Reading The Green
Author: Brian Kendall

A good putting game makes all the difference in golf. If you
want to improve your game you must develop an ability to read
the green.

Unless you have experience, factors such as: the shape and
roughness of the ground; the thickness or wetness of the grass;
and the changes of distance can distort your judgment.

So first get down and take a good look at the ground between
the ball and the cup. Lay your club in the direction of the
hole and check the surface along the shaft. Do you see any
bumps? Are there any curves to the left or to the right? Do you
see any hills and valleys? Figure out how much downhill versus
uphill is between you and your goal. Your shot would change
depending on whether you are uphill or downhill and how the
green breaks. Feel the grass. Moisture can shorten the balls
distance up to 14 inches.

Then there is the length of the grass to consider and whether
it has been double cut (double cut means that the grass has
been cut in one direction and mowed again at a perpendicular
angle). This affects the distance the ball will travel. If the
grass is double cut it can go 12 inches further than it
normally would and likewise if the grass has been cut even 1/16
inch shorter, the ball will travel 10 inches further. More
difficult to determine is whether the grass has been rolled
which will compact the soil. That would increase the ball's
travel up to ten inches.

These techniques can't be measured objectively. Unless you
carry around cumbersome equipment, the more you practice the
more you can rely on experience. If you are not actively
playing watch how others play the game. It's a good idea to see
the hole from another angle. Take notes and use that information
to judge how to putt.


About The Author: Brian Kendall is a staff writer at
http://www.sports-gazette.com and is an occasional contributor
to several other websites, including
http://www.outdoorsportsenthusiast.com .