The Green Reading Game
Day 2 from “Turn Three Shots into Two” by Bill Moretti
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
Many of us spend little or no practice time reading greens. And that’s hurting our scores.
Bill says, “There’s no replacement for hitting lots of putts and getting a good sense of how the ball will react on the greens you’re going to play. If you only have a few minutes to get ready, I’d advise spending most of that time on the putting green.”
To inspire us to become better readers, he shares the story of Dave Barber.
“The next three holes you will not believe.”
Dave weighed 137 pounds and stood five-five in his golf shoes. He didn’t have a big drive, but he had major dreams.
He says, “I realized I could become as good at the short game as anyone, so I worked at it very hard. When I missed a green, it didn’t bother me.”
At the PGA Championship, Dave was two shots behind with just three holes to play. But he felt so confident in his putting, he told his caddie, “The next three holes you will not believe.”
On 16, he made a 20-footer for birdie.
On 17, he read the green like a book and sank a 40-footer for par.
On 18, he had a 60-footer to force a playoff. With a good read and a little luck, Dave watched the ball break four feet and roll into the cup.
Three holes, three putts: 20, 40 and 60 feet. The next day, he won the playoff and fulfilled his major dreams.
Check Your Guess Against Reality.
Good reading takes practice. To help speed up that process, Bill offers a fun exercise.
On the putting green, stand about 20 feet from the hole.
Make your read, choose your line, and visualize the putt.
Set up and stroke the ball—but don’t look up. Instead, guess. Did the ball go left, right, short, long?
Now check your guess against reality.
Repeat this drill from different distances.
Bill says, “When you start guessing correctly, you know your stroke is starting to match your visualization. You’re developing the kind of feel that breeds consistent putting.”
The author Naveen Jain said, “There are too many variables in the real world. Your heart and gut are your best guide.”
There are so many variables in putting, you have to develop your trust, your gut, your feel. Bill’s Green Reading Game is a fun way to start.
You can even play with friends. Best guess gets a point, and the most points wins a buck or a cup of coffee.
This is a skill most of us neglect, but it’s so important. Just as learning to read created many opportunities in life, learning to read greens will create many opportunities in golf.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, a Masters champion shares a simple rule for short game success. Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.
Today’s Photo
Leopard Creek in South Africa
