Just follow these steps:
- Find a flat portion of the surface being tested. ...
- At the edge of the area, aim the bottom end of the device toward the area's center and place a ball in the notch; the Stimpmeter should lie flat on ...
- Slowly lift the end closest to the notch until the ball is released. ...
How do golf tournaments measure the speed of a green?
When tournament officials wish to measure the speed of a green they use a device and scale known as the Stimpmeter – which has a rather curious history! It works by rolling a ball off a metal bar and measuring the distance it travels in feet.
How is the Stimpmeter measured on a golf course?
A golf course's superintendent or tournament officials measure green speed by rolling balls down the Stimpmeter onto a flat part of a green. How far the balls roll determines the stimp rating. If a ball rolls 11 feet after leaving the ramp, that green is stimping at 11.
What is the speed of the ball on a putting green?
The ball is pulled out of the notch by gravity when the device is slowly raised to an angle of about 20°, rolling onto the green at a repeatable velocity of 6.00 ft/s (1.83 m/s).The distance traveled by the ball in feet is the 'speed' of the putting green.
Can you use a putter to measure green speed?
Although a ball is used in the measurement of green speed, a putter is definitely out of the question. This is because balls will leave different putters at different speeds even if the swing length used is the same. If you add in the human error element the problem becomes more acute.
How do you judge green speed?
5 Ways to Read The Green For Speed and BreakStep 1 – Find the straight putt. ... Step 2 – Gauge the slope of the green. ... Step 3 – View the green from around the hole. ... Step 4 – View the green from where you are going to hit the ball. ... Step 5 – Visualize the path of the ball.
How fast is 13 on the Stimpmeter?
lightning-fastA green speed of 7 is generally considered very slow and is slower than a green speed of 9 (a moderate speed). A stimp rating of 13 or 14 is considered lightning-fast.
What is considered fast on the Stimpmeter?
What is fast on the stimpmeter? Fast or slow is arbitrary but in general, anything over an 11 is considered fast amongst most golfers. Some of the fastest green readings are around 14 or 15 (like Augusta National) and are nearly impossible to putt on for most amateur golfers as the golf ball rolls forever.
What is the average green speed?
When the USGA introduced the Stimpmeter in 1978, it had just completed a year-long test of 581 courses. It found the average green speed to be about 6.5.
What speed are the greens at Augusta?
This ramp style device has a notch and the ball is pulled out of that notch by gravity when the device is slowly raised to an angle of about 20°, rolling onto the green at a repeatable velocity of 6.00 feet per second.
What is a fast green speed?
A green speed of 7 is generally considered very slow and is slower than a green speed of 9 (a moderate speed). A stimp rating of 13 or 14 is considered lightning-fast. Most PGA Tour venues have green speeds of around 12.
Why are PGA greens so fast?
On the PGA Tour circuit, green speeds also have become more consistent from one course to the next. The result is better ball roll and a more predictable playing surface. That means golfers can make a more uniform putting stroke, with fewer adjustments for surface conditions.
What grass is Augusta National greens?
Bermuda grassAugusta National Golf Club Augusta is situated in what many consider to be Bermuda grass country, or couch as we know it by here in Australia. The Masters Tournament is held in early spring, which means the turf grass has to be at it's very best in both appearance and playability.
How do you use a golf Stimpmeter?
0:433:14Fore the Golfer: Use of a Stimpmeter - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first step of measure in green speed is to roll three golf balls in one direction on a levelMoreThe first step of measure in green speed is to roll three golf balls in one direction on a level area of the. Green. The average distance of the three rolls is then measured.
How do you test a Stimpmeter?
1:445:04Stimpmeter - how to measure green speed. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhen you lift it up to 22 degrees the ball will roll off and the gravity takes over you'd roll theMoreWhen you lift it up to 22 degrees the ball will roll off and the gravity takes over you'd roll the ball down three times and it's where the ball.
What is the average Stimpmeter reading?
A typical golf club usually aims for a Stimpmeter reading of 9 or 10. This is generally considered to be the goldilocks zone of green speeds; not too fast, not too slow. For golfing competitions, it's not uncommon to see stimpmeter readings creep up to 11 or 12, which is the average stimpmeter reading on the PGA Tour.
Can greens be too fast?
Trying to make greens faster than they should be leads to higher maintenance costs, turf damage, lost hole locations, and rounds of golf that are slower and less enjoyable. Sacrificing other aspects of putting green quality in the pursuit of speed just doesn't make sense.
What is the average Stimpmeter reading?
A typical golf club usually aims for a Stimpmeter reading of 9 or 10. This is generally considered to be the goldilocks zone of green speeds; not too fast, not too slow. For golfing competitions, it's not uncommon to see stimpmeter readings creep up to 11 or 12, which is the average stimpmeter reading on the PGA Tour.
What do Stimpmeter readings mean?
0:154:00What is a Stimpmeter? | Golf Digest - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you measure the average distance that the ball rolls that way and then you combine the twoMoreAnd you measure the average distance that the ball rolls that way and then you combine the two numbers and divide them by two and that's the putting speed of the green. But like most golfers.
What is a Stimpmeter reading in golf?
The Stimpmeter is a simple, accurate device manufac- tured by the USGA that allows one to make a standard measurement of, and place a numerical figure on, the speed of a putting green. It does so by measuring ball roll distance.
How does a Stimpmeter work?
