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Often we listen to golf commentators speak about reading the grain in a golf green, as well as the impact it's going to have on certain putts. Years back it was something that was rather a key aspect of putting, but for various reasons it's a lesser variable. In this piece we'll look at the amount of importance we should devote to this concept of "grain" within the green. First, actually what would be the grain which golf greens supposedly have? Grain will be the direction that grass will grow. Despite the fact that that cut to grass on golf greens is very short, grain will show up and sometimes send your putt in the way which grass grows. But how substantial is it really? As it has been found on greens nowadays for the most part it really is an overblown consideration. Back in the 50s and 60s it had been certainly something to take into consideration, yet golf greens were a great deal different back then. Greens were normally cut higher, and clearly that gave that grass a chance to grow for a longer time and flatten out to some extent. Additionally if grass is cut higher it would very often lay in the path of that cut. In the 1970s these factors began to change. Superior varieties of grass were genetically engineered, not just to become more resilient but to get the grain from grass on the putting surface. That in addition to varying mowing patterns along with aeration on a more continuous basis all enables us to break up the grain. So if you putt over the bent grass golf greens in the north or even some of the Bermuda grasses while in the south, grain is now not a thing to be taken into consideration. But there are still a number of greens in the south that have the old-time Bermuda grass which can exhibit some grain. But there are a lot of players in the south, and particularly in Florida. So if you do play on these golf courses, at least until eventually their golf greens have been replaced, you might encounter grain. Therefore here are some things you ought to understand about grain. First, they may grow in direction of water along with the direction with the sunlight. Water is simple enough to spot, but needless to say the sun's rays moves. Accordingly should you play later on in the afternoon it might have a greater effect with late afternoon sun. When it's sunny it's not difficult to pick up its direction. It's going to look dull when growing towards you and shiny away from you. It is going to be a bit more difficult on a cloudy day. I'll not advise that "dragging the putter" strategy, since it is prohibited. You can often pick up grain by looking downwards on the grass. Probably the best method would be to examine the grass along at the cup. The side whereby the grass grows toward the hole is the against the grain side. Identifying the degree of the effect on a rolling putt is hard to say. There will be an effect, and even a small amount may well decide if the putt is made or missed. Local knowledge will have a lot to do with the way you use reading the grain to help you. If you are into golf like we are, we invite you to check out our website http://golfshortgames.com, as well as an article on tips on drawing a ball with your driver. Jim O'Connell is an avid golfer and writer living in Chicago.
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