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Do you line up your putts with the straight line on the ball?


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Great analytics and thanks for clarifying on why exactly you don't use it either! I believe I am officially going to stop using it, and hopefully some more putts will drop!

In My Bag..

 

Driver: Taylormade Superfast 9.5* Stiff Shaft
3 Wood: Taylormade Burner 2009 15* Stiff GraphiteShaft
5 Wood: Powerbilt Oversized 21* Stiff Steel Shaft
3-PW Irons: Cleveland 588 Forged MB Irons with Stiff Shaft
SW: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 2009 56* wedge with 14* of bounce, Stiff Steel Shaft

LW: N/A yet
Putter: Taylormade Monte Carlo 7 -34" with Superstroke 3.0 Slim grip
Ball: Titleist NXT Tour

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Hmmm.  I started using a line while back  and I really like it.  I found to line it up correctly I squat behind the ball, line it up and then take a step or two back and verify the alignment.  I can not reliably  line it up squatting behind the ball, I have to step back.  I currently putt with a Manta Belly putter, it is white with pronounced alignment lines.  I feel when I do that, alignment and line are done.  It is all about speed.  Sounds odd but I also like white shoes.  It also helps me with alignment, go figure.

I was on a SAW putt lab machine twice many months apart and I am able to start a ball on line consistently using this method.

Tiger is arguably the best putter out there (or was) and it seems to work for him.

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I am not the greatest putter in the world, but I prefer to look down at the "clean" unmarked side of my ball. This gives me more confidence in knowing that I already see my line, know where the break is, and now I can concentrate on my stroke. When I used the line in the past, it gave me doubts and second thoughts/guesses. It gave me more to look at and align and this resulted in even more second guessing. I find that the less doubt, thoughts and alignments I have in my mind, the more likely I am to produce a solid stroke that is either in or near the hole.

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No, I don't. I tried it once, but never got the line where I wanted it. I'd spend too much time to get it perfect. I use something in front of the ball as a target. I think it's easier with an alignment "line" the length of a foot than one on the ball. I don't care how the ball is rotated, but I avoid having straight lines on the ball aimed somewhere in the direction of the putt. It just throws me off.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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Just my routine, but I always put the line "up" and facing in the general direction of my intended line.  I do not try to be precise or to use it to try to "guide" my stroke down that line.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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I just started doing this and I've seen a dramatic difference on my putts within 6 feet. It gives me total confidence. I agree with what some others have said about it not being as helpful on long putts, because I can't tell if it's lined up with the hole. But for shorter putts, I'll never go back to not using it.

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Originally Posted by Kevin18

Hello,

For the longest time now, every time I putt I naturally mark my ball on the green, wipe it off, and then aim where I want it to go using the straight line already on the ball or one that I previously drew. Lately, however, I am noticing that behind the ball, where I line up usually is off line- when I am over the ball, I almost always adjust and stray away from the line, and usually my gut feeling is correct. I had added too much break or not enough from looking at behind. So, my question is, would it be smarter to just simply place my ball back down without using the line to aim and just glance to see what kind of break I am to encounter? What would the point of using a false aiming point?

Also, does anyone else have/had this problem, and what did you do?

(By the way, I do not pull or push putts, so it is not my stroke. My stroke is technically sound.)

Thanks so much and may God bless you all! ^_^

I do, and I've had this problem. It happens when I'm on a sidehill lie, usual sloping to my right, and the line usually looks like its not giving enough break.

I think its because you're on a slope.  So if the line is opposite of the ground, and your eyes are over the ball (such that if you dropped a ball from your eye, it would hit the ball below), the line and your eyes are not on the same plane (probably not the right term).  You're eyes are perpendicular to level, the line on the ball is pointing away from you.  From behind the ball, you're standing with the slope, so it looks right.

When I don't use a line, I have trouble hitting my line.  For me that error exceeds the error in lining up the putt.

Dan

:tmade: R11s 10.5*, Adila RIP Phenom 60g Stiff
:ping: G20 3W
:callaway: Diablo 3H
:ping:
i20 4-U, KBS Tour Stiff
:vokey: Vokey SM4 54.14 
:vokey: Vokey :) 58.11

:scotty_cameron: Newport 2
:sunmountain: Four 5

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I use to draw a line on the ball but I found it more distracting when making approach shots. It always seem to facing me in some odd manner, so I quit that. I still use the OE marker line on the ball while on the green. I think it helps me alot. Although I will admit as one mentioned earlier that after I line it up while down on the ball it looks completely different while in my putting stance. My gut says do something else, but for me I stick with what I lined up for while down on the ball and that seems to be correct more times than not. Good post.

Driver      -  K15 10.5 w/ Ping TFC149D Shaft in stiff

4 Wood   -  Rapture V2 17.5* Aldila S-75

Hybrid    -   Super Hybrid SS 19* w/ Matrix Program

Irons      -   i20's 3-W, UW, SW & LW w/ KBS Tour Stiff +1/2" White Dot

Putter    -   White Ice #9 33"

Ball       -   B330-S & B330-RXS

                 D2 Feel

 

Bragging about a 200 yard 7 iron is not golf.

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Interesting thread. I've been lining up my putts with the line on the ball for years now and suffer the same thing. It looks good from behind, but looks off when I get over the putt and I adjust it or question my original read. I'm going to experiment with the no line method.

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I use it in my putting. My routine is eyeing a spot on the intended line and try to align the line on the ball to that target. Get back behind the ball to assess move if necessary, align putter with the line on the ball. Keep eyes on ball and stroke. At first it took some time and patience. This is more important as you are closer like 15 feet and within. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

In my bag:Driver: 910D2, 10.25˚, Aldila RIP, Fairway: 904F, 15˚, YS-6FW+ Stiff, Hybrid: Titleist 910H, Irons: S-58, 4-PW, DG S300, Wedges: Wishon 52˚, 56˚, Putter: Odyssey Black series i 1

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I use it.. I find it beneficial on straighter putts. I don't have to worry about anything but speed.

Driver: R11s 9* ( -1* )

3Wood: Burner SuperFast 15*

3Hybrid: Burner SuperFast 18*

Irons: CB Tour Preferred forged 4-PW

Wedges: Nike Victory Red forged 52*  56*  58*

Putter: White Hot XG #7

Bag: 2011 Lightweight Stand

Ball: Pro V1x

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I use a line.

If I can't line up a putt when looking directly down the line of the putt from behind, I don't think I would be much better hunched over with a tilted head. It's mostly a confidence thing.

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Note: This thread is 3984 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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