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Tournament speed greens

• Joeyola 1,210 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 10:39 AM

  I can't play this crazy game without a scale taped to the bottom of my monitor frame.  But keep in mind that I also can't count past 10 without taking my shoes off (wink).

  Joey   

   

• tomab 518 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 10:39 AM

  I like simple calculation that you can do in no time. For each inch up/down I add/subtract 1 ft to the length. Then for St.Andrw I subtract 20% on the length.
  Other yards can be slightly slower/faster. Can hit a bit more uphill, less downhill.

  Ex. 20 ft 3 inc. down = 20 -3 -2 -2 = hit it as 14 ft.
  I use a scale under the meeter on screen.

  About the break I imagine 1/4 of the 2 ft grid as a base. For an average break I aim left/right 3 "units" for each 10 foot distance. Downhill breakes more, uphill less.

  If the above 20ft putt also has an average right to left break I aim 6 units right. That is 1 1/2 grid lines. Still I hit as 20 -3 -2 -2 = 14 ft.
  But afther a while your experience shows faster and slower breaks.

  Good luck.

• GoldCard 298 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 12:44 PM

  For tournament speed greens.

  Add or subtract 1foot to/from distance to hole and using a calculator, divide by 1.3.

  This should get you fairly close every time.

  Example: 20 foot putt, 3" uphill = 23 feet

  23 divided by 1.3 = 17.69

  I would hit 18 ' or 17' if this was downhill.

  Some form of scale is absolutely essential other wise you are guessing, regardless of the amount of practice you have had.

  Reading the break is always going to be a lottery, experience will help you get close but only luck (or perhaps some 3rd party help?) will get that ball to drop consistently.

  If you miss a putt by an inch or by 6 feet, it is still recorded as a miss.

• cjfelton 79 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 4:21 PM

  On the tournament speed greens, GoldCard is close to my method except I multiply the total (distance +/- the elevation change) x .7 (70%).  On putts with a lot of break, I first determine the distance first right at the cup, then set the aim marker with no change to the distance.  It will generally leave you a close second if you don't drop the first.  I almost never have a 3 putt this way.

  Another tip on the breaking short putts on the tourney greens.  Say you have a 3 foot putt with some decent break but nothing extreme - very common on Kiawah and SA.  I forgo the method above, set the marker near the hole and pull it back to about four feet.  The speed takes the break away and you will make most of those putts.  You'll miss some learning this technique and have some long comebackers for par, but in short time you'll start making those birdie putts that are difference between a mediocre and a great score.

• DuffyWaldorf 286 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 7:02 PM

  Based on the Starter Putter...a FAST green on the 30 ft scale divided by the 5 putter movements = 6 feet per movement

  Very Fast Greens i just bumped the 6 feet per movement up to 7

  Tournament Greens bumped the 6 feet up to 8 feet per movement

  So pulling all the way back on the 30 foot scale on a flat putt will go 40 feet

  As far as break goes...it's usuallly i give it too much or not enough so the next time I try it's too much or not enough. Fun game.

  Happy Golfing

  Joe

   

• Joeyola 1,210 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 8:18 PM

  AvatarLee:

  It's all about memory, feel and visualization for me.

  And that comes with experience.            

  Joey

• CharlemagneRH 1,054 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 8:31 PM

  Seems to me that WGT has been playing with the green speeds a bit.

  I'm extremely scientific and consistent when it comes to power selection, but lately, I've had to hit long putts with 3-6% less power than normal.

• brhthecarpenter 333 Posts

  Mon, Jan 24 2011 10:21 PM

  very well said joey. i also use a  gage  for my putting . on google chrome  my  bar is a about 5 1/4 ins. i divide that in half  and divide the other 2 halves and make a scale . it works for me. only on  my putter. all the rest is by seat of my pants

• Joeyola 1,210 Posts

  Tue, Jan 25 2011 1:27 AM

  brhthecarpenter:

  i also use a  gage  for my putting . on google chrome  my  bar is a about 5 1/4 ins. i divide that in half  and divide the other 2 halves and make a scale . it works for me. only on  my putter. all the rest is by seat of my pants

  Avatar movements are too complicated for me.  Check out the Putting Distances I use on my blog.  The scales are set up for the putter I use...let me know what you think.

  Joey

• Poulakidas 31 Posts

  Tue, Jan 25 2011 4:10 PM

  one thing I've noticed when playing Alternate shot games with Tour Master and Legend participants is:

  when T-Master is the highest tier of the four players, green speed is Tournament, greens are a little faster than my standard Very Fast green speed.

  when Legend is in play, tournament green speed again, but this time significally faster than my very fast green speed.

  so I figure there is a difference even on the same green speed level

  it could be the same with a tour-pro's and a master's very fast greens, eventhough I did not feel any difference when I recently changed tier.