Break
The break is the sideways deviation a putt takes on its way to the hole due to the slope of the green.
No putt over more than a few metres runs exactly straight, because hardly any green is perfectly level. The break arises from the slope of the surface between ball and hole. The ball rolls down the slope; the slower it gets, the more it breaks. You read the break by studying the lines of the green: crouching behind the ball, from the side and while walking around the line. The break determines where you have to aim — not at the hole but at the point from which the ball should break into the hole. With a double break the direction changes on the way, that is the hardest read.
In practice reading the break is part of everyday life for every putt beyond short distance. An example: you have a putt from four metres, the line runs slightly from left to right. You estimate half a ball of break and aim to the left of the edge of the hole. The ball rolls, loses pace over the last metre and breaks right into the middle. If the estimate was wrong and the putt runs past on the right, you note the direction for the return putt — because that one now runs uphill and from right to left. Over time you develop a feel for the typical breaks of your home course.
A typical mistake is ignoring speed. A fast putt takes less break than a slow one because it has less time to roll down the slope. If you always play the same break you will putt differently depending on distance. Also popular: relying solely on the crouch behind the ball. The view from the side often reveals more about the overall slope. You can find more about the short game around the putt under the term putting line and under the putting green, where you can test breaks before the round.
FAQ
How do I read the break of a putt correctly?
Look at the line from several perspectives: crouching behind the ball, from the side and while walking around the putting line. The view from the side often reveals more about the overall slope than the crouch alone. Aim not at the hole but at the point from which the ball should break into the hole.
Why does the same putt sometimes break more and sometimes less?
The break is directly linked to speed: a fast putt has less time to roll down the slope and therefore takes less break. A slow putt that dies out over the last few metres breaks the most. If you always play the same break you will putt differently depending on length and pace — your estimate has to take both into account.
Where can I practise reading the break before the round?
On the putting green before the round you get a feel for the speed and the typical breaks of the day. Deliberately putt in different directions there, not always to the same hole. That is how you calibrate your eye and your feel before it gets serious on the first hole.