Green Reading Methods Explained: A Guide For New Golfers

If you don’t know how to read the greens you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Misreading greens can lead to a poor shot and negative result. For many golfers, this is more than just understanding the condition of the greens. This means thinking about how the ball will move depending on the current condition of the grass. There are different types of greens and they can affect ball movement. For example, if the grass is shiny and dry the ball may have a tendency to move faster. If the greens are damp or wet from rain the ball could move slower. Such aspects put things in perspective for the golfer to make changes to their strategies. Here are some points to help you understand how greens are read.

• Stand behind the hole and observe. Then move back about 3 feet and squat down. Observing the green and just taking time to look at it gives an idea of how the ball will move and what path it will take.
• Note the look of the greens. How do they look? Do they look shiny, short or dry? What directions are they growing? All of these aspects can affect how the ball moves and what potential challenges it may have after contact.
• Predict where the ball will go. Doing this helps create positive mindset and helps work toward hitting closer to the target. You can make a prediction based on your ability to hit. This is a little different from knowing exactly where the ball will go, but depending on current conditions of the greens and expected outcome, it gives a general idea of what you expect to happen when you hit the ball.
• Define slopes and get an idea of what may happen when the ball moves. Understanding the slopes can give an idea of how you need to hit the ball. Slopes can make the ball move faster depending on their size.
• As you read slopes, be careful of speed. This can be a trick aspect when it comes to hitting the ball. When you maintain speed of your swing and retain control you should be able to hit the ball just enough to make it through and get it closer to its target. In other words, when hitting the ball it helps to come up short and let the slope help the ball move instead of hitting it too hard and missing your target.