Imagine you are not the best musician in the world, and you’re suddenly called on stage to play your electrified instrument along with a great band. Would you want your volume on 1 or 10? Now, as a golfer, imagine you are not the best putter in the world, and you have to perform under similar pressure. Whether the greens are rolling a 1 – Velcro, or a 10 – Master’s Sunday, green speed is golf’s amplifier. In competition, which setting would you choose to showcase your skill?

As someone who has played badly, loudly, I can tell you the lower setting is the way to preserve your dignity. However, the highest setting does reveal your precision. Anyone can putt competently on greens that putt six on the Stimpmeter. Undulating greens like Augusta’s, cut to roll twelve and over, will make even the most steady-kneed golfers shake like he/she is “shittin’ a peach seed”, as my buddy Tim would say.

Ricky Fowler and Tommy Emmanuel are good at any decibel level. Crank it up and skin it back. However, the same level that displays expertise in professionals can destroy morale in un-practiced types. With the amplifier on 10, we should probably just laugh at our own hilarity rather than risk ego damage… at least until we smooth out our chops.

Here is a video on how to smooth out your putting chops in a hurry. Go practice it for an hour a day for a week. Use it to get ready for a round at a new course with fast greens. Hope for lower back aches, initially. All that means is that you are working hard. They go away before you know it.

Now, I want to cover the technical aspects of greater amplification on the greens. First, Kudos to https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/BaazMann, Gurbaaz Mann, for the terminology assist. Baaz has a more accurate green speed measuring device based on ballistics rather than zero friction start. I will post another conversation with Baaz soon. In the meantime….

With the same velocity in our putter head, our ball goes further on faster greens, where the amplifier effect is higher. We know that. Ball speed is directly related to the force applied by our swinging putter mass. We have a ballistic event at impact that launches the ball at the same speed on any surface. However, as we also know, the ball is airborne for a short time when struck. Therefore, how far our ball travels over the same surface differs dramatically – exponentially even – according to factors related to green speed. Whether firm or soft, low or high cutting, rolling, grain, soil and grass moisture, or humidity, firmer, faster greens allow more roll than softer, slower greens.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy