Make or break

Four steps to reading your next putt into the hole

How do you read a green? This is a simple question that I have been asked hundreds of times. It’s one of those questions that’s very difficult to answer because of all the variables that go into reading a green. Some golfers have a natural ability to see contours in a putting green. I believe the No. 1 area of concern is the speed of the green. This factor influences how much a putt will or will not break.

There are outside factors that will influence the break on a putt. Things such as grain, bodies of water, mountains and wind speed will all factor into how a putt will break.

Grain can be an issue, depending on which type of grass you are putting on. Grain can be explained by looking at the stripes on a putting green. When putting with or against the grain there are two rules of thumb. First, grain that is growing toward you (the dark stripe) will cause the putt speed to be a little slower. Grain growing against you (the light stripe) will cause the putt to be a little faster.

Putts also tend to break towards bodies of water and break away from mountains. And depending on how strong the wind is blowing at the time of your putt, the wind can influence a putt in the direction the wind is blowing.

Here is a four-step method that I go through when reading a putt:

1. Look at the green from behind the ball looking toward the hole. This is to help you see what angle the green is sloped from (left to right and/or right to left).

2. Look at the putt from the low side of the green, which is the side to which the ball will break. This will help you see if it’s an uphill or downhill putt.

3. Look at the putt from behind the hole, looking toward your ball. I sometimes don’t like to do this because it gives me a confusing look.

4. Finally, take one look from behind the ball, set-up and pull the trigger.

Lastly, don’t over read your putts. Most of the time you should stick with your first instinct because usually it’s the correct line for your ball speed. Never second guess yourself!