How to adapt to the changing green speed in the middle
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As we have seen at the PGA Championship, unpredictable course conditions are probably the most challenging aspect of golf. The subtle transformation throughout the day is enough to make even the most experienced players stand out.
For many amateurs, the different green speeds present the biggest test. But with some handy tips from coach Bill Schmedes III, you can learn how to adapt to speed.
Learn to analyze yourself
Tell us if you've been here before: Before your tour, you'll feel the practice green conditions and everything is dialed. But when you take a class, your putts start to cross the hole or break in a different way than you think. Suddenly, everything was uneasy.
Whether it’s due to slow practice green or drying of the course, unexpected changes in green speed can ruin your pace and shake your confidence. Knowing how to adapt quickly is the key, and the first step is to understand whether the problem is your stroke or distance control.
According to Schmedes, the best way is to watch the starting line of the putter.
“If you don't like where the putter starts, it's probably the putter,” Schmedes said. “If you don't like speed, it's your distance control.”
Not every missed putter is a result of a mechanic’s poor, so it is important to recognize the difference.
Adjust speed and rest
Adapting to fast or slow green requires not only you to calculate speed—you also need to adjust your breaks, Schmedes said.
“As conditions change, players also need to adjust the lines,” he said.
He continued: “If they are faster or slower, that will have a big impact on the starting line, if they [the greens] Faster, you will have to play for more rest. ”
For slow green, reverse is correct.
Once you figure out if you're breaking the break more or less, Schmedes explains that a conservative approach is your best bet when you're still calibrating the speed of the green.
Of course, if the green is slower, you will obviously have to give it more gas or be more confident about your stroke. But, meanwhile, Schmedes said, you still want to give yourself a chance to get the putter back if the ball doesn't come in.
“When choosing a line, try to make sure you put yourself under the hole,” Schmedes said. “If you're on a loophole or at a high point, as a comeback putt, a lot of players are hard to make.”
Develop the best training for distance control
To better adapt to new diseases or change greens, you can use some exercises to improve your feeling. One drill bit that Schmedes recommends is the ladder drill, which will increase your speed and help you develop distance control.
“The ladder exercises make players think about stroke dynamics, their rhythm and rhythm, and the putters need to move,” Schmedes said.
Here is how it works:
Find the flat section of the green, about 20 to 30 feet from the edge. The closer you put yourself to the edge, the more challenging this exercise will be. Place 10 balls in your chosen position.
The goal of a ladder drill is to stop each putter from getting closer and closer to you without putting the next putter outside your previous one.
First, hit the first putter as close to the edge as possible without touching it. Make your next push rod a little shorter. Continue this pattern, leaving enough space between each ball for the rest of the putters. With each continuous push, the available space will be reduced, making each stroke more demanding.
“This exercise will also encourage you to use your eyes more in practice, which is more of what golfers need to do when they are placed,” Schmedes said.
