In recent columns, we have talked about reading greens, fitting a putter, various putting methods and ways to measure and practice your putting game. This week, I want to talk to you about the art of making the ball roll properly.

It's important that after you read the green to determine your starting line, you focus on the need to control the speed your ball rolls.

This is a multi-faceted proposition. The amount of speed the putter head transfers to the back of the ball works with the amount on skid (resistance to roll) from the green surface and the direction of force imparted on your ball.

The speed the ball comes off the putter face is a function of the transfer of energy between two colliding objects. The materials that the face of the putter and your ball are made of absorb and respond to this collision. That's why some putters feel softer, as the ball comes off with less speed. Meanwhile, different golf balls sound and feel differently.

Pay close attention to the weighting and face material of your putter to find one that produces the correct ball speed and feel. Try to always practice with the type of ball you will be playing on the golf course.

The transfer of energy to the ball is not only determined by the club's design properties, but by the direction the putter is moving at impact. There are three directions possible, and each direction has a different effect on the ball. The putter can be moving upward, downward or level to the putting surface.

Similarly, there are three positions the putter face can strike the ball. The strike can occur at the equator, above the equator or below the equator. Each of these will produce a different result.

When practicing putting, try all of these possible combinations to discover which style suits the surfaces that you play and produces the desired results.

If you'd like to practice on your putting game, be sure to contact your local PGA Professional. You can find one near you at www.PlayGolfAmerica.com.

For those of you that live or are visiting the South Florida area, I invite you to come out to my home base, the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., to work on your golf game. The PGA Learning Center is annually ranked among the "Top 100 Golf Ranges in America" by Golf Range Magazine and was just named by Golf Odyssey as the "Best Practice Facility" in Florida.

Until next week, here's to better golf!

Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.