Putter alignment aids

[gmanuel25]

Saw this post from golfwrx.com and thought it was very interesting. I recently bought my Rife Bimini and loved the roll off the putter. My only concern was the lack of an allignment aid. However, in the three rounds I've used this putter, my putts per round are down by almost 5. I really buy-in to the stats below. Just thought I'd share.



Eagle,

At the United States Golf Academy we have measured over 30,000 putting strokes - about 2000 players on our PuttLab system.

92% perform better with their eyes closed during the stroke. (Elimination of visual interference)
Less than 40% can aim the putter within 2 degrees of their chosen target with an alignment aid on the putter. (Putt missed at 12 feet) This improves to 70% without the visual references on the putter.

Only 60% can match the line on the putter to a line on the ball (within one degree). It is much worse when the sight line is in the cavity behind the face. The number improves to over 90% when there is a line on the ball no line on the putter and they square the face to the line (again within 1 degree). I am not familiar with David Orr's work but maybe these numbers will help you.

Good Luck with your new putter. Byron does great work.

Bargolf

[Danattherock]

First of all, congrats on getting the Rife putter. I got a Rife Antigua putter a few weeks back and like you, I have dropped 4-5 strokes/round. No BS.

For David Orr, he works about 1.5 hours from my home and is very respected. I trust anything he has to say about the putting stroke. Take a look at the folks he instructs on his website. The below thread speaks of David's instruction on putting and has a link to his website. I plan to spend a day with him soon myself. Good insights below in the original post from another golf forum...

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index....owtopic=202247



For alignment on the putter, I agree. I have been using "IP" lately. A book by local Pinehurst director of instruction, Eric Alpenfels, "Instinct Putting" actually has you looking at the cup, not the putter/ball. So yeah, I don't buy the lines on the putter helping. I am not looking at the putter at all. Get the book and give it a try. Lots of reviews on Amazon for the book. I was amazed how this technique could work. But it does. Also, a review on the "Reading Room" section of this forum. It is interesting stuff guys.

Want to be a better putter? Get the "Instint Putting" book (and a Rife putter of course).

[Danattherock]

Hey guys,

Just reading over the above linked post on the Golfwrx forum above, I read a very interesting post that talked about "peak velocity" and its importance on touch and feel. Read this from David Orr... (Post #28)

"Take it back short, accelerate , and follow-through is the absolute worst putting advice in the history of golf...we've done over 21 studies in putting including one on Dynamic profiles that include acceleration and peak velocity profiles..."over -acceleration" with peak velocity occurring after impact is the main culprit behind those that lack touch and feel. The best putters in the world have peak velocity occurring either at low point of the arc of attack or impact...this distance is approximately a "1 1/2" window for success.

[danieldsuh]

How are you supposed to use the aids? Excuse my ignorance but I just started golfing recently. I don't really know how to putt that well. Are you supposed to line up the lines on the putter with your intended path?

[Danattherock]

Aids come with instructions. Thankfully

[gmanuel25]

  danieldsuh said:

How are you supposed to use the aids? Excuse my ignorance but I just started golfing recently. I don't really know how to putt that well. Are you supposed to line up the lines on the putter with your intended path?

I think that is the point of some of the quotes above. You can become too fixated on the line (visual intereference), rather than concentrating on your stroke.

Danattherock, thanks for some of the other links as well. And yes, I love my Rife!!