dc, Yep..How far do you hit your putter? Seems like a silly question, but most players do not have a clue how far the ball rolls when they use their normal stroke effort.
Go to the most level part of the practice green and drop down 3 golf balls. Without aiming at a target, just stroke the ball with what feels to be your average stroke. Stroke the next two balls on the same line with what feels to be the same stroke. The balls should roll about the same distance. Pace it off.
Now, stroke three balls in the opposite direction (still not aiming at a target) using the same stroke as before. Pace it off.
You should be able to get a feel this way off how far you hit the ball downgrain and how far you hit it upgrain using your normal stroke.
Now, Pick out one of the practice holes downgrain and back away from it the paces you now have for your down grain stroke. Try making the putts using your normal stroke. Repeat it with an upgrain hole using your upgrain paced distance.
This will give you a feel for how hard you need to hit a putt on the course using your normal stroke effort. Just determine if the putt on that hole is down grain or upgrain and if it is closer or farther than your normal stroke.....
You can do this before each round to determine the speed of the greens in relation to your normal stroke effort.
You have to have a feel for the distance in a putt before you can be accurate.....hope this helps...
