Reading Greens

[Missouri Swede]

2 hours ago, Patch said:

Another thing I sometimes do, is while walking up to the green is to see if there is a building in the back ground with a level, horizontal line to compare the green surface with. 

[Buckeyebowman]

My thinking is that if you have the time, if there is not another group pushing you, take the time to walk around behind the hole and have a look at it from the opposite direction. Many times I've read putts that broke exactly opposite of what I thought. After I'd mark my ball and stand aside for others to putt, I'd get on the other side of the hole and think "What the hell was I looking at? Of course it was going to break that way!"

I don't know Aimpoint, but from what I've read here, I've read many "old pros" write about reading the green with their feet. But you can't just do that where the ball is. I would think you'd have to follow it all the way up the line. I think it might be easier just to walk around the hole.

[DaveP043]

7 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I don't know Aimpoint, but from what I've read here, I've read many "old pros" write about reading the green with their feet. But you can't just do that where the ball is. I would think you'd have to follow it all the way up the line. I think it might be easier just to walk around the hole.

I pay attention to the feeling when I'm walking up to pull the flag.  I might stop halfway, and just look and feel from there.  I'm not a guy that likes to look from behind the hole, sometimes I get contradictory impressions there.

[iacas]

7 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I don't know Aimpoint, but from what I've read here, I've read many "old pros" write about reading the green with their feet. But you can't just do that where the ball is. I would think you'd have to follow it all the way up the line. I think it might be easier just to walk around the hole.

It's not easier to just walk around the hole. The other side of the hole is completely irrelevant, and your eyes are lousy at reading greens, all things considered. Your feet are way, way better.

AimPoint works. I was a very good green reader before, too.

[70sSanO]

Good responses.  I did a little research on AimPoint and the express does look like a good approach.  I like the suggestions about using your feet to feel the slope of the greens.

While I understand it is not legal for tournaments, and maybe frowned upon in general, has anyone tried to velcro a bubble level on the tops of their shoes to confirm the slope feel?  It wouldn't matter if it was set at actual true level because it is relative to a reading at 180 degrees.  Something that would be quick and could easily be popped off.

I can see that it might become a crutch if is wasn't just to confirm what the feet are feeling.  But it seems like it could be helpful in learning the feel the slope... see, feel, and confirm.  Probably take less time than traipsing around hoping to pick up something.

John

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, 70sSanO said:

While I understand it is not legal for tournaments, and maybe frowned upon in general, has anyone tried to velcro a bubble level on the tops of their shoes to confirm the slope feel?  It wouldn't matter if it was set at actual true level because it is relative to a reading at 180 degrees.  Something that would be quick and could easily be popped off.

I've downloaded a digital bubble level app for my phone.  You could certainly use something like that on the practice green to develop your feel for slope degree and direction.  

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, 70sSanO said:

Good responses.  I did a little research on AimPoint and the express does look like a good approach.  I like the suggestions about using your feet to feel the slope of the greens.

While I understand it is not legal for tournaments, and maybe frowned upon in general, has anyone tried to velcro a bubble level on the tops of their shoes to confirm the slope feel?  It wouldn't matter if it was set at actual true level because it is relative to a reading at 180 degrees.  Something that would be quick and could easily be popped off.

I can see that it might become a crutch if is wasn't just to confirm what the feet are feeling.  But it seems like it could be helpful in learning the feel the slope... see, feel, and confirm.  Probably take less time than traipsing around hoping to pick up something.

John

Small levels are not that effective because the are prone to inconsistencies in the green. But they are better than nothing. I have a digital level I got at my first AimPoint class. It is one foot long. I don't bring it on the course, but I use it to calibrate my feet when practicing.

[RH31]

On ‎5‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 1:46 PM, 70sSanO said:

I don't recall having this issue when I was younger, or maybe I have selectively erased it from my mind, but I can't read greens.  I'm not talking about the obvious rainbow putts; I actually made a 15 foot bender yesterday.  I'm talking about looking at the hole and basically guessing... "I think it is going to break right, or maybe left, or... straight?"  My speed is pretty good and I can usually hit it where I am aiming, but where I am aiming is generally not where I really want to hit it.  I try to get an idea when I ride/walk up to the green, but my mind is usually jello when I have to pull the trigger and putt I defensively.

Any advice?

Are there instructors that work on reading greens and not the putting stroke?

Thanks in advance.

John

I think that putts with subtle breaks are the hardest to read. I also think that matching the read, line and speed is very difficult for 18 holes. Some days I just "see" lines better. I do know I always hit a better putt if I make up my mind fairly quickly and don't change my read when I get up over a putt.

Here's how I do it. I look at the putt from the side first to determine how much uphill or downhill. So I set the speed first in my mind. Then I look at the putt from whatever is lower, behind the ball or behind the hole. If I'm still confused, I'll look at from the other direction.

