One of the most over looked parts of putting is green reading. Regardless of how good your putting stroke is, if you can't select the correct line you will reduce your chances of holing putts.
Putting combines a number of elements but one of the keys to improving stroke averages is the ability to read greens.
PGA professional, and top Welsh coach Neil Matthews, tees up some useful advice on how to master the art of green reading.
Much is talked about how far Phil Mickelson can hit the ball and his wonderful recovery and short game skills. These will undoubtedly be in demand at Doral's Blue Monster course this week where the left hander will defend the World Golf Championship he won in sparkling fashion last year.
But one aspect of his game that is definitely worth a closer look is his putting. When you consider he averaged 24.8 putts per round for the tournament last year and only took an astonishing 20 putts in his opening round of 65, it illustrates just how important a part of the game putting is!
Most golfers want to reduce their handicap but rather than taking a lesson with their local PGA pro they spend hundreds of pounds on the latest technology expecting it to transform their game.
What I find interesting is that despite the fact average golfers will take around 36 putts per round and use their driver just 12-14 times, they never have a putting lesson or spend enough time practising such an important part of the game.
One of the most over looked parts of putting is green reading. Regardless of how good your putting stroke is or ability to judge distance, if you can't select the correct line you will have drastically reduced your chances of holing the putts.
Below are some tips to help read those greens more effectively and get your putting average down which in turn will help lower your handicap.
OVERVIEW
Start by standing five-seven yards behind the ball and taking a general look at the green and a basic survey of the slopes.
On Tour you will see the pros looking from all angles on the green and really studying their line. Although club golfers won't necessarily go to that length it's worth considering where you should read the putt from so you can get into a routine which gives you the best chance of reading that putt correctly.
Try the following process:
- Look from behind the ball so you can see how the ball will need to travel into the cup
- Look from the low side which will give you a different perspective and can help you judge the pace of the putt
- Look around the hole to help decide the entry point
Then try breaking the putt into three sections:
THE ENTRY POINT
It's always useful to work from the hole back to the ball so your first consideration should be where the ball will enter the cup. Imagine the hole as a clockface with 6pm facing back at your ball.
Now, start to ask yourself at what time or point on that clock will the ball enter the cup and this becomes your entry point.
Start focusing on the last 3-4 feet of the putt and then, as you would plot coordinates on a graph, visualise how the ball will travel into the hole and mentally join up these coordinates until you can see a curved line tracking to the hole.
THE START LINE
A lot of players now draw lines on their ball to help aim the putter and help them visualise where the ball needs to start in order to go in. If a player aims the putter incorrectly they will need to manipulate and pull or push the putt which can not only affect the line but also the pace of the putt.
THE APEX
The apex is the highest point or peak of the putt and we use this as a reference to when the ball will break off the start line. On big breaking putts it's amazing how early the ball will move off this line and it's interesting how many players think that the ball travels straight down this line for at least two thirds of its distance and only breaks in at the end of its journey even though in actual fact it will move off the initial line within the first third of the putt.
Finally, visualise the ball rolling along this line and dropping into the hole, imagining that somebody had painted a line for you to follow on the green.
So often you hear players commenting that they can "see the line" so if you can create this in your mind's eye. I'm sure with a little practice you can greatly improve your green reading and putting.
Remember, when you look at the world's best putters they have effective and consistent strokes but are undoubtedly the world's best green readers.
It's important to state that this isn't just a skill that you're blessed with rather something that needs to be practised and can be greatly improved.
Welsh National coach and Pontypool head professional Neil Matthews is part of Golf Coaching Cymru Discussion Group, which is a group of coaches selected by The PGA and Golf Union of Wales to pilot Levels 3 and 4 of the UKCC coaching qualifications. He can be contacted on 07989 428 584.
10 March, 2010 | The PGA