How many of you mark your ball for aligning your putts???

[Dub]

I put down a ball mark and replace my ball so there is no distracting marks visable.

Clean white ball is all I care to see at address.

[Quinn07]

I put down a ball mark and replace my ball so there is no distracting marks visable.

I agreed, when I pulled my ball down, I am just want all white dimples starring back at me. Hear I thought I was the only one. (Sorry too many keg size cesars before sitting in front of the computer).

[bcgolf]

I used to line up the ball with the line-up stamp. Then I decided to draw my own line-up line. And allthough I liked the bigger line for lining up, I absolutely hated how that transfered onto my mizunos. So now I'm back to where I started, the default line-up stamp.

[wildcorndog]

I use a mark that is typically there already but with little succcess......

[microcrayfish]

I've been through all three options in the past. Started out drawing a line, then flagged that and just used the manufacturers logo and now I've finally given up on using a line and just pick a spot just in front of the ball. I can definitely still see the benefits of lining up your ball with a line but it started to get too distracting for me. I've been putting a lot better without lining up the ball so I'm sticking with that.

[ronbo25]

I don't. The only time I want to pick up the ball is if it's in somebody's way or I'm getting it out of the hole.

I think the OP meant marking the ball with a sharpie, not marking it on the green with a ball marker. But since you brought this up - I was taught very early on to use mark, pick up the ball, and replace the ball before every putt. You just never know when your ball is sitting in even the slightest depression on the green or has dirt on the bottom that you can't see. I make a habit to use a ball mark for all putts, other than the tap ins.

[ronbo25]

i used to use the writing on the ball to line up putts, until recently. The PGA pro that I work with did an experiment for me a few months ago. He set me up for a left to right putt of about 15', and asked me where I thought I should start the ball. I told him about 8" to the left, to which he agreed. He placed a tee in the green at 8" left of the cup and told me to line up at the tee and give it a go. He video taped me from about 6 feet behind the ball, in line with the putt. When he showed me the video, I was shocked to see that at setup I was lined up about 10" left of the tee in the ground. I missed the putt by a good amount. He explained that very few people have the ability to actually be able to successfully line up a putt like this and hit it straight toward the target point.

He then told me to figure out, based on the break, where the putt HAD to enter the hole from. He said to picture the hole as a clock, where 6 o'clock was point on the hole closest to me, and 12 o'clock was the point at the back of the cup. I told him putt had to enter at about 8 o'clock, based on the amount of break I saw in this left to right putt. He put a tee in the ground right at 8 o'clock about 1/4" from the cup. He then had me step up the same putt and ground my putter, then while looking at the tee, adjust my alignment to get the ball to the tee, never taking my eye of the tee. He even had me strike the ball while looking at the hole. It was very strange - putting without looking at the ball. Within 3 or 4 putts, I actually hit the tee, stopping the ball from going in the hole. Bottom line, he teaches feel, not alignment on putts. The part about not looking at the ball when striking it was just to get his point across about feel, and not used on the course.

He told me "never again will you line up a putt with words or lines, or anything. I intentionally make sure I see nothing but white on the ball when putting.

I have used this technique, along with a very repeatable routine, that has improved my putting game.

[dblbgy17]

i started doing this last year, now i do it just out of habit. helps with routine. i just line up the stamp in the line i want to start out the putt so i can get a good idea if i'm making square contact with the putter. you know, avoiding the dreaded "S".

[laxbballgolf]

I tried using a the side stamp for a while, but it didn't seem to work very well for me. I kept second-guessing about whether or not I had the stamp pointing exactly in the proper direction, and it kind of took my focus away from the putt itself. I could see how it would work for some people: pick your line and commit to it, and that way all you have to think about is speed. For me, though, I guess I am more of a feel putter.

[ET-Taylor]

Very rarely do i line up anything on the ball as most of the time i can't get the ball on the right line anyway with the side stamp