by Anne Cain, Anne Cain Golf Academy

 

On A fast, down hill putt, most golfers will 3-putt because they DON'T play enough break. Their first putt misses below the hole and travels low and away leaving them a tricky second putt of 3-6 feet.

Here is what you need to know to read greens better:

- Assess the putt: uphill vs. downhill

- Using the diagram above, picture the cup is the center of a clock. Where is your ball on the clock?

- The putts that will require the MOST break will occur at 10:00 and 2:00.

These downhill putts from ABOVE the hole could require you to play up to 2 feet of break on a 10-15 foot putt. On your home course, figure out how much break you need on a typical putt from these locations.

- If your ball is at 4:00 or 8:00 going UPHILL, it will break half as much as the downhill putts at 10:00 and 2:00. Example: if the downhill putts from 10:00 and 2:00 break 18 inches, the uphill putts from 4:00 and 8:00 will break 9 inches.

- Moving around the clock, you can gradually increase/decrease the amount of break to play based on your ball location on the clock. Obviously, 12:00 and 6:00 are straight putts with no break.

The Major Point here: play MORE break on downhill putts than you normally would! The faster the green, the MORE break you need to play.

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Featured Instructor:

Anne Cain, Anne Cain Golf Academy

LPGA instructor Anne Cain is one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America.  She was a finalist for LPGA Teacher of the Year in 2002 and 2005 and was named a “Favorite Instructor” in Golf for Women magazine (readers’ survey).  As a player, Cain won two professional titles and was an All-American selection at the University of Georgia .

Located at the serene Golf Club of Amelia Island within walking distance of Summer Beach Resort and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island , the Anne Cain Golf Academy provides students with a variety of golf lessons. Private, individual training is offered as well as luxurious vacation packages that include accommodations and rounds of golf. The academy's ability to customize a program for an individual golfer or small groups up to 4 people makes the academy unique in the industry.

The Anne Cain Golf Academy is conveniently located less than thirty minutes from the Jacksonville International Airport

Anne's Professional Accomplishments

• GOLF Magazine Top 100 Instructors in America Award winner
• Named by Golf Magazine as one of the Top Instructors by Region for the state of Florida
• Nominated by peers for LPGA Teacher of the Year Award (1999, 2002, 2005)
• Named as a "Favorite Instructor" in Golf for Women
• Contributes golf instruction articles to GOLF Magazine
• Became the first LPGA instructor to become an authorized instructor of Homer Kelley's The Golfing Machine. This book is the leading technical manual on the physics and geometry of golf. Fewer than 100 pros have been authorized worldwide.
• Cain's published article "Einstein's Golf Lesson" is used by Johnson and Johnson in training its pharmaceutical sales managers the importance of coaching and building skills "one at a time".

I have played golf for 30 years; the last 10 years as a 5 handicap. I have taken over 50 lessons with golf professionals. Half of these lessons used videos and computers. I am just now TRULY learning to play "The Greatest Game Ever Played" thanks to the Anne Cain Golf Academy. Prior to taking a lesson with Anne, I was concerned that her use of video and computer technology would be too technical and rob me of my "feel". I could not have been more mistaken! Anne combines this advanced equipment with her personal instruction skills and uniquely incorporates proper mechanics into your very own "feel". On a scale of 1 to 10, comparing Anne's instruction methods versus other instruction with video and computers, the other lessons ranked a 4 and Anne's lessons rank an 11!

Chris Stone, Jacksonville, Florida

The Anne Cain Golf Academy offers a wide array of packages from luxurious onsite hotel accomodations to Beach Front condominiums at the adjoining Summer Beach Resort.