Do you ever stand over a putt and second guess your read, only to watch the ball miss wide, breaking too much or not enough? You’re not alone. And there’s a chance, the problem isn’t your stroke, it’s the read.
Putting is often lost before the ball even moves. distance, slope (angle & gradient), grain and other factors can all influence how the ball rolls. If you misread those pieces of information, even a good stroke can send the putt off line.
Slope
Start by assessing the size of the slope you are putting across. As you look from your ball to the hole, is there a high side and a low side to the terrain? How much slope is there? Does the slope look large or small? The larger the size of the slope, the more it will break.
A great way to assess the severity of the slopes on a green, not just see them, is to use your feet and body. As you walk around the putt and survey it, pay attention to what your body is telling you. If your body weight shifts to one side, you’re on a slope. Combine these physical cues with visual reads to better understand the contours beneath your ball.
Angle
On any size of slope, the angle your ball is on that slope will also determine the size of the break. For example, on any particular slope, there will be a downhill or uphill straight putt, where the ball wouldn’t break. However, if you were to move away from that straight putt on a fixed radius from the hole, the angle across the slope would be changing relative to the hole.
As angle changes, so does break. Also, any angle that is downhill will break more than the same angle uphill. This is a great exercise to do. Find a slope and putt around the hole from different angles from the same distance/radius from the hole. Notice how break changes as angle changes. See which angle gives you the most break.
Routine
To make green reading consistent, build a routine. For example, you could start from behind your ball and observe the green surface and any slopes between your ball and the hole that you intend to putt across. Is this a large slope or a small slope gradient? Then, walk around to the lowest side of the putt and view the putt from ground level. Is it level, uphill or downhill? What’s the angle to the straight putt? Or what would be the true downslope direction?
Look for subtle slopes or ridges which could have an effect on the ball. If you are still unsure of the read, take a final look from behind the hole back to the ball, you could see the slope amount more clearly. Once you’ve gathered the information, choose a direction you feel you need to start the ball along which matches your read, trust it, and commit to that read.
Even the best players in the world obsess over the read. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, for example, visualises the exact angle his ball needs to enter the hole. He then works backwards from that point, tracing the ideal path across the green. Along the way, he picks out key spots the ball must roll over, effectively mapping its journey.
Tools like the Visio Chalk Pens or Phantom Holes can help you do the same during your green-reading practice. They let you mark intended lines, visualise entry points, and build a reliable pre-putt routine. Once Scotty steps back to his ball, he aligns the line on his putter to his chosen start line and commits. There’s no guesswork, just a system built on precision and trust.
Most golfers practice their putting stroke, but few practice reading greens. That’s a mistake. Reading greens is a key skill that needs just as much attention as the other skills, like start line and speed. So next time you’re on the practice putting green, choose to practice putts at different distances and break amounts that you will likely face out on the course.
In the end, reading greens is about identifying slope direction and the gradient amount. Explore a few ways that could help you, and stick to a routine which gives you success. And above all, practice your reads as deliberately as you practice your stroke. Because once you start reading greens the right way, everything changes. The hole looks bigger. Your putts start dropping. And the green stops being a guessing game and becomes an opportunity.
#practicewithpurpose.
Team Visio
Do the alignment lines on your putter enhance your accuracy, or could they be hindering your performance?
Most golfers use the lines on their putters to aim the face precisely along their chosen start line. This is especially common if you also use a line on your golf ball to assist with aiming. But have you ever considered whether these lines are actually benefiting you?
ou step up, address the ball with your putter, and make a smooth stroke, only to watch the ball veer off line like it had a mind of its own. You swear you aimed it right. But did you? For most golfers, the issue isn’t the stroke. It’s misalignment, starting the ball in the wrong direction from the very beginning.
Do you ever stand over a putt and second guess your read, only to watch the ball miss wide, breaking too much or not enough? You’re not alone. And there’s a chance, the problem isn’t your stroke, it’s the read.
Putting is often lost before the ball even moves. distance, slope (angle & gradient), grain and other factors can all influence how the ball rolls. If you misread those pieces of information, even a good stroke can send the putt off line.
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