I "see" a line that I think the putt should travel on just like you would if you were putting on dew covered greens. When I get over my ball I trace that "dew" line from my ball to the hole, then from the hole to my ball, then fire away.

Sometimes when I can't make up my mind if a putt breaks 12" or say 16", I visualize where would my ball end up if I putted my ball straight at the hole. Ok, it would fall 12" below the hole, that's how much loop I would play.

[WUTiger]

I signed up for an  clinic on June 4 at nearby St. Clair Country Club.

Instructor is Rob Strano, whom I met at Orlando. He grew up locally, and is lead instructor at a Strano Golf Academy in Florida.

According to the AimPoint web site, St. Louis has no resident AP instructors. Nearest ones are Kansas City and Chicago.

[No Mulligans]

I learned Aimpoint Express by buying the video on their site, buying a level and then practicing the technique.  That worked for me.  I may still take a clinic somewhere down the line.  I'd have to travel a bit to take a clinic.

The nice thing about the video is I can watch time and time again.

 

[Buckeyebowman]

15 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I pay attention to the feeling when I'm walking up to pull the flag.  I might stop halfway, and just look and feel from there.  I'm not a guy that likes to look from behind the hole, sometimes I get contradictory impressions there.

Speaking of stopping half way, I got some of my best reads today by walking halfway between the ball and hole and just taking a look. I was playing in an informal 2 man scramble with some buds for the grand prize of beers and dogs! On the very first hole, an easy par 5, we're putting for eagle. I putt first, and 3 feet from the hole we think the ball is in. A foot from the hole it breaks right and I graze the edge.

I mark, and stand aside while my buddy putts. I'm about halfway and from there I can clearly see the subtle little mound in the green that the cup was cut in. You could not see it from behind the ball. Believe me, we checked! I've long been a proponent of letting my feet inform my brain, but if your eyes can't see everything then your feet can't feel everything. They have to work together to get the best read.

[colin007]

On 5/25/2016 at 2:15 PM, DaveP043 said:

 

9 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Speaking of stopping half way, I got some of my best reads today by walking halfway between the ball and hole and just taking a look. I was playing in an informal 2 man scramble with some buds for the grand prize of beers and dogs! On the very first hole, an easy par 5, we're putting for eagle. I putt first, and 3 feet from the hole we think the ball is in. A foot from the hole it breaks right and I graze the edge.

I mark, and stand aside while my buddy putts. I'm about halfway and from there I can clearly see the subtle little mound in the green that the cup was cut in. You could not see it from behind the ball. Believe me, we checked! I've long been a proponent of letting my feet inform my brain, but if your eyes can't see everything then your feet can't feel everything. They have to work together to get the best read.

But what if they're telling you opposite things? I don't even look at putts anymore except to judge the distance.

Argh! Stupid formatting.

[70sSanO]

15 hours ago, No Mulligans said:

I learned Aimpoint Express by buying the video on their site, buying a level and then practicing the technique.  That worked for me.  I may still take a clinic somewhere down the line.  I'd have to travel a bit to take a clinic.

The nice thing about the video is I can watch time and time again.

 

I didn't know they had a video.  I think that is probably a good start and then I can go from there.

It's funny, back in the 80's a group of us would play 9 holes after work in the Summer.  One of the guys brought in a video Golf My Way and we watched a good chunk of it during lunch.  I went out that evening and shot the best 9 hole score of my life... 3 over.  The video didn't change my golf game, because the effects were only short term, (hours), but to this day I will give credit to that lunchtime video session.

John

[Mop Bucket]

The best tool to use when you're reading greens is your feet. Walk the putt off and feel what the green is doing under you feet. We have a great a ability to detect when we're walking up or downhill or on an incline. Sometimes this is more reliable than using your eyes.

[Buckeyebowman]

13 hours ago, colin007 said:

Argh! Stupid formatting.

If that happens, I go with my feet.

[natureboy]

On 5/26/2016 at 11:58 AM, boogielicious said:

Small levels are not that effective because the are prone to inconsistencies in the green. But they are better than nothing. I have a digital level I got at my first AimPoint class. It is one foot long. I don't bring it on the course, but I use it to calibrate my feet when practicing.

What about taping a shorter digital level to a yardstick?

[iacas]

23 minutes ago, natureboy said:

What about taping a shorter digital level to a yardstick?

A yard stick is too big.

There's a reason the Husky 9" digital level works well.

[Dan42nepa]

approaching the green I always look for the low point where water would drain off during a deluge, thats a start. I look at overall slope of the green, what did my approach or my oponents shot do on the green. If still have dout I feel with my feet. uphill i allow for slighly more, downhill a hair less make a decision concentrate on speed and keep your head still and stroke the putt.