Green speed and putting chaos

[twofast2s]

so i was at the tourney on sunday, and i hit well. i had nice long drives, manage to get the longest drive and one closest to the pin. still don't know what the prizes are because i left right after i was done playing, but who cares

anyways, the green i played was sooooo fast compared to the ones i play. even up hills are pretty fast. it almost felt like i was putting on marble floor. even towards the end of the round, i just couldn't get use to it. it was probably b/c my very first putt of the round was w/in 10ft, putt a good stroke only to have the ball past the pin over 10ft. the next putt i left it short to stay below the hole and it still managed to go pass the pin about 2ft. from then on it was all down the drain. didn't make a single putt w/in 3ft. i had about 4 birdie chances. except 3 holes, i got my ball either in 3 or GIR, only to make 4 pars, and rest of them bogie or double bogie. i think i had 3 or so 4-putts, and manage to card 93.

my drives and irons were pretty good. i was consistantly hitting back of the green w/ some back spin, but the green was just brutal.

so what do you guys do when the speed of the green is different than what you're used to? i had too many blow-by-the-hole putts.

 

[ezra76]

Dang, that's rough man. I just played 13 holes with Bob at his course, Valley, late this afternoon. Same thing. I hit 10/11 fairways, 9/9 with the driver. Stuck 2 gap wedges so close he thought they might be holed while we drove up the hill to the greens.... and not 1 fricken birdie. I had 5 3putts. Those fricken holes have a force field around them, I swear. I'm seriously considering finding the best short game instructor I can and getting a putting lesson. I don't care if it's $100 and hour. I should have been under par for those 13 holes, my full swing was on fire. I hit 9/13 greens.

 

[zaphod]

I feel your pain. Switching to fast greens is difficult. I really find it difficult if the practice greens are slower than the course greens.:real angry:

Getting the pace down is the after 2 to 3 holes is fine but the break is another matter. More subtle on fast greens then we have spike marks etc.

 

[warbirdlover]

I've putted on super fast greens all summer long and pin placements were on sides or tops of hill so if you go too hard you're way past. It took me all summer to learn to put on them but when we played the fast greens on Shepherd's Crook and Brown Deer Park it really helped.

 

[RickinMA]

twofast, where was the tourney? (I have to keep a list of places with quick greens in the area)

 

[Fourputt]

anyways, the green i played was sooooo fast compared to the ones i play. even up hills are pretty fast. it almost felt like i was putting on marble floor. even towards the end of the round, i just couldn't get use to it.

my drives and irons were pretty good. i was consistantly hitting back of the green w/ some back spin, but the green was just brutal.

so what do you guys do when the speed of the green is different than what you're used to? i had too many blow-by-the-hole putts.

It's simple... you adjust. That's what golf is all about, making the necessary adjustments to your game to adapt to the conditions. Fast, slow... firm, soft.... windy, calm.... all have to be adjusted to. I love playing courses that make me change my thinking.... makes me a better golfer.

That is part of what it takes to have a "portable" handicap.... you have the experience to make those adjustments so you can shoot to your handicap most anywhere you play. I play courses with greens which are only slightly sloped, and I play a couple with some nasty tiers and breaks, I play courses in all speed ranges, and the more you do it, the better you get at adjusting.

You just have to take your game on the road more often so you gain that needed experience.

 

[wirehair]

On fast greens, I use a lighter putter, relax my left hand a bit, shorten my followthrough, and keep my stroke square. Then I don't really hit the ball, but just let the weight of the putter push through the ball.

 

[twofast2s]

cool, thanks guys.

Rick: it was at Stow Acre country club. hasn't rain all that much over there and the green was rock hard (nice boring 8i shot from 140yd didn't even put a dent on the green b/c it was so hard). i played the south course, but i figure the north course is about the same right now.

the thing is, i played the north course before and never thought of it as fast green course. but i was wrong.

towards the end, i was just taping instead of stroking because of the fear of blowing by the hole. for the most part, my putting gets lot better towards the end of the round, but for some reason i couldn't get myself together.

i do have lighter putter, same spec PING anser that i might have to try.
i actually prefer faster greens, as i feel like i can use my imagination and putting get more exciting for me. i'm invited to play at the course from one of the member over there b/f the winter hits. so we'll see how it goes.

 

[gwlee7]

Instead of switching putters, you can choke down on your putter a little to make the head feel lighter. I find that this is all the adjustment I need. Conversely, I "let the shaft out" a little on slower greens to get the head to feel heavier.

 

[twofast2s]

Instead of switching putters, you can choke down on your putter a little to make the head feel lighter. I find that this is all the adjustment I need. Conversely, I "let the shaft out" a little on slower greens to get the head to feel heavier.

interesting. i'll try that as well.

i guess i'll take both of my putters and go to the practice green to feel the difference.