Blog
Notes on reading greens and the physics of putting.
The three things to look at first when you read a green
Checking slope, green speed and the last metre before the hole — in that order — sharpens your line more than anything else. Here is why, with the physics behind it.
- Putting
- Green reading
- Fundamentals
Is it better to "hit it firm" or to "play the line"?
There is a trade-off between how much pace and how much direction you are allowed to miss by. Starting from the speed at which a cup can capture a ball, we work out which touch holes the most putts.
- Putting
- Pace
- Probability
The first 20% of a putt is not rolling at all
Straight after impact the ball is airborne, then sliding. That phase is exactly why a putt barely breaks early on.
- Putting
- Physics