Last Updated on May 9, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
Golf greens change speed. Even if you play the same golf course week after week, you’ll need to adjust to the green speeds that day. As a golf professional who played competitively for years, I was frustrated when it took 7 to 8 holes to get a real feel for the greens. I started using these 5 steps to get green speeds down before every round of golf.
Step 1: Start With The Chip Shots
Going right to the putting green has not always worked best for my game. Instead, I start with some chip shots.
Start with them just on the side of the green in the fringe area and pay attention to the way the ball reacts when it lands and rolls on the green. You’ll be gathering information that will help you when you get the putter in the hand.
If the greens seem super fast, start landing the ball closer to you and letting it roll out. See how much the ball is breaking as well, the golf ball breaks more when the greens are fast.
Step 2: Move to the Long Putts
Next, you need to start working on long putts. The best option is to find something about 30 feet or more.
You don’t have to putt to a hole for this. Instead you can putt to a spot or just from one side of the green all the way across to the fringe on the other side.
Taking these longer putts helps you get a sense of the overall speed and how much the ball will roll. You’ll get a better idea of the overall speed and what your approach is going to look like.
Step 3: Go To Mid Range Putts
Now cut that long putt distance in half.
Find a putt in the 10 to 20-foot range and start working on getting the ball closer to the cup. Again, don’t focus as much on making these; simply try to leave yourself less than 2 feet to tap in.
These putts will really help you go low. Making a few 15-footers for birdie or to save par can have a huge impact on your score.
Once you have these mid range putts down, you should have a general feel for what the greens are going to do that day.
Step 4: Find an Uphill and a Downhill Putt
Don’t assume you will automatically be able to adjust to the green speeds when you have an uphill or downhill putt. You’ll want to practice this before you head out to the course.
The uphill and downhill putts will vary depending on how grainy the greens are or how undulated they are. You’ll want to leave yourself as many uphill putts as you can throughout the course of a round, so make sure you know exactly how much force you’ll need to drain those uphill putts.
Step 5: Finish With Short Putts
Finally go to the short putts. Pick a hole and go around it with at least 4 to 6 putts all in the 3 to 5 foot range. You will build your confidece and ensure that you are both consistent and accurate on these score saving short putts.
I have found that starting with the short putts makes it harder to determine the proper speed of the greens. Work your way down to the hole, and you’ll have a much easier time adjusting to the course.
Ask The Golf Shop What To Expect
If you don’t have much time to warm up and go through my step-by-step process for adjusting to the green speeds, you may want to ask the golf shop. You can ask them how the greens are rolling, and they will give you some insight.
The problem with this of course is that it can be a bit relative. Are you a good enough player to adjust your putting stroke when a green is 10.5 or an 11?
Most amateur golfers are not.
Pay Close Attention To The Other Players On The First Few Holes
Take a close look at how the golf balls are reacting when other golfers are hitting shots for the first few holes. You’ll want to see how far the ball is rolling, whether they are having to really hit the ball hard on the greens, and if those three-foot putts are just blowing by.
You can learn a lot from watching what the golf ball does. Avoid getting too hung up on what these other players’ putting and chipping strokes look like.
You can let that get into your head about what to do around the greens.
Sometimes Green Speed Changes When You Play
Keep in mind that as you continue your round of golf, the green speed can change. The grass does grow, and it also gets scuffed up by gofers walking on it. This can slow things down.
Also, in the early morning, the grass can be wet, and that slows the ball just a bit. As the greens dry and harden, they may get faster.
Remember that there can be slight changes in the time that you are on the course, and they will impact green speeds and how you react.
Final Thoughts
Follow this step-by-step guide to adjust to green speeds the next time you head out to the course. You’ll find that you start making more putts sooner in the round. The key is to pay more attention to those longer putts, pitches, and chips and then work your way to the short putts. Running to a green and hitting a few five-footers before you make your way to the tee just doesn’t give you enough information.
