Do Away with Alignment Aids on the Ball?

[MS256]

I go through phases between using the line on the ball or just picking an intermediate target. I went for 2-3 years without ever using the line because it distracted the heck out of me. But now, I do use the line, so go figure. My guess is over time I have figured out a way to use the line to my advantage.

The basic routine is:

1) get a quick 1st impression read (aimpoint assisted to varying extents)

2) aim the line on the golf ball on my intended start line

3) step six or seven feet behind the ball and check the line, as I tend to have a much better perspective of things from this vantage point. I also tend to make 1 or 2 practice strokes just looking at the line and hole from here (stole this from Fil).

4) go back and make adjustments to the line on the ball (I almost always have to make an adjustment here as my aim is terrible when crouching that close to the ball (step 2))

5) make a couple practice strokes focusing purely on the most aggressive stroke I can make and still "die" the ball into the hole during the putt's last 4-5 feet of roll.

6) make a stroke.

Seems to work. I have an Edel that was fitted to me without an aim line on the head, so I wasn't sure if this would screw up my eye or not. So far, it's been the opposite: It has been helpful. For now, I like it. There hasn't been much second guessing about line over the ball lately, if any. I'm not claiming to make everything, but this particular routine has been my most consistent one in a while. And even if I wrote it out in six steps, I can go through it pretty quickly.

So yea, that would stink if they took the line away. Thankfully, like the others have said, they won't.

Whether it's a legitimate advantage or not, I don't know. All I can say is that I'm not good at naturally aligning myself . Often times, a square alignment feels 5 or 6 degrees to the left. It almost feels like I'm about to pull the ball or something. But I've missed putts right enough times to know what some of my bad tendencies are. The line on the ball helps me combat that.

As I said in an earlier comment I only use the line on the ball after it's rolling. I really am not even aware of it until then. I don't see any difference at all in my ability to make the putt with or without the line on the ball.

What is annoyingly important to me is an intermediate spot, hopefully within a couple of feet of the ball. On very pristine greens sometimes it's either hard to find a spot at all or the spot can be lost after setting up to the ball. Problem is that it's a huge key to my ability to hole putts.

On days after fertilizer has been applied to the green and the specks are still visible I am almost always going to have a really great day of putting because a highly visible intermediate spot is always available. Happens way too many times, and it's way too big a difference, for it to be a coincidence.

When I'm not lazy and practice putting down the line on my oriental rug the carry-over is that the next day when I'm on the green I can actually "see" that line on my rug right there on the green. On those days I have no need for the intermediate spot and still putt very well.

[JetFan1983]

What is annoyingly important to me is an intermediate spot, hopefully within a couple of feet of the ball. On very pristine greens sometimes it's either hard to find a spot at all or the spot can be lost after setting up to the ball. Problem is that it's a huge key to my ability to hole putts.

On days after fertilizer has been applied to the green and the specks are still visible I am almost always going to have a really great day of putting because a highly visible intermediate spot is always available. Happens way too many times, and it's way too big a difference, for it to be a coincidence.

When I'm not lazy and practice putting down the line on my oriental rug the carry-over is that the next day when I'm on the green I can actually "see" that line on my rug right there on the green. On those days I have no need for the intermediate spot and still putt very well.

Yes and yes! Agreed. That's pretty much the reason I decided to try to go back and use the line. I hated the feeling of losing my intermediate target.

But like you said, when this routine (meaning your routine) works, it works great. And there's also something to be said about looking down at a totally monotone ball, no marks anywhere to distract you. So for sure, both ways have advantages and disadvantages.

[Golfingdad]

Yes and yes! Agreed. That's pretty much the reason I decided to try to go back and use the line. I hated the feeling of losing my intermediate target.

But like you said, when this routine (meaning your routine) works, it works great. And there's also something to be said about looking down at a totally monotone ball, no marks anywhere to distract you. So for sure, both ways have advantages and disadvantages.

The guy fitting me for my putter last week said something interesting while we were tinkering with different alignment aids on the putter itself.  He referred to two different types of putters (people, not equipment) as being parallel aligners, or perpendicular aligners.  People like you, who use a line on the ball along the line of the putt, or who use, for example, Odyssey 2-ball putters or any type of putter with lines pointing towards the target are what he meant when he said parallel aligners.

My routine, once I've found my line, is to get up to the ball, look at my , then trace a line back to my ball with my eyes and line up my putter head perpendicular to that.

