Site Loader

Learn ball speed and how to use the detailed display

Step 1 Learn about ball speed

The best way to make the most of this web app’s detailed display is to be able to distinguish between different ball speeds.

To distinguish different ball speeds, we need to measure the ball speed after impact.

The easiest way is to use a device that can measure ball speed.

We recommend Yupiteru’s Swing Trainer series (to purchase via Amazon), which can measure the ball speed of putts.

Use a commercially available practice putting mat (about 9 ft) and practice hitting ball speed at home. Place the ball on the edge of the putting mat and place the sensor portion of the swing trainer diagonally forward (1 feet from the ball), facing in the direction of the ball.

When you putt, the sensor responds to the path taken by the ball and displays ball speed in meters per second (m/s).

The distance is also displayed at the same time, but it differs from this web app’s data, so please do not use it as a reference.

If the length of the mat is short, put a stopper such as a towel on the opposite side so that the putted ball does not pop out. In this way, you will be able to separate putts from 0.5 meters per second (0.5 m/s) to 5 meters per second (5.0 m/s) in 0.1 meter per second increments (0.1 m/s).

The advice when practicing hitting different ball speed is not to control the ball speed with your hands. If you use your hands, you will have difficulties handling green speeds on different courses.

Your putt stroke will go well by swinging both arms as you rotate your upper body and shoulders.

This method makes it easier to control the ball speed because swinging both arms is stable even at different green speeds.

Step 2 Let’s use it on the practice putting green

Once you are able to hit the ball speed, set this web app’s ball speed to detailed display. When you arrive at the golf course, check the green speed.

Check out display board or ask for today’s green speed from the master room. If the value is somewhere in the middle, such as 9.3 feet, choose the higher number, in this case 9.5 feet.

If you are able to hit different ball speeds, use the screen for rounds on the practice green. Select “Start Round” from this web app home screen.

As an example, let’s assume the green speed is 9.5 ft. and the stride length is 90 cm (3 foot).

Select the green speed of 9.5 ft. at the bottom of the rounds screen. Select 10 steps and display the flat ball speed. The ball speed is 2.2 (m/s) per second. Putt at a distance of 10 steps away on the flat of putting green for practice.

When you putt, recall how it is like when you practiced on your putting mat at home at 2.2 m/s. Try putting a few times and if the distance is correct after a few putts, use it as is.

If the distance reached by the ball is too short or too long, try changing the green speed to 9 ft or 10 ft. Choose the green speed that matches either of the distances reached.

The reason why this happens is that the course’s green speed indicator may not accurate, or your putting stroke today may be a little different from usual.

In any case, all you have to do is choose the this web app’s green speed that matches today’s putting stroke. Practice your distance as well, such as 5 or 20 steps before your round.

Step 3 How to handle inclination on putting greens in the round

This web app’s display can be used even when you are in a game. The following instructions are for the settings on Putting Green Gradient Range setting, which is Wide.

Once you have marked your ball on the green, walk to the hole. If there are more than 10 steps, use a laser rangefinder to speed up the play.

Enter the number of steps and select a gradient. If the gradient can be selected, select either gentle, medium, or steep. When there is a subtle inclination, compare the values of the two gradients to determine the ball speed.

For example, for a 15-step downhill gradient at 9.5 ft, the downhill gradient is 2.5 (m/s) and the downhill gradient is 1.9 (m/s). If the inclination seems to be between both figures, try putting at 2.2 (m/s).

This will be the same ball speed for a distance of 10 steps on the flat. The more rounds you play, the better you will be at selecting the right ball speed for the gradient.

So, what should we do when we putt diagonally across a slope?

If the position of the ball and hole are perpendicular to the slope, you can just follow the values, but if the hole is at an angle, you will need to set up a virtual hole.

If the ball rolls diagonally down the slope, the degree of inclination will change depending on the direction.

If you putt straight down the slope, the ball will not go straight but will go down at an angle due to the slope.

If the hole is diagonally below the position of the ball (a distance of 10 steps), the direction the ball is launched will be slightly lower than straight down if the slope to the ball is gentle, and slightly higher than if the slope is steep.

There are two ways to determine a virtual hole.

The first is to set a distance of 10 steps slightly higher than the location of the actual hole.

The ball speed of 10 steps is 2.2 (m/s) on the flat and 1.8 (m/s) on a gentle downhill slope, so we will putt at 2.0 (m/s) between these two values.
The second method sets up a virtual hole at a distance of 11.5 steps slightly above the actual hole position.

The ball speed on a 11.5-step descending gradient is 2.0 (m/s).

Try the two methods several times to determine which method works best. Either way, putt by imagining a bend going around the virtual hole.

Remember how the trajectory of the ball looks like as it bends or passes before the hole.

The choice of ball speed relative to the slope and the setting the virtual hole will improve with experience.

Reference Videos