How to Putt on Fast Greens: A Complete Guide to Speed Control and Reading

Ever stood over a putt on lightning-quick greens and felt your confidence drain away? You’re not alone. Learning how to putt on fast greens is one of golf’s greatest challenges, but it’s also a skill that can significantly lower your scores once mastered.

Fast greens, typically measuring 11 or higher on the Stimpmeter, require a fundamentally different approach to putting. While most golfers focus solely on line, the real secret lies in mastering speed control. Think about it – a putt that’s slightly off-line but has perfect speed might still drop, but a putt with the wrong speed never has a chance, regardless of the line.

When I first encountered tournament-speed greens, I discovered that my regular putting stroke was too aggressive. The breakthrough came when I started practicing looking at the hole while putting during my practice sessions. This technique, used by Jordan Spieth and other tour pros, helps develop a natural feel for speed that’s crucial on fast surfaces.

The key challenges you’ll face on fast greens include:

• Downhill putts that feel impossible to stop
• Subtle breaks that become massive factors
• The mental challenge of staying confident
• Distance control requiring minimal stroke length

The Physics of Fast Green Putting

Understanding the science behind putting on fast greens will transform how you approach these slick surfaces. Traditional putting techniques often fail on fast greens because they don’t account for the dramatically reduced force needed to reach the hole.

Here’s what’s actually happening when your ball rolls on a fast green:

Speed and Friction Relationship:

• The faster the green, the less friction between the ball and surface
• This reduced friction means your normal stroke power is typically 2-3 times too much
• The ball will travel significantly further with the same stroke length

This is precisely why many golfers find success with one handed putting practice on fast greens – it naturally reduces power and increases feel. The reduced friction also magnifies any sidespin you put on the ball, making a pure stroke more critical than ever.

The Role of Gravity:

• Even minimal slopes have major effects on fast greens
• A one-degree slope on a fast green can result in twice the break compared to slower greens
• Uphill putts require approximately 20% more force than the same putt on medium-speed greens
• Downhill putts need as little as 25% of your normal stroke length

When I work with golfers struggling on fast greens, I often start them with a drill looking at the hole while putting from short distances. This builds a natural sense of speed and helps them understand how little force is actually needed. The difference in required force is so dramatic that many golfers benefit from completely rebuilding their putting approach for fast greens.

These fundamentals create the foundation for the advanced techniques we’ll explore next, including specialized speed control methods and green reading strategies that work specifically on quick surfaces.

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Mastering Speed Control

The secret to consistent putting on fast greens lies in precise speed control. After coaching hundreds of golfers, I’ve found that looking at the hole while putting during practice sessions creates a breakthrough in distance control that’s hard to achieve any other way.

“The biggest mistake I see is golfers trying to control speed with their hands,” says PGA Teaching Professional Mark Anderson. “Speed control comes from the core, with your arms and shoulders moving as a unified pendulum.”

Here’s a proven progression to master speed on fast greens:

The Pendulum Method:

• Keep your grip pressure light (3 out of 10)
• Let your arms hang naturally
• Rock your shoulders while keeping your hands quiet
• Focus on maintaining consistent tempo regardless of putt length

Looking at the Hole Technique:

Brad Faxon, one of golf’s greatest putters, popularized looking at the hole while putting as a practice method. Here’s how to implement it:

• Start with 3-foot putts, eyes fixed on the hole
• Make 10 strokes without a ball to groove the feeling
• Progress to actual putts, maintaining your focus on the hole
• Graduate to longer putts once you’ve built confidence

Pro Tip: “When you’re looking at the hole while putting, your body naturally adjusts to the required speed. It’s similar to how you can toss a ball to someone without staring at your hand.” – Dave Stockton

Advanced Green Reading Techniques

Once you’ve developed better speed control, accurate green reading becomes your next advantage. Fast greens reveal subtle breaks that are invisible on slower surfaces, demanding a more sophisticated approach to reading slopes.

The Multi-Point Analysis:

1. Assessment Phase
   • Walk around your putt completely
   • Feel the slope with your feet at three points:
     • Behind the ball
     • Halfway to the hole
     • Behind the hole
2. Advanced Visualization
   • Imagine water flowing on the green
   • Break your putt into segments
   • Look for grain changes that affect speed

Adding Distance Control: “Most golfers spend 80% of their time reading break and 20% on speed. On fast greens, you need to reverse those percentages,” notes putting coach Phil Kenyon.

