“A” Game Golf Instruction Blog

The Golf Doctor and PGA Tour Pro Blaine McCallister tell you how to read greens.

A few pointers on reading greens.
1. Pay attention to how the green looks before you actually arrive there. See how the green slopes from front to back and side to side as you get closer to it.
2. Anytime a ball lands on the green, pay close attention to how it roles, especially when you hit your shots. Avoid the tendancy to get upset and look everywhere but where your ball went when you don’t hit a ball onto the green exactly the way you wanted. You’ll still get valuable information about how the green slopes anytime any golf ball is rolling anywhere on the green.
3. Remember that greens have to have some slope so that water doesn’t puddle on them. If you poured water on the green, which way would it run?
4. The majority of greens slope from back to front to help the ball stay on the green when you hit into it.
5. When pros talk about the grain, they are considering which way the grass is leaning. Grass doesn’t grow straight up. If you stroke the grass on the green, you can feel which way the grass is leaning just like when you rub your hand on someone’s beard on their face. If you compare a person’s beard to a green, rubbing your hand up their face toward their eyes is against the grain and down toward their feet is with the grain. If you putt against the grain, the ball won’t roll as far as putting with the grain and putting across the grain will cause your putts to break more. Remember it’s illegal to test the grain with your hand or anything else during a tournament so if you want to do it, do it during a practice round. Here are a few general rules to keep in mind if you aren’t prepared in advance of a tournament. Grass normally grows downhill, toward the setting sun in the west, or toward a water source like a water sprinkler. Grass looks darker when you look into or against the grain and lighter when you look down or with the grain.

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