Reading greens like a caddie

Slope, grain and speed: how to see the line before you ever take the putter back. It is one of the first things we work on with every new player, and one of the last things the best players ever stop refining.

Start with the basics

Pick one cue and keep it simple. When you stand over the ball, you want a single, clear intention, not a checklist. The goal is to replace doubt with something you can repeat under pressure.

Take it to the course

Practise it on the range for a week, then bring it to nine holes. Do not judge it by the score. Judge it by how often you committed to the shot you chose. That is the habit that lowers scores over a season.

A quick drill

Hit ten balls. Before each one, say your target out loud, take one rehearsal swing and go. If you hesitate, step away and restart. Ten committed swings beat fifty careless ones.