting into my stance.

Cheers!
- Micah

[youngskip40]

However long it takes for me to know that the ball is going in the hole. Sometimes that only takes a few minutes, sometimes a few minutes. Like others have said, I read the green as I'm walking up the fairway, and I also try to move around (out of sight, of course) in between my playing partners putts so that I'm either ready to go as soon as I'm up or I'm close to it.

I take however long it takes for me to be confident that I've got the speed and the line... but I'm careful not to take too much time and read it too much. Second-guessing is suicide in putting.