Forums

Reading the break

• micklen 221 Posts

  Mon, Apr 19 2010 5:46 AM

  I'm not asking for miracle putting methods.  I know it's lack of knowledge through inexperience.  But it's damn annoying.  Nothing at all like golf IRL, that's never annoying is it???

  Been working on my putting for some time now and I am nearly there regarding the distance and snap. Following YankeeJim's advice of using at least one putting meter above the one I need has really helped the snap. ( 10' putt use the 30 meter - 20' use the 60 or even 90)

  The problem now is it has shown that I can't read the putts for toffee  :-(((  I am finding that one mistake is breeding others.  It's the steeper putts that I tend to underborrow, then when I miss those I am tending to overborrow the straighter ones

  Thing is as I play Links so much and the putting is much easier for me, I get frustrated and of course this makes things worse.  Now as we all know real golf is nothing like that.  You line up. hit the putt, in it rolls.  Yes!!!  ;-)

  What I am finding difficult is reading the speed of the dots and relating that to the amount of break, as again it's something I am not used to.  But that's my fault not the game's fault, it's just different

  Damn!!! This is a difficult game - But innit great :-)))

  Mick

  P.S. to WGT.  Can't wait to see the driving range and putting green, or whatever you plan to facilitate practice as I tend to learn much quicker if I can repeat the shot, hence liking the mulligan opportunity in Links

   

• don300 36 Posts

  Sun, Apr 25 2010 8:25 PM

  On #2 at SA, I have 3 putted 2 and 3 foot putts.  Once you start over (or under)  estimating the breaks, you are in big trouble.

• danohi50 1,020 Posts

  Sun, Apr 25 2010 11:23 PM

  Alas, to the best of my knowledge, when it comes to reading breaks, there is no magic 'formula'.

  Its more of a matter of experience. Eventually, you will begin to see little spots to aim at. Sometimes if you try aiming parallel to the nearest grid line  works. Yes the game gives you some hints. At times it offers no real help either. Sometimes an obvious suggestion is a sucker play. The best advice I can give to anyone that really struggles is this. Read Nivlacs distance putting control. Really get the distance down relating to your chosen putter. Purchase the putter with the best precision rating..I.E. the ball goes where you aim it and beasts are greatly reduced. Roll all putts 1-2 ft past the hole. This helps to reduce nuisance breaks. And I throw my mouse when I come up short..The greatest sin in golf IMHO.

  Good luck and happy putting!

• fancyfeet4 23 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 1:23 PM

  A thing I do to putt is actually not move the aimer (unless a huge breaking putt) and just miss the putt on either the right or left depending on the break.

  I am at a Master Level, but not one of the better players overall, and since I dont play much anymore, I dont go too low anymore, but when I was playing a lot it did me very well, especially on the small breaking putts.

  On something severe I just move it outside the hole, and then miss the putt right or left off of perfect.  On Bethpage I putt extremely well this way.  Kiawah and St. Andrews it is a bit more of hit or miss because of the undulating putts, but I imagine its hard any way.

  On top of any tips it helps to play the game a lot.  They use the same pin positions so if you play enough you will learn where to hit the ball, and what putts do.  

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 1:40 PM

  Experience is best tool IMO.  Unfortunately, even with that experience, you can still just have a bad day on the greens.  I 3 putted 5 times today, not good.

• ghettocop1 259 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 1:47 PM

  I rely on memory a great deal to play this game.  What works for me is to play the same 9 over and over until I am comfortable that I know the basic shots needed for the hole.  This includes greens.  Once I feel as if I have "learned" the course, I move to the next one.  Even if absent for a while, when I return to one of my original haunts, I still remember the greens fairly well.  Keep in mind, this can get you what some call a "fake" average, but it's what I do, and I'm not ashamed of it.  One day, I hope to move to BPB!  Until then, I guess I just suck.

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 2:13 PM

  Also, unless I am like 3 ft away and flat, I putt in reverse mode, you get a straighter view and closer view most of the time.

• VanHalenLover 1,422 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 3:09 PM

  neildiamond11790:

  Also, unless I am like 3 ft away and flat, I putt in reverse mode, you get a straighter view and closer view most of the time.

   

  And a much better look at the break closer to the hole, when it matter most - reverse view is the most important thing for me, easily.

   

• 464 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 9:47 PM

  Couldn't agree more with the past couple of posts by Neil and VH.

  Putting in reverse mode is definitely a benefit. I had forgotten about it and haven't been doing it recently but in the past it has proven to be helpful.

• SweetiePie 4,925 Posts

  Tue, Apr 27 2010 11:34 PM

  Putting in reverse can be tricky if you are one who, on purpose, putts early or late off of the white line. Doing so in reverse means just that. Late becomes early and vice versa.