Golfer Tips for Mastering the Two-Putt

Congratulations on purchasing your new Golf Greens SpeedReader (GSR)! Before you begin using your GSR, there are two main tasks that you need to accomplish. 1. Learn how to measure the golf green speed properly 2. Determine your personal backswing lengths for       different green speeds and distances 1. Measuring the Golf Green Speed Measuring the green speed is a simple process. 1. Open the GSR and extend the ramps until they lock into the detents      for the ramp position. 2. Find a level section of the golf green 3. Roll 2-3 balls off the GSR from the same location 4. Mark the position of the end of the ramp and fully extend the GSR      until it becomes a 24" ruler 5. Measure the distance from the END OF THE RAMP to where the      golf balls stopped 6. This distance is the speed of the green in this direction 7. Repeat this process in the opposite direction 8. Average the distances/speeds together to get the actual golf green      speed 2. Determine your Backswing Length One of the biggest advantages of the GSR is its ability to help you determine the backswing length you need for any putt distance on any green speed. An average golfer Backswing Guide is provided for guidance, but every golfer has a different putting style and skill level. You need to personalize these numbers and determine the backswing lengths that work for you. If you are not familiar with how to perform a proper putting stroke, it is often referred to as the pendulum motion. Generally speaking, you swing with your shoulders and arms, not your wrists, and let the putter head flow forward from your backswing length by using an internal "tick-tock" timing within your mind. Read More 1. Find the current green speeed and set up a 9 foot putt 2. Locate the green speed and 9' distance on the GSR Backswing Guide 3. Find the suggested backswing length and begin your putt using this backswing distance 4. Putt the ball using the suggested backswing distance 5. Observe how far it rolls compared to the 9' distance Remember, you are only concerned about distance right now, not the putting line. Your focus should be on watching your backswing length on the GSR ruler. 6. If the ball rolls too far, try a slighly shorter backswing length and vice versa. 7. Putt 10 balls at this distance, slowly fine tuning your backswing length      to match the distance every time 8. Once you learn this distance, pull out the Personal Backswing Length Card and write down your      backswing length (in inches) in the appropriate box 9. Repeat this process for 12', 15', 18', 21', and 24' distances and record them too. Achieving Consistent Putting Speeds 1. Keep a firm enough grip so the putter doesn't sway when impacting      the ball and/or transitioning from your backswing to your forward      stroke. Read More 2. Maintain an upside down triangle shape between your shoulders to      your hands 3. Swing with your shoulders and arms, not your wrists (pendulum      motion). Read More 4. Keep arms loose and allow the club to do the work 5. Pay attention to inadvertently "wristing" or "pushing" your putt 6. Pay attention to inadvertently "relaxing" your forward swing 7. Keep a controlled, steady backswing 8. Use the "tick-tock" technique to maintain a consistent, smooth swing 9. It is very important to strike the ball with the center of the putter every time Incorporating the putting line Trying to focus on hitting the ball straight while focusing on your backswing length when you putt can get confusing for some people. Here are a few tips to help out. 1. Find the putting line you want to use 2. Trace this imaginary line from the hole, across the green, to the      face of your putter 3. Focus on the last 20 inches of this line (just infront of your      putter) 4. Position your stance so, if you putt the ball straight, it will roll      perfectly over the first 20 inches of that line 5. When you begin your backswing, focus on your backswing      length first 6. As you transition to your forward swing, focus on hitting the ball squarely and on those last 20      inches of the putting line. On the Golf Course Obviously, you cannot lay down the GSR and use the Backswing Guide ruler to mark the backswing length you need during an actual competitive game. Here are some tips to help you to find a marker for your backswing length so you can apply what you've learned during to an actual round of golf. 1. Walk off the putt distance; a long stride of an average      sized man is 3 feet. 2. Keep your personalized Backswing Length Card in your pocket      or wallet; use it to find the backswing you need for the distance      and green speed based on your earlier testing. 3. Most putters are almost 3 feet long. Most putter grips are almost      1 foot long. The metal shaft area is almost 2 feet long. 4. Lay your putter down behind your ball and use your knowledge      of it's dimensions, along with the backswing length you listed on      your personalized Backswing Card, to approximate where your backswing length      should be for this putt. 5. Look for anything to mark this spot (grass discoloration, small leaf, pine needle, a shadow,      anything you can find!). 6. Another technique is to take your normal stance at the ball and      measure how far it is to the inside and outside of your rearward foot. 7. Using your rearward foot as a marker for your backswing length will      add to your number of reference points. 8. Using these techniques, you should get really close to where your      backswing length should be on the golf course. Advanced Tips 1. How do I learn green speeds at home? (click picture) 2. How do I match my putting speed to the green speed I just measured? (click picture) 3. How do I develop muscle memory for a new green speed I measured? (click picture) 4. How much should I adjust for different putting distances? (click picture) 5. How much should I adjust for slopes on the green? (click picture) 6. How should I learn how enviromental factors (click picture) 7. How should I practice my adjustments before a new round of golf? (click picture) 8. Learn which variables change the golf greens the most each day. Read More 9. Measure the green speeds on different days and after different weather conditions to learn how they change 10. As the distance of your putt gets longer, you will need a longer backswing; however, you will not need to increase your backswing length as much for each increase in putting distance, especially above 20' putts. In other words, if you were adding 2" onto your backswing for every 3' of extra putting distance, you will need to add, say, 1"-1.5" or less for every 3' of extra putting distance when you get into putting distances greater than 20'. This is what makes long distance putts more challenging to judge. 11. For upslope calculations, obviously you will add more to your backswing for steeper angles at similar distances. Also, for the same slope angle, you will add more to your backswing for longer putting distances than for shorter ones.

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Copyright 2002-2011. Greens SpeedReader is a registered trademark of Hughes Innovations, Inc. All rights reserved. Backswing Guide, Backswing Card, and related information is copyright material and subjected to all rights reserved. USGA and the term Stimpmeter are both registered trademarks of the United States Golf Association. All cited articles are from outside sources and are not associated to this web site except for reference purposes for the reader.
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