Practice Integration:

• Use one handed putting drills to enhance your feel for both speed and break
• Combine looking at the hole while putting with break reading for enhanced distance control
• Practice extreme breaks to build confidence on moderate slopes

Key Insight: When you’re putting on greens running 12 or faster on the Stimpmeter, even a one-degree slope can move your ball up to 8 inches offline. This is why tour players spend extra time during practice rounds mapping the subtle contours of fast greens.

Remember: Your read is only as good as your speed control. The two elements must work together, especially on fast surfaces where the wrong speed can make the perfect line irrelevant.

One-Handed Putting Practice Method

When putting on fast greens, developing feel becomes crucial. One handed putting practice is more than just a training aid – it’s a gateway to better touch and control. Let me share why this method transformed my own putting on lightning-quick surfaces.

The Science Behind Single-Hand Practice:

• Eliminates tension from your dominant side
• Forces proper path control through simplified motion
• Heightens feedback from the putter face
• Develops natural acceleration through impact

Right vs. Left Hand Dominance: “Your dominant hand should practice separately first,” advises putting coach James Sieckmann. “This builds the athletic motion needed for consistent speed control on fast greens.”

Dominant Hand Practice:

• Address the ball with your natural hand position
• Make strokes focusing purely on path and pace
• Gradually increase distance as confidence grows
• Use this method for 5-10 minutes before each round

Non-Dominant Hand Benefits:

• Improves touch and feel
• Prevents overactive hands through the stroke
• Builds a more consistent pendulum motion

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Essential Practice Drills

The key to mastering fast greens lies in deliberate practice. These drills, combining looking at the hole while putting techniques with speed control exercises, will rapidly improve your performance.

The Clock Drill 2.0:

• Set up 6 balls in a circle, 3 feet from the hole
• Start with conventional putting
• Switch to looking at the hole while putting
• Finally, practice one handed putting
• Must make all putts to advance to 4 feet

Pro Tip: “On fast greens, this drill teaches you to control speed from different angles. The real learning happens when you miss – pay attention to where those misses end up.” – Cameron McCormick

The Ladder Drill:

Set up:

• Place balls at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet
• Create a 3-foot circle behind the hole
• Goal: Stop every putt within the circle
• Advanced: Shrink the circle to 2 feet

Speed Control Challenge:

• Use your putter head as a measuring unit
• Practice putts finishing exactly one putter-length past the hole
• Crucial for maintaining proper speed on fast greens
• Alternate between looking at the ball and looking at the hole while putting

Real-World Application: “These drills aren’t just for the practice green,” says tour player Justin Rose. “The confidence they build translates directly to pressure situations on fast tournament greens.”

Course Management on Fast Greens

Making those crucial putts on fast greens isn’t just about technique – it’s about strategy. After testing various methods, including looking at the hole while putting during practice rounds, I’ve developed a reliable approach to managing lightning-quick surfaces during actual play.

Strategic Positioning:

• Keep your ball below the hole whenever possible
• Play defensive lines on downhill putts
• Allow for longer comeback putts uphill rather than short downhill ones
• Factor in grain direction for break calculations

Mental Game Adjustments: “The biggest mistake I see amateurs make on fast greens is getting tentative,” says putting instructor Dave Pelz. “Confidence comes from committing to a specific speed and line.”

Pre-Putt Routine for Fast Greens:

1. Read the putt from multiple angles
2. Make practice strokes while looking at the hole
3. Commit to your line and speed
4. Execute with confident acceleration

Managing Tournament Conditions:

• Practice one handed putting during warm-up to calibrate speed
• Use practice rounds to map out green sections
• Note collar areas for bail-out options
• Track morning vs. afternoon green speeds

Final Pro Tips

• Keep a practice journal tracking green speeds and performance
• Develop different strokes for different speeds
• Build confidence through systematic practice
• Trust your practice and commit to every putt

Remember: Mastering fast greens takes time and dedicated practice. Combine these techniques – from looking at the hole while putting to one handed putting drills – to build a complete skill set for handling any green speed you encounter.

This comprehensive guide gives you the tools to tackle even the fastest tournament greens with confidence. Remember to practice these techniques regularly, and you’ll see improvement in your putting performance on all green speeds.

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