Tiger Woods: Green Memories

Replay: Think about past putts on the green you're playing, then focus on the putt at hand.

One of the big reasons I've won multiple times on certain courses is my familiarity with the putting surfaces. I putt a lot from memory, and that has made reading greens much easier for me. But it has worked to my disadvantage when greens have been altered, like those on Doral's Blue Monster a few years ago.

Most of the time I don't have to refer to the pages of notes Stevie [caddie Steve Williams] has taken, but we have them handy. We've charted the greens for every course I've played on tour. I look for certain cues when reading putts -- then tuck them away in my memory. It might be a fall line on the green or a patch of discolored grass where the water drains. I'm always looking at the surrounding terrain and the direction of the grain.

Memorize subtle breaks on the greens at your course. You won't feel like every putt is a new adventure.

TIGER WOODS* writes about instruction only for Golf Digest.*