having trouble with my putting line.

[owens251109]

Morning. Does anyone out there know of a product or technique to help keep your putter face square? alot of my putts seem to be lined up straight. but when it comes off the putter face on impact most of them are going left of target. so i know the face is not square. I have tried to open up more but then my line feels off. thanks.

[Club Rat]

On the putting green:

Place two balls next to each other and make your stroke.

When both balls roll at your target, then you have made a stroke where the impact was square.

Also, you could use a small 2"X 4" block of wood on a smooth surface and practice your stroke.

You will feel when the face hits the block squarely.

Club Rat

[owens251109]

cheep and simple. thanks you sir.

[ks8829]

using a string as a guide anchored on both side with any stick, the string will help you see the line of your putt with the set up and while you are putting since the end of the string is lined up passed the hole.  I also like the new odyssey Versa putters with the black and white contract.  The two ball putter is very nice and I am considering buying one.  The blade Versa putter also helps you line up your putts perpendicularly from your target line.

[Mr. Desmond]

Morning.

Does anyone out there know of a product or technique to help keep your putter face square?

alot of my putts seem to be lined up straight. but when it comes off the putter face on impact most of them are going left of target. so i know the face is not square. I have tried to open up more but then my line feels off.

thanks.

two weeks old, but if  your'e not having success, it could be your setup and ball position.

Make sure your body -- feet, knees, hips, shoulders, eyes are neutral - square. Take a grip and hold your putter in front of you - is it to the side or centered? When you are square, put your putter down - if the putter head has space between it and the ball, now you've got a ball position issues.

Google pat o'brien for his setup.

As to keeping the club face square, feel as if the lead wrist is pointed at your target line as you make the forward stroke.

Have fun.

[Shirl]

Bend into the shot. The upper body should be over the ball bringing the eyes directly above the ball. Pull the putter straight back and straight through the shot - this means not stopping once you tap the ball. There can be no hinging of your wrists. Work at tucking your arms in as you bend outwards from the elbows. The more you arch your wrists, the more you limit the independent hinging of the wrists and add to the control of the stroke. Your elbows should lightly brush the side of your body. By moving your arms and shoulders together you’ll move the putter correctly through the ball.

[Club Rat]

using a string as a guide anchored on both side with any stick, the string will help you see the line of your putt with the set up and while you are putting since the end of the string is lined up passed the hole.  I also like the new odyssey Versa putters with the black and white contract.  The two ball putter is very nice and I am considering buying one.  The blade Versa putter also helps you line up your putts perpendicularly from your target line.

Another thought, I use a "chalk line" as a guide.

Simply snap a line on the green surface and I like to place a tee in the ground at the end as a target.

As I practice, this gives me a line of sight of the roll of the ball, and allows me to see any break in the green, left or right of target.

I usually try pick an area to practice which I presume is level and flat.

Straight putts are usually difficult reads, they seem to sometimes have break.

Then if a practice putt rolls left or right, it is easier to make the proper adjustments.

Club Rat

[joekelly]

For me, and many others surely, if when you are addressing the ball on the green and ready to putt and you are thinking about your technique, like hands, arms, even how long a backswing to send the ball 37 feet, any thought except visualizing the ball rolling along the line and into the hole, then the opportunity for failure is much greater. On the tee and on the green you must see the future, not the present (IMO).

[Club Rat]

For me, and many others surely, if when you are addressing the ball on the green and ready to putt and you are thinking about your technique, like hands, arms, even how long a backswing to send the ball 37 feet, any thought except visualizing the ball rolling along the line and into the hole, then the opportunity for failure is much greater. On the tee and on the green you must see the future, not the present (IMO).

Way too many thoughts!

Visualize the ball going into the hole, make a good stroke, make the putt!

Club Rat

[Hammer 4]

Way too many thoughts!

Visualize the ball going into the hole, make a good stroke, make the putt!

Club Rat

Reminds me of...read it...roll it, and hole it...

[Club Rat]

Rock On !!!!!!!!!

Club Rat

[dchoye]

I use cack grip it works for me. The only problems is I might pull the ball. So I try to stay down and "punch " my putt and keep it on the high side

[xerex250]

Putting isn't difficult. Think about it. You tap a ball and it rolls towards the hole. If you can make it subconscious and not think about your stroke, just hit the putt towards the hole, you'll be a great putter in no time. Putting is so simple. Inconsistency is caused mainly by you thinking about so many different things all at once. focus on hitting the ball somewhere near the hole.

By the way, how many 10 footers do you expect to make? About 70 percent is most people's expectation. But the pros, the best players in the game only make these 50 percent of the time. So really give it some thought. If you want to improve your score, focus on mainly just trying to get the ball close from 15 feet. Sometimes, by default, it will drop. Make those 3 footers most of the time. this way you two putt more often than three putt. But don't worry if you do end up three putting. The pros do it sometimes, so there's no reason why you should be exempt from three putting. Still, three putting isn't the end of the world. if you two putt most of the time, one putt sometimes, and thee putt rarely, then you're a great putter.

[Meisce]

Had a similar issue here. I use a setup like the one Shirl describes, which helps a lot. Two improvements I made which have helped: got a larger grip on my putter to quieten my wrists. Now I don't have to think about the stroke as much. And more importantly, keeping my eyes down after I strike the ball; I was following the ball to the hole with my eyes as I hit it, causing me to pull it a lot. Now I listen for the sound of it dropping.

[Mr. Desmond]

Bend into the shot. The upper body should be over the ball bringing the eyes directly above the ball. Pull the putter straight back and straight through the shot - this means not stopping once you tap the ball. There can be no hinging of your wrists. Work at tucking your arms in as you bend outwards from the elbows. The more you arch your wrists, the more you limit the independent hinging of the wrists and add to the control of the stroke. Your elbows should lightly brush the side of your body. By moving your arms and shoulders together you’ll move the putter correctly through the ball.

Well, some of the better putters of the game also have their eyes just inside the ball. It is commonly taught that eyes over the ball or just inside the ball -- is fine. BUT the eyes outside of the ball is a big romper-room no no.

Utley and Stockton might argue with the slight hinging as they like a forward press to start. I don't like it as it may change the face angle … but we're all different. I like to stay relaxed.

You don't want to arch so much that you throw off the lie angle of your putter (if it's properly adjusted).

Move arms and shoulders? What moves? Independently? Typically, gurus preach that the big muscles move. Some people like the hands to move slightly first, and then the big muscles (shoulders). Typically, you want a natural arc that is not small or big, but just right… so your putter remains square to the arc.

I like to feel like my hands are out of the stroke.

Fun game ….

[dchoye]

For some reason I don't use a putting line if a short right to left breaker. It's just intuitive for me. However short left to right breaks is a totally different story I have to find a spot on the ground to aim for Its just the way I see things

[saevel25]

For some reason I don't use a putting line if a short right to left breaker. It's just intuitive for me. However short left to right breaks is a totally different story I have to find a spot on the ground to aim for Its just the way I see things

Yea sometimes I can get stuck miss aligning on short putts. I actually like a more open stance on short putts. Though I have a history of aiming my body way to far to the right

You don't want to arch so much that you throw off the lie angle of your putter (if it's properly adjusted).

Lie angle doesn't matter much with a putter. You are talking about 0.025 inches off the line for a degree change in lie angle for a 30 foot putt. Some putter on tour have the toe a few degrees off the ground.

[Mr. Desmond]

Crap -- are you the Anti-Christ to my posting?

lol.

Trying to get these guys to develop a proper set up, not some overarching weirdness so when they get fitted, their putter looks like Frankensten's monster.

:-)