Read the Greens for Putting Success - Use Your Feet

At the BOYNE Golf Academy we think green reading is such an important part of the game that we devote a full one hour clinic to it during our summer Ladies Golf Schools. When trying to evaluate the way a putt might roll on the green, many people do a pretty good job at looking at the slopes that they see with their eyes but don’t realize there are other senses that can be utilized to calculate the slope. We like to teach our students how to use their eyes and their FEET to read the greens.

Try this:

Next time you are trying to read a putt stand behind your ball with your feet pointing towards the hole. Close your eyes and try to feel your balance point in your body. Meaning try to figure out if one foot is higher than the other. This will help you get a sense if there is any slope in the beginning of your putt, and the severity of the slope. From there, walk about halfway to the hole and do this foot test again. Afterward walk all the way to the other side of the hole and point your feet towards the ball and do a foot test. Of the three tests the behind the hole test is by far the most important because this is where the ball will be moving the slowest and thus will be much more acceptable to the break. By utilizing your balance to get a sense for the slope in the green at the beginning, middle and end of your putt you will be much better equipped to start the putt on the right line.

By practicing this simple foot test we notice golf students vastly improve their ability to read greens effectively. Give it a try, and if you’d like more detailed guidance on how this works and other ways to read greens consider our Ladies Golf Schools. For more information on golf instruction programs visit www.BOYNEgolf.com.

Pro Tip provided by Joe Charles, Boyne Academy, Director of Instruction, 231.526.3848, joseph.charles@boynehighlands.com