The Stimpmeter is a device used to measure the speed of a golf course putting green by applying a known velocity to a golf ball and measuring the distance traveled in feet....Recommendations.SpeedLengthFast12 feet (3.7 m)2 more rows
Measuring Green Speed
Over the next few weeks I will share a few routines I go through to get ready to play golf. One of the most important is the process I use to identify the speed of the greens. From day-to-day and from course to course, the speeds of the greens change.
Your own personal stimpmeter
The first thing I do is find a flat portion of the putting green where I can roll a 30 – 40 foot putt. I start making some practice strokes just to find my rhythm. Once I feel my normal rhythm, I set up and take the putter head back until it is even with my right toe and then follow through.
Warm up and confirm green speed
To continue my warmup routine, the next thing I do is pace off that same amount of steps from a hole. I then take the putter back to my right toe again and hit some more putts to confirm the speed. Again, if my rhythm is consistent, my putts should stop right at the hole.
Confused? Here's a video
If I have totally confused you with all of this language, please watch this video and hopefully this process will become more clear. Speed control is such an important component to scoring, so be sure to dedicate 3 – 4 minutes before each round to identify the green speed for that day.
What factors affect the speed of a green?
Sure, grass type, grass length, slope, surface hardness, surface evenness, rain frequency and timing, etc. all play into how a green or set of greens play on any given course. But, at the base level, all those factors primarily affect the speed of the green.
When did the USGA start using stimpmeters?
In an effort to standardize green speed readings, the USGA in 1976-77 distributed Stimpmeters, the measurement device for determining such readings, to approximately 1,500 member golf courses in 36 states to measure the ball-roll distances on greens.
Is it hard to measure the speed of a green?
And as it turns out, it’s really hard to measure the speed of the green independently of the slope. Even though a plethora of factors go into ascertaining a green’s speed, the slope is the most constant and consistent variable, yet it still presents the largest impediment to measuring said greens’ speeds. Let me explain.
Do green speed readings work on level ground?
Green speed readings only work on level ground. As anyone who has played or managed a number of courses can tell you, few greens have a large enough flat area to perform a Stimpmeter reading as intended. Because of that, it often necessitates the reading professional to either skip holes, or entire clusters of holes.
How to measure golf green speed?
The distance the ball rolls is measured which can then give an assessment of the current speed of the green.
What is the USGA green speed?
The USGA guidelines set out for green speeds are achievable with good management techniques and if the course manager is not pressurised to significantly reduce heights of cut. The Stimp meter can be used to good effect to measure consistency from one green to the other not to see how fast the greens can get up to.
What type of grass is used in golf greens?
The majority of golf course greens in the UK are composed of a mixture of grasses ranging from colonial Bent grass ( Agrostis sp .), Fescue ( Festuca sp .) and Annual Meadow Grass ( Poa annua ). The Bent and the Fescue grasses are the desirable species, as they provide the best year round surfaces to putt on. However, Annual Meadow Grass is a ubiquitous species and is generally found in most fine turf situations. This species grows in clumps and patches and is susceptible to disease attack and is generally considered to produce poorer greens.
Can rolling grass help with green speed?
However, occasional light rolling can help to increase green speed without the need to lower grass cutting heights.
Is fast greens good?
Golf green speed is probably one of the most contentious issues on the golf course, and one which can give the course manager the biggest headache. Fast greens are sometimes perceived to be good greens but this is not necessarily the case. This theory is probably partly due to televised or tournament golf and in particular The US Masters!
What is the most important thing to know about green speed measurements?
One of the most important things to know about green speed measurements is that they should not be used to compare one golf course with another. A green speed that is perfect for one course could be way too fast for a course down the road that has steeper green contours or golfers with different skill levels. There are simply too many variables involved to make reasonable comparisons.
What is putting green?
Putting greens are comprised of living plants that change and perform differently from season to season and even day to day. Temperatures, humidity, rainfall and routine maintenance practices all influence daily green speed. Maintaining the same green speed throughout the year is impossible, and letting a target number dictate management practices is a recipe for damaged greens and undesirable playing conditions.
What are the best ways to maintain fast greens?
While golfers hear a lot of discussion about courses with fast greens, they don’t hear as much about all that goes into providing those conditions. Lower mowing heights, regular topdressing, verticutting and hand watering are just some of the practices involved in maintaining faster greens. In addition, courses that maintain faster greens typically invest heavily in improving putting green growing environments by removing trees and enhancing drainage. The investments required on a daily and yearly basis to deliver faster green speeds are substantial, and beyond the budget of most golf courses.
What is the fastest green speed?
The higher the stimp, the faster the greens. A green speed of 7 is generally considered very slow and is slower than a green speed of 9 (a moderate speed). A stimp rating of 13 or 14 is considered lightning-fast. Most PGA Tour venues have green speeds of around 12.
What does a putting green's stimp mean?
The "stimp" or "stimp rating" of a putting green is a numerical value that represents how fast the golf ball rolls on the putting surface. Golfers call this rating the green speed.
How has the stimp rating changed in golf?
Stimp Ratings Have Changed in Golf Over the Years. In general, stimp rating s have gotten higher, meaning the green speeds have gotten faster over the years since the Stimpmeter was invented in the 1930s and since the United States Golf Association adopted the tool for measuring green speeds in the 1970s. For example, in 1978 the greens ...
How low can a green stimp?
Today it is almost unheard of for major championship greens to stimp lower than 11 or 10, unless weather conditions, such as high winds in the British Open, make such speeds unfair or even unplayable.