Shaving strokes on the putting surface

Another installment written for the Turkish golf magazine GOLF DUNYASI

Putting is an important part of golf. Fortunately, becoming a proficient putter is easier than becoming a skillful ball striker, which requires exhaustive training, practice, dedication. Since approximately 50% of your score will be comprised of putts, it makes sense to invest time learning how to become a better putter. You will find ample information to help you “groove” your putting stroke. But, perhaps just as important is: understanding greens and putting surfaces.

GETTING TO THE GREEN…All greens are not created equal. Understand what type of golf course you are playing, and concentrate on positioning your ball on the green with a good approach technique. This will improve your chances to reduce putts.

GREENS VARY ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF GOLF COURSE:

• Older golf courses (pre 1950’s) will likely have “push-up greens” – meaning the green was built from soil found near the green. These greens will likely be smaller, higher in the middle with slopes (for drainage) in all directions. Your target is the middle of the green.
• Golf courses built from approximately 1950’s to 1990’s tend to be sloped from back to front, to “receive shots”. During this time, sand also became popular in greens construction which, among other things, improved their receptive quality. You might consider favoring the right side and short of the “flag or hole” on these greens, which will normally leave you an uphill putt and/or a right to left break (more comfortable for right hand players).
• Contemporary golf courses tend to have more sophisticated and larger greens. These courses feature “target areas or greens” within the green, with drainage (slopes) directed in any direction. The best advice in this case is to place your approach as near to the flag/hole as possible, to avoid complex breaking putts.

READING THE GREEN…Reading the green includes understanding two factors: “break” and “speed”.

SlopeAll greens are built with surface drainage, which is a prerequisite for the growth of good turf. Identify the lowest part of the green – the outlet point - and follow the direction of drainage up from this point. This will help you comprehend the contour of the green.

Greens built near any water body will generally slope in the direction of the water. Also, greens built in mountainous terrain will slope away from the mountain, regardless of what your eyes are telling you.

When you approach the green it is important to look at the contours and assess the slopes and lie of the land. Remember, the closer your eyes are to the surface of the green, the better you'll see the green contours. This is why you see professionals squatting to read their putts.

Grass types
There are basically two categories of grass used on golf courses; warm season and cool season. “Warm season” refers to locations where there are zero or very few days when temperatures will reach freezing temperatures.

1. Warm season grasses include Bermuda, Zoysia, Paspalum, etc. These grasses are propagated through stolens and are characterized as stiff, bristly and wiry. These grasses can produce heavy grain (explained later) and generally produce slower putting surfaces.
2. Cool season grasses include Fescue, Ryegrass, Bent grass, etc. These grasses are normally seeded and are finer and softer warm season grasses. Cool season grasses can be maintained at a lower mowing height and produce fine and fast putting conditions. Grain can be light to moderate.
   

GrainGrass does not grow vertically. Grass grows at an angle producing “grain”, a characteristic which affects putting. Good cultural practices reduce grain and its affects.
A green with a strong grain has very contrasting light/shiny and dark/dull color. If the green appears shiny and light, you are putting with the grain, and the ball will be “quick”. If the green looks dull and dark, your putt is against the grain and the put will be “slow”.
You will need to look at the green from several angles to determine the grain. But, it is important to remember, the direction the grass grows depends on where the green located. Grass grows toward any water body and away from mountains or shade. Often grass grows toward the setting sun.
REMEMBER THESE TIPS...

• Always take a few putts on the practice green. This will give you an idea of the speed of the greens, and sometimes gives you some insight into how the course's greens are designed.
• Understanding green speed is critical. The optimum pace to hit a putt is one that would take the ball 30cm to 40cm past the hole. This speed ensures that the ball holds its line. Remember: more speed equals less break.
• Pay attention to your partners' putts or chips toward the hole.
• Ask for help. Unless you're playing in a competition, your partners should be happy to help. This is why the pros use caddies - to have another pair of eyes to help them around the course.
• Every putt is effectively a straight putt. It depends on how hard you hit it as to whether it takes any break.
• With your pace of putt in mind, pick the break you envisage the putt will take. Then pick your target out as a straight line and hit the ball at the right speed so that it takes the break.
• Uphill putts are much easier than downhill putts because they have less break due to the momentum of the strike required to hit the ball up the hill.
• On side slope putts it is important to remember the first part of the putt is uphill and then downhill on the second part of the putt.
• Once you have assessed whether the put is uphill or downhill (to help you determine the pace of the putt and initial starting line) then focus on the area around the hole where the ball will die and gain an understanding of the direction of the true down slope, as this is where the slope will have the greatest influence on your putt.