How to accurately measure putting green speeds using a Speedmeter / Stimpmeter
Learn how to measure and calculate putting green speeds with this handy guide.
There are three main methods for accurately measuring putting green speeds:
- Traditional
- Using the Golf Companion App by DP Golf (Apple App Store | Google Play Store)
- Using the Golf Companion App by DP Golf with the in-app AR Measure feature (Apple App Store)
This article explains how to measure green speeds using all of these methods as follows:
Materials Required For All Methods
- DP Golf Speedmeter Classic or Compact model (or equivalent device)
- 3 Golf Balls
- Additional materials depend on the method employed (see below)
Steps Common To All Methods
- Find a relatively flat section of the putting green which should ideally be around 10-14ft x 1ft in area, if such a section cannot be found then a 5-7ft x 1ft area is also acceptable provided a DP Golf Speedmeter Compact or the '2X' slot of the USGA Stimpmeter is used. Exceptionally, a slope with a constant gradient may be used provided the Brede equation is utilized for the calculation method - this is explained in more detail later.
- Place the DP Golf Speedmeter on the ground at one end of the section of the putting surface you have selected.
- Place a golf ball into the slot at the end of the Speedmeter and slowly raise it at the handle end. When it reaches an angle of approximately 20 degrees with respect to ground the ball will be automatically released from the slot due to gravity, roll down the Speedmeter and onto the putting surface where it will travel for some distance.
- Repeat this process with the two remaining balls and lower the Speedmeter to rest on the ground. Follow the instructions below depending on your preferred measuring method.
Traditional Method
Additional Materials Required
- Measuring Tape (at least 5 metres recommended)
- Pen or Pencil
- Notepad
- Calculator
Steps (continued)
- Measure the distances each ball has travelled from the end of the Speedmeter and record them in your notepad. These distances shall be referred to as the 'forward' direction distances.
- Now move the Speedmeter to where the balls ended up and repeat Steps 3 through 5 except in the opposite direction, these distances shall be referred as the 'reverse' direction distances.
- If the putting surface is flat, then the green speed can be calculated by simply finding the average of all six measurements i.e. add all six measurements together and divide by six.
If the putting surface is sloping then the Brede equation should be used. First calculate the average of the forward direction distances and the average of the reverse direction distances. Now input the results into the Brede equation as follows:
- If you are using a DP Golf Speedmeter Compact or the 2X slot of the USGA Stimpmeter don't forget to multiply your result by a factor of 2.
- Green speeds are usually expressed in feet, if you measured using centimeters or millimeters you may convert to feet using the following conversion factors:
Centimeters to feet: divide by 30.48
Millimeters to feet: divide by 304.8
Using the Golf Companion App by DP Golf
Additional Materials Required
- The DP Golf Companion App installed on a compatible smartphone
- Measuring Tape (at least 5 metres recommended)
Steps (continued)
- Open the Golf Companion App and select which model of the DP Golf Speedmeter you are using along with the putting slope type.
- Measure the distances each ball has travelled from the end of the Speedmeter and enter them into the forward direction fields. The measurement units can be modified to your preference within the App's settings.
- Now move the Speedmeter to where the balls ended up and repeat Steps 3 & 4 except in the opposite direction. Measure the distances and enter them into the reverse direction fields.
- Tap the 'Calculate Green Speed' button to obtain the green speed.
Using the Golf Companion App by DP Golf with the in-app AR Measure feature
Additional Materials Required
- The DP Golf Companion App installed on a compatible smartphone with the in-app AR Measure feature purchased
Steps (continued)
- Open the Golf Companion App and select which model of the DP Golf Speedmeter you are using along with the putting slope type.
- Tap the forward direction 'AR Measure' button and follow the on-screen instructions to measure the distances between the Speedmeter and each ball. The measurements will be entered into the forward direction fields automatically.
- Now move the Speedmeter to where the balls ended up and repeat Steps 3 & 4 except in the opposite direction. Tap the reverse direction 'AR Measure' button and follow the same process as Step 6.
- Tap the 'Calculate Green Speed' button to obtain the green speed.
As you can see, using the Golf Companion App to measure green speeds will save you considerable time, effort, materials and expense vs. the traditional method.
Note 1: For a valid green speed measurement, the average distances between the forward and reverse ball groupings should be less than 18 inches (9 inches when using the DP Golf Speedmeter Compact).
Note 2: Any ball grouping which is larger than 8 inches apart is considered to be of dubious accuracy and as such the three-ball series should be reconducted.
Interpreting green speed results
| Regular play | Tournament play | |
| Slow | < 5 ft | < 7 ft |
| Medium-Slow | 5 - 6 ft | 7 - 8 ft |
| Medium | 6 - 7 ft | 8 - 9 ft |
| Medium-Fast | 7 - 8 ft | 9 - 10 ft |
| Fast | > 8 ft | > 10 ft |
How to purchase
The DP Golf Speedmeter is for sale and may be purchased from the following online stores:
DP Golf's Official Shop (international shipping available)
Amazon.com - recommended for customers located in North America and internationally