Do amateurs over read or under read breaks on putts? (poll)

[Stewie007]

I don't think there is a set rule of thumb. Its far too variable to say that they will always over read or under read somewhat exclusively.

[McGolf-Doggie]

Originally Posted by Sing Golfer

I don't agree with David Peltz's putting method, but he research and data is very thorough.  If he says amateurs under read break then that is the view I am running with.

As for the poster who is putting only inside left / right - I wish I had your greens. I can get a foot of break on a 5 foot putt where I play, driving me crazy sometimes.

Love that stuff, I seem to get more enjoyment practicing on a big turtleback green with lots of break, than on a flat green.

[Rip24]

This is going to sound ridiculous, but playing golfing video/computer games growing up did wonders for me in understanding greens.  some of them were very good simulations that let you play around with speed and break to see how the line is effected.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Stewie007

I don't think there is a set rule of thumb. Its far too variable to say that they will always over read or under read somewhat exclusively.

My experience tell me that good putters miss on both sides, not by very much, and tend to err on the side of having "a good leave" on really big breakers. I also notice that  really bad putters miss quite short or long and often the ball crosses the line (starting oint to cup) at some point so it looks like only the pace was wrong. Sometimes this is probably true, but not as often as they (we) think. Just my thoughts.

[Kieran123]

I generally over read most of my putts...so that's what I voted on.

[GJBenn85]

I'm generally pretty good at reading breaks but when I misread, it is because I think there is more break than there actually is.  I am comforted by watching the pros miss their putts; it gives me hope, LOL.

[golf4ever]

I think a lot depends on how often you play a course too.  My private club has really steep greens and require a lot of break.  I often under read them.   When I go to another course, I over read them.  In fact, most of the time when a straight putt is correct, I try to find a break that is not there.

[saevel25]

i have to send i tend to overread the putts.. But there are some general trends.

Small breaking putts i tend to read just find, like 2-3 inches outside the edge of the hole

Sliders, the ones that are above the hole, like 4-5 footers, i tend to under read

Longer putts, and big breakers i tend to over read

[evan01]

I just finished 18 and missed 6   4'-5' par putts could have had a round for the ages instead average. Hey I played still happy but does anyone know of a good practice routine for this distance. Most of the putts where sliders. Not just flat straight putts.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by evan01

I just finished 18 and missed 6   4'-5' par putts could have had a round for the ages instead average. Hey I played still happy but does anyone know of a good practice routine for this distance. Most of the putts where sliders. Not just flat straight putts.

I'm getting better on these after not worrying about the hole. Aiming at a point beyond the hole (or just front for downhillers or lightning fast greens when playing away - my home course has slow greens) and trusting myself to roll the ball toward that spot has helped me relax. More testers are dropping and if the don't, I trust the comebacker will fall.

[evan01]

i like the idea of aiming just past the hole. Your own thought? do you see the ball falling in the hole more often than not?

[Jmdmbike]

When you hear a pro describe how they read greens, it's amazing how much goes into it - and not just the break, but how speed is impacted by conditions. That's why I think most of us are misreading all over the place - not just above or below the hole, but by being short or long as well. I find myself thinking that I didn't realize a putt would be as fast or slow as it was as often as I do about misreading the break.

[LankyLefty]

I find the more I think about a putt the worse it turns out. My putting is solid overall but not a strength, I almost never 3 putt but I 1 putt even less. Anything inside 3 feet for me is pretty much automatic but from outside 3-4 feet I struggle.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by evan01

i like the idea of aiming just past the hole. Your own thought? do you see the ball falling in the hole more often than not?

Depends on the hole, but yeah, I think more are dropping. I also took a tip from Golf Magazine (their "Number 1s" issue) where a journeyman pro provided some tips, He suggested imagining stoking a putt straight at the hole, and you know what? I tried that and don't see that much break on most putts "straightish" putts. Why do these breakthroughs always happen in the last week or two of the season? By 2012 I'll have forgotten how to putt all over again. Oh well.

[heggis]

i try not to worry about reading to much but consentrate on distance control if you get this right your 2 putt everything easily and get the on putts more often thats as a 16 handicaper

[B-Con]

For myself, it depends on the distance. For <5 feet, I tend to miss high, especially when there's little break. I'm always paranoid about hitting a relatively straight putt only to miss due to a couple inches of break I failed to read. So I tend to over-analyze break on short putts. But for longer putts, maybe >10 feet, I tend to miss low. I think I generally underestimate how much the ball breaks in the last two feet. But I also prefer to hit my second putt uphill rather than downhill, so I have a slight bias to underestimate the break whenever I'm in doubt and my lag putt is unlikely to go in.

[B-Con]

For myself, it depends on the distance. For <5 feet, I tend to miss high, especially when there's little break. I'm always paranoid about hitting a relatively straight putt only to miss due to a couple inches of break I failed to read. So I tend to over-analyze break on short putts. But for longer putts, maybe >10 feet, I tend to miss low. I think I generally underestimate how much the ball breaks in the last two feet. But I also prefer to hit my second putt uphill rather than downhill, so I have a slight bias to underestimate the break whenever I'm in doubt and my lag putt is unlikely to go in.

Bah, I used a left angled bracket and the forum thought it was an HTML tag so my OP is rendered funny... Now it's displayed properly in the quote block.