So after never feeling comfortable trying to use a line on my ball, finding out that I'm a "perpendicular" aligner or aimer was a nice confirmation as to why.  And that was further confirmed when we found that I aimed best with NO alignment aids on the putter either.

---

Another reason why alignment lines on the ball don't work for me, and the same reason why intermediate targets don't work for me, is somewhat counterintuitive.  It screws up my speed.  The logical reason to use a line or intermediate target is so you can put line out of your mind and concentrate on speed.  But I need to have the hole (or on breaking putts, my aimpoint at the same distance as the hole) as my sole target and sole thought when I'm putting otherwise my speed is worse.

Go figure.

[Shindig]

Hmm, that doubt sounds familiar. I think I'm going to stop using the alignment line. I really like +mdl's idea of setting down the ball with only white showing.

[boogielicious]

i set my ball down so that i dont see any logo or lines.

anyways, yet another reason why Brandy is an asshat.

Me too.  I find lines distracting. I also find BC is an asshat.  I will not watch GC when he is on.  He is an idiot.

[Crim]

I putted using the lines for the first time over 7 holes a couple days ago. I don't know if it was because I've never done it before but I was TERRIBLE. Last two holes I did away with the lines and made a nice 12 footer and then a 20 footer.

Needless to say I'm never using lines again.

[colin007]

Me too.  I find lines distracting. I also find BC is an asshat.  I will not watch GC when he is on.  He is an idiot.

Keep in mind that asshat is an official term. I think we should make it one of those little brand logo thingys that can be embedded in the text...

[iacas]

In our tests, over 80% of people can't aim the line on the ball inside the hole (a dead straight putt) from ten feet when tasked only with aligning the line.

[Shindig]

In our tests, over 80% of people can't aim the line on the ball inside the hole (a dead straight putt) from ten feet when tasked only with aligning the line.

Is this only with the placing of the ball, not standing over it and setting the putter?

[iacas]

Is this only with the placing of the ball, not standing over it and setting the putter?

Just pointing the line on the ball at the target.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

In our tests, over 80% of people can't aim the line on the ball inside the hole (a dead straight putt) from ten feet when tasked only with aligning the line.

Is this only with the placing of the ball, not standing over it and setting the putter?

Just pointing the line on the ball at the target.

I find this hilarious for some reason. Makes me chuckle every time I read it.

[Ernest Jones]

Well, as Erik knows, if I aimed the line at the centre of the cup I'd miss every time because I push all my putts!

[iacas]

Well, as Erik knows, if I aimed the line at the centre of the cup I'd miss every time because I push all my putts!

You were able to aim the line inside the hole. When you aim your putter alone, though, it's always left.

[Ernest Jones]

You were able to aim the line inside the hole. When you aim your putter alone, though, it's always left.

I was being flippant, but yeah, that's also why I use the line. It works (for me) and mitigates the damage of my tendency to set up with the face closed.

[MS256]

Well, as Erik knows, if I aimed the line at the centre of the cup I'd miss every time because I push all my putts!

There's a guy that's on my team pretty often in the dogfight and he always wants me to "line him up" when he's over the ball. It's almost always aiming an inch or two left but I've seen him putt often enough to tell him that's just right.

If somebody else lines him up (and actually does it correctly) he will miss to the right every time. I even told him one time that he aims left and pushes the ball but he seems incapable of "seeing" a 90 degree line from his putter and has learned to push the ball over the years. He's only an average putter at best, although he is a good lag putter.

[iacas]

If somebody else lines him up (and actually does it correctly) he will miss to the right every time. I even told him one time that he aims left and pushes the ball but he seems incapable of "seeing" a 90 degree line from his putter and has learned to push the ball over the years. He's only an average putter at best, although he is a good lag putter.

Yeah, but I could give him a different putter and his aim will change. Then he'd unlearn his push pretty quickly.

[MS256]

Yeah, but I could give him a different putter and his aim will change. Then he'd unlearn his push pretty quickly.

He should have come to see you 30 years ago.

He's pretty funny though. Probably has changed putters at least 10 times in the last two years. I think every time he misses a putt he changes putters. His wife told me he tied his putter to the bumper of his car and dragged it all the way home from a US Open qualifier one year.

[Kieran123]

I have always lined up my putts with the marks on a ball. I might try and not use them this year.