A-Z Putting (Z): Zen Green Stage
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Zen Green Stage: The first computer controlled putting green
If you’re serious about your putting, you need to get yourself on one of these. Unlike those lightning-quick putting mats in American Golf or the miniature versions from Argos, Zen Green Stage can recreate real-world putts at just the touch of a button.
In a matter of seconds, you can tilt the stage to practise breaking and double- breaking putts, and even change the stimp to match the pace of the greens at your local course – or even Augusta National. Sky Sports have their own, and use it for instruction during their PGA Tour and European Tour coverage.
The best part is that the Zen Green Stage is not just for putting, either. You can also chip from or on to the green, and use it for full-swing shots. The technology has convinced many Tour pros to train on one, and even buy their own.
But unless you’re super-rich and don’t mind explaining the bill to your other half, we’d recommend you pay as you go by booking a lesson at one of a growing number of sites in the UK that have one. They include Woodhall Spa, Phil Kenyon’s Putting School of Excellence at Formby Hall, and the Zen Green HQ in Sheffield, where creator Nick Middleton is based.
Need to know
• The stage can be tilted to recreate uphill, downhill and sloping putts from under 20ft. You can choose what speed the green runs at – 8.5, 10, 12.5 or a lightning 15 on the stimp – and putt to eight hole locations.
• When paired with ZenEye, the green can project the ‘perfect’ line so golfers can see the break and visualise their putts.
