Are slower greens harder to putt on?

[JSPayne]

After playing two courses with greatly varying green speeds, one at around 11 I would guess and another closer to 8 or 9, I actually found it harder for me to putt on the slower green.

Perhaps, as a better golfer, it's easier for me to read the putt, then just get it started and let the green do the work. But on the slower greens, even with the right line, I find myself having to make more effort to swing harder, or with a longer stroke, which tends to cause me to pull or push a putt more often.

I do admit that most greens break less when they're slower, but for many courses that have greatly contoured greens, if they're slow I find it harder to find both the speed AND the line.

Anyone experience a similar feeling? Maybe I just suck as a golfer.....

[Deucie Bies]

I think it depends what speed you are used to.  I would think that many members at Oakmont would have a difficult time putting slow greens (at least at first).  I grew up on very fast greens, but now play at a course where the greens are slow and grainy, so I find it easier to putt on slow greens and it takes me awhile to adjust to fast greens.

[Ken Moum]

It think it is much, much easier to transition from slowish greens to fast ones, than it is to do the opposite.

I also believe the good players who play on very fast greens can get into some very bad habits with their putting stroke. It's especially true if they play on an old course with small, fast greens.

I moved from a course like that to one that had huge, slow greens, and it took me several seasons to understand that I had to change my approach to the putting stroke.

In doing that, I came to believe that a very good stroke will help to keep the ball on line even on slow, bumpy greens, and those with lots of Poa.

Now that I am back on a course with tiny greens, that are usually reasonable fast, I have to take care to maintain the kind of stroke that will allow me to putt effectively on other kinds of surfaces.

Ken

[Garland Bayley]

yes

[JohnV]

I think so and I think that it is one fault with the USGA Course Rating system.  Very slow greens should get a higher rating than they do.

[JLahrman]

I don't think so, not once one is acclimated to them.  It's true that the 3-6 footers can be tougher because you have to put a much firmer stroke on them and can't just tap them, but I find myself with fewer 3-6 footers on slow greens in the first place.

[Padraig Dooley]

Yes and no,

Yes because holeable putts, shall we say under 20 feet, require a firmer and longer stroke, longer strokes have a bigger margin of error, more putts will be missed.

And no because there is less break on slower greens, less break means putts are easier. Pace putting can be easier as well since putts racing past the hole won't go as far past (not sure if this describes it well enough).

[Jason Topp]

Yes and no

A short slow putt into the grain on an old bermuda green is the toughest putt in golf in my opinion.

On bent/poa greens - lag putts are much easier at slow speeds.

[TX Golf]

Uh Oh Kmoum..... you didn't say that Poa was bumpy did you!?!?! I hope Ian and Jon don't see that thread!!

[Kalen Braley]

I'd say yes, but only because thats how we're conditioned.

The older guys used to putt on really slow greens back in the day and they were accustomed to it, so they putted well.  Just take a look at those old black and white films they shot in Palm Springs and see how shaggy those greens were.  I've played on fairways cut tighter than that.

We'd all learn to put on them just fine if that was what was fed to us on a daily basis.

[Cliff Hamm]

Played Lawsonia a few weeks back.  Took 41 putts.  Greens were very slow and I just couldn't get the speed down....Next day played again and the starter said the greens would be much quicker - super had cut and rolled them.  Result 34 putt. Simply put it is easier to merely start the ball on line then to have to bang it.

[Greg Murphy]

Pace is more difficult to get right on fast greens. Line is more difficult to get right on slow greens. More one putts on fast greens. More three puts, too.

[Ken Moum]

Uh Oh Kmoum..... you didn't say that Poa was bumpy did you!?!?! I hope Ian and Jon don't see that thread!!

I did NOT say that Poa was bumpy.

I referred to slow, bumpy greens...

AND to Poa greens..

separately

Personally, I have never thought Poa greens were a problem, and I grew up playing them.

K

[Will MacEwen]

Pace is more difficult to get right on fast greens. Line is more difficult to get right on slow greens. More one putts on fast greens. More three puts, too.

That is what I find.  On the 3-6 footers, line is critical, and those are tougher to make on the slow greens - but as someone noted, you don't have as many second putts of that length.

[Jon Wiggett]

Uh Oh Kmoum..... you didn't say that Poa was bumpy did you!?!?! I hope Ian and Jon don't see that thread!!

Thank goodness I have not

[Philippe Binette]

Faster greens on old courses are tough

Fast greens on modern courses (except a few architects) generally are made of flat decks so if you're inside 20 feet, you hardly have more than 3 inches of break, than it's easy.

Slow greens can be more difficult to understand their speed when there's a slope transition. uphill to downhill putts for example

[archie_struthers]

 

Probably the better the player/putter the more he/she will relish faster greens....slow greens even the playing field

[Matthew Hunt]

As a general rule: 8 is easiest for most people, 9 for better putters and 10 for Tour Pro's. This is asumming good quality greens.

[ChipOat]

Ken Venturi used to say that faster greens were easier because "the ball rolled itself"; that a better stroke was required to roll the ball end-over-end on line when greens were slower.

There is no "end" on a sphere but I get his point and I agree.

[JNC Lyon]

Yes, but only if the slowness makes them less true.  Additionally, just because slower greens are harder doesn't mean that they are better.  I generally believe faster greens are harder to chip to and give the player more options and interest.  Therefore, I generally lean towards having medium to fast green speeds in the 9-10 range.  The greens on the East Course a few years ago got up to 13 for the club championship and were totally stupid.

[Nick Cauley]

IMO, slower greens are harder to put on.  I think you have to be a great putter to putt on slow greens.  If you do not make solid contact with the middle of the putter face the miss is magnified on slow greens.  You dont get that roll out when they are slow.  When greens are fast you can hit a bad putt, but the end result can still end up good. 

[Anthony Gray]

   

  Last month in Scotland I could never get the ball to the hole. I say yes.

[Mike Hendren]

Bump

[Tommy Williamsen]

I grew up and played on slow greens for fifty years. It is only in the last twenty years or so that greens have become very quick. I easily adjust to slow greens. I find very quick sloping greens more difficult to find the right pace. Five-foot putts are easier for me on fast greens, however.

[Thomas Dai]

One of the most under-appreciated aspects of putting is the loft on the face of a putter. Just saying.
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