How to read a green

The key to reading putts is to establish a routine.

Begin as you approach the green, observing the overall slopes and undulations. Then without distracting your playing companions, read your putt while others putt out. This helps speed play.

As you study your putt, look first from behind the ball and then from the low side of the putt (the side the ball will break toward). Try to get a sense of how fast the green is. Generally, the faster the green the more the putt will break.

The slight exception to this rule is on Bermuda grass, which is very grainy, meaning that the direction the grass grows affects the putt. One final thought about reading greens: The harder you hit a putt, the less the break becomes a factor.