Putting Alignment - Add a Line to the Ball? Use the One Printed There?

[rehmwa]

I place a line on my ball but it's more for ball marking purposes than putter alignment.  Like many others I found it took too long it align it perfectly and it didn't seem to reduce the number of putts I was making so stopped using it.

I have nothing to add to this.  Other than I like my marks to be neat, so I do use one of those marking tools.

[MPtheKid]

I always put an alignment line on my ball. It's one less thing I have to worry about when I'm putting. I mark the putt, place my ball with the alignment line pointing down where I want to start the putt, and then forget about aim. I stand over the putt trusting my read/line and can concentrate on just hitting the putt with the proper speed.

[misty_mountainhop]

Tried it but, as many other have said, didn't really find it improved matters. In general, I have a feeling that it's one of the banes of modern amateur slow play as well.

[dsc123]

I pick my aimpoint, then when I place my ball I line up it.  Not sure how to explain this, but then I stand behind the ball, and holding my putter horizontal, I line the putter shaft up with the line on the ball, so that the shaft basically extends the line.  If the shaft doesn't go though my aimpoint, I adjust the ball a bit.  I think this solves one of the problems identified by @Golfingdad --having to trace an imaginary line because you can't look at the ball and the hole at the same time.

I don't think this takes much longer.  Lining it up while squatting probably adds 3 seconds because you're going down there to place your ball and pick up your marker anyway. Even if I didn't use the line, I would then stand back to look at my putt, so adding my putter alignment thing might add 3 seconds to that.  If I have to adjust it, some time will be wasted.  But I figure using aimpoint I'm quicker than most anyway.

I use this: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11518440&cp;=4406646.4413989.4414125

It clamps onto the ball and each side has a line stencil.  I put the shorter one over the line printed on the ball itself, but then make my mark using the longer stencil on the opposite side.  If I try to draw over the line printed on the ball, sometimes it won't be perfect and it will look funny.  I just want to see the line on an otherwise clean ball.

I always put an alignment line on my ball. It's one less thing I have to worry about when I'm putting. I mark the putt, place my ball with the alignment line pointing down where I want to start the putt, and then forget about aim. I stand over the putt trusting my read/line and can concentrate on just hitting the putt with the proper speed.

This is why I do it.  Standing over the ball, I've already picked my line, and I match the line on the ball with the line on my putter and I know I'm lined up right.  The only thing left to focus on is distance.  I find that I putt the best when I can really focus on that.

The only problem I have with it is that sometimes, when on a steepish slope, the ball below my feet, the line looks off.  I think its because I'm standing perpendicular to level, rather than the tilting green, or because I'm lining up the ball that way, or because my eyes aren't over the ball or something.  In those situations I just ignore the line on the ball.  One of these days I'd like to put a little more thought into it to find a better solution.  For now, being aware of it is enough.

[dchoye]

I never use the line for short putts under 10 feet .

I have found that if  for long putts with signifigant downhill breaks in the last 6 feet to the hole, I find it helpful to aim for a spot some feet in front of the hole and put the line aim at that spot then I just concentrate on speed and I can lag it close.

[MS256]

I use a line drawn around my ball but not exactly for the reason most people do. It's not as THE aiming device even though it's lined up with my intermediate spot or start line.

Since I am visualizing the line, and rolling the ball down that line, the line around my ball has virtually nothing to do with how well I putt.

What it does do is let me know on every putt how well I am rolling the ball. If the line on the ball is rolling without any wobble I know I have made a good roll and if it is wobbling I know I have not made a good roll.

Not all good rolls go in the hole and not all bad rolls miss but a very high percentage of the time if the roll is perfect I am going to make the putt and a very high percentage of the time if the line on the ball is wobbling I am going to miss the putt.

So for me the line on the ball is more of a feedback device than an alignment device.

Even for people that don't care to use a line during play I would recommend they use one in practice, just for the feedback.

[colin007]

no line.  i like the white of the ball, clears my focus.

[dchoye]

Im specific about when i use the line, I find that the line works best when I have a long lag putt, that has lot of break moves from left to right.

i dont try to make those, just use the line to an aimpoint and just think about speed