Green Tee Golf Reading Routines

It is one thing to strike the putts correctly and have a good idea of distance. But the ball will still not regularly fall into a small hole unless you follow a regular green reading routine.

Developing Judgement

Deciding in the line and speed of a putt is something at which the top pros excel, but it is a skill that develops only with the experience of playing on a variety of courses in different conditions. Regular practice on different greens will accelerate the learning process.

To develop long term consistency in green reading skills, it is important to run through a specific routine as you prepare for a putt. Only by viewing each putt from the same angle, and by making the same number of practice strokes each time, will you be able to obtain consistent feedback on your judgement.

Your First Steps

You should not spend too much time on your reading, though, as this can hold up the pace of play. So start to view the green as you walk on to it. You cannot afford to wait until you are standing on a green to start reading the putt.

It is often difficult to detect the contours of the putting surface when standing on it, so you should, instead, start to notice the greens as soon as they are within pitching range.

In many cases, you will get a better overall picture from slightly farther away, where you can see the entire green and the lie of the surrounding land.

After long spells of rain, the sand in a bunker will be wet and hard and will exhibit different properties than under normal circumstances. When you step into the bunker and go to take your stance, you will be able to gauge how hard the sand is.

If it has not compacted, then a sand wedge will probably be the most suitable club, because the flange at the bottom of this club has been designed for use under circumstances that will prevail at least 90 percent of the time.