Lesson 2: Fast and Slow Comparing Speeds
Speed is how fast something is moving. In golf, we think about the speed of a golf ball (very fast right after you hit it, slower as it rolls), the speed of your pace walking between shots (affects how long the round takes), and the speed of a putt (faster putts roll past the hole; slower putts stop before they get there).
A golf ball hit by a professional driver travels at about 160 miles per hour right after impact. That is faster than a racing car on a normal road! By the time it lands and rolls to a stop, it has slowed all the way down to zero.
When you are putting, speed is everything. Hit too hard and the ball races past the hole and is difficult to putt back. Hit too softly and the ball does not reach the hole — as golfers say, ‘never up, never in.‘ The ball cannot go in the hole if it does not reach the hole.
Finding the right speed is one of the most important skills in putting — and it is all about math: not too much force, not too little.
Speed changes throughout a golf shot — very fast at impact, slowing to zero when it stops.
In putting, the right speed is as important as the right direction. Too fast or too slow and the ball will not go in.
On the practice green, put three balls in a line, all the same distance from the hole. Putt the first one as hard as you can. Putt the second one as softly as you can. Putt the third one with what feels like ‘just right’ speed. Which one came closest to going in? What did ‘just right’ feel like?
Pace test! Time how long it takes you to walk from the tee to the green on one hole at a normal walking pace. Then time how long it takes to walk back at a quicker pace. Write both times. How many seconds did you save by walking quickly? Multiply that by 18 holes — how many total minutes would you save in a round by walking with purpose rather than dawdling?