Marking the ball or not wanting to mark the ball but also not wanting to upset others

[sirhacksalot]

or get a different hat :)

[rehmwa]

I have this.  Repair Tool (with a marker) on the belt, clip (only a marker) on the hat.  Mostly use the repair tool.  I rarely mark my ball, but I also usually play solo or whoever I'm paired with at the moment.  When I mark, it's just easier to pull the marker from my hat.

I really like the shape of this repair tool.   Others get very clumsy and bulky.

 

[Shindig]

2 hours ago, Shooting29 said:

I mark with this. 

http://www.zero****scoin.com/products/the-honey-badger-single-coin?variant=9214485699

Nice, but it needs a 32. 

3 hours ago, sirhacksalot said:

this is a big point of my post.  It adds to the stress of me. I was asked to remark the ball yesterday, was using a tee. I was an easy foot and a half out of his line, than while hes waiting i forgot that i put my coin in my right pocket so i sit there fumble around, pull tees out of my pocket etc.  lay a divot tool, "you don't have a coin", yeah somewhere. find it place it. Still thinking about it when its my time to putt pull my putt hit slope, two putt coming back.  Not sure if the result would have been different but who knows?

I reviewed this belt : http://onthegreengolf.com/the-buckle.html a year or so ago for this site.  I rarely mark my ball, but I always have a ball marker (and divot tool) without anything in my pockets!  I hate having things in my pocket when playing.  Belt and buckle are pretty cool.  I really should dig up and re-post my review now that we're not on the old forum software anymore. 

[NJpatbee]

I am in the camp that uses the brand name on the ball to align my putt so I almost always mark the ball, but if I am not near anyone's line I will just line it up and place the ball back on the green and pick up my marker.  I also carry a quarter and a dime using the dime if I am within a few feet of the hole.  I need the quarter if I am farther away and have to pick up the ball and keep it until I putt next due to my aging eyes.

[chilepepper]

Depends on the group I'm playing with. One men's group is beyond anal about making every ball even if it's nowhere near anyone. Another group just marks those that may interfere with others. I go with the flow. Funny thing......those that fuss the most about having balls marked don't have a game to match their fussiness 

[Shindig]

11 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

Depends on the group I'm playing with. One men's group is beyond anal about making every ball even if it's nowhere near anyone. Another group just marks those that may interfere with others. I go with the flow. Funny thing......those that fuss the most about having balls marked don't have a game to match their fussiness 

No, they just have excuses. 

[CyboNinja]

6 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

Only a few insists on marking your ball.  It bothers them b/c it's in line of their sight when they putt and can distract their aim.  Other than that most don't care if you mark your ball or not.  I will usually mark it.   If I don't mark it, it's b/c I am pretty certain that the others don't care.  

If my ball is close enough to someone's line I'll simply ask them "would you like me to mark that?" Or if someone's ball is in my line I'll simply ask them to please finish out. Personally I'd prefer to putt over a footprint than a ball marker. 

[ol 3 putts]

I always mark my ball. It's one of the few chances you have in a game to make sure conditions are as close to perfect as possible. I mark, I clean (I once missed a mud clot on a ball, and it cost me a par) Also marking my ball gives me time to see the putt and think about pace then the line I want to hit on.  I like to see only white when I putt, no lines, no factory marks or brands. Nothing but green and white.

[Papa Steve 55]

Like I said, I always mark unless I'm going to finish. But its really for me more than my playing partners. It gives me a chance to transition from my approach shot to putting. I get mud etc off the ball, watch others putt for line/speed info and generally try and figure out what I need to do to put the ball in the hole. Marking the ball starts that process. Typing it out makes me sound a bit nuts, even to me. trust me I'm not, mostly. My preshot routine just starts with marking the ball.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Papa Steve 55

[Buckeyebowman]

11 hours ago, sirhacksalot said:

It seems we are all on the same page and I will def ask playing partners next time we play. This is one of those i know its just me but it messes me up. I don't feel like I assess the line well without a ball.  When I am playing by myself when I walk up to the green i look at the ball, if its muddy, I mark (with what ever is handy, or the first thing in my pocket), i lift clean replace, then casually look at the line walk and pull flag, second glance and putt.  When i play with others it seems we all hurry to mark and pocket. Then hurry again to place and putt when its my turn. The line that i thought i saw with the marker looks different with the ball. I know its just me but the trying to dig a coin out of my pocket, trying to find my marker on a "bright" day on a green. etc. adds stress as well

What do you mean "the first thing in your pocket"? Why don't you have a ball marker in your pocket at the start of play? Or a couple of them?

Before I begin play I make sure that I am highly organized. I have 3 tees and my ball in my left front pocket. I have my ball mark repair tool and a ball marker in my right front pocket. If it's kind of sloppy out, and I might need to clean my ball, I have an old washcloth tucked in my right hip pocket. It's also for cleaning my ball when on the green.

My suggestion is, get yourself organized!

[iacas]

On August 14, 2016 at 10:53 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

I think the best thing I can tell you is to pay attention. When I get to the green, if I'm not in anybody's way, I'll mark my ball and lift it. If I've made a ball mark, I'll fix it. Then I'll