The break is the amount a putt moves from right to left, or left to right

[chichi]

After you have the distance control that a consistent pace brings, you can work on the second half of the putting equation: reading the break. The break is the amount a putt moves from right to left, or left to right, on a green. Slope, topographical features such as water and mountains, the grain of the grass, and, perhaps most important, how hard you hit the ball dictate the break. For example, if I am an aggressive player who routinely hits putts 5 feet past the cup, I’m not going to play as much break as you do. (Remember: You should hit your putts only 14 to 18 inches past the cup.)

The firmer you hit a putt, the less the ball breaks on even the steepest gradi- ent. So don’t be fooled into thinking that there’s only one way a putt can be holed. On, say, a 20-footer, you probably have about five possibilities. How hard you hit the ball is one factor.

The key, of course, is consistency. Being a bold putter is not a bad thing (if you’re willing to put up with the occasional return 5-footer), as long as you putt that way all the time — and are still in your teens.

The first thing I do when I arrive at a golf course is to find the natural slope of the terrain. If there are mountains nearby, finding the natural slope is easy. Say the mountains are off to your right on the first hole. Any slope will run from right to left on that hole. In fact, the slope on every green is going to be “from” the mountain (unless, of course, a particularly humorless architect has decided to bank some holes toward the mountain). So I take that into account on every putt I hit.

If the course is relatively flat, go find the pro or course http://www.fifa15sale.com superintendent. Ask about nearby reservoirs or, failing that, the area’s lowest point. This point can be 5 miles away or 20 — it doesn’t matter. Find out where that point is and take advantage of gravity. Gravity is a wonderful concept. Every putt breaks down a hill — high point to low point — unless you’re in a zero-gravity environment. But that’s another book.