Understanding Different Putting Surfaces

The two principal types of grass utilized on putting greens are Bent and Bermuda. There are other various blends of these grasses such as Penncross, Penneagle, L90, and Seaside. Bermuda greens are found in the southern part of the US where weather is warmer. Bent greens are usually located in the northern part of the US where temps are cooler.Some golf courses insouthern states do use bent grass on their putting surfaces. This is far more risky, however, because extreme heat can put substantial stress on bent greens. Additionally, bent grass in the south is a lot more expensive to maintain.There are substantial differences between these two putting surfaces that can have an effect on the putting stroke.The principal attribute of Bent grass is the ability to mow the greens very short. The shorter one can mow the greens the swifter they become, as a result, fast Bent greens make pitching, chipping, and putting a lot more difficult. Additionally, Bent grass greens are normally truer than Bermuda greens, for that reason, a putt typically should do what you think it should.

On the contrary, Bermuda grass is a thicker blade compared to bent grass. Even if Bermuda greens are mowed shorter, with the blades being thicker, they are not nearly as swift as bent greens. In addition, Bermuda greens are much more grainy then Bent greens.What in fact is grain? The grain is the direction which the grass grows on the green. Bent grass is a more vertical growing grass. On the other hand, Bermuda grass grows far more horizontal alongside the ground. Bermuda greens have an effect on the role of the golf ball more than Bent grass. Both Bermuda and Bent greens grow in the direction of the setting sun, a body of water, or the principal drainage flow of the hole. Consequently, these factors do affect grain growth.Reading greens is truly an art. To do so properly, you need to know how much grain is on a green. Discover which type of grass a golf  course has before you play. Additionally, determine where the sun sets and what the normal drainage direction is on the golf course. Knowing this information should give you a excellent idea as to how the ball is going to break.

Yet another critical factor in reading a putt properly is the color of the grass. If you are putting into shiny grass, it suggests you are putting with the grain. If you are putting into dull grass you will be putting into the grain. Also, check close to the cup. The hole is cut in the morning and should have fresh edges. As the day progresses, the edge of the cup which is worn will be the direction the grain is growing.Keep in mind, if the grain is growing into you, a putt will be slower. If the grain is growing away from you, a putt will be quicker. Grain growing to the left will make a putt break left, and grain growing to the right will make a putt break right. Don’t forget, when putting on bent greens the ball will break much more with the slope of the green, whereas, on Bermuda greens the ball will break in the direction the grain grows.Make sure you work on a couple putting drills and hit a few putts prior to your round. This will help you get a sense for the speed and grain of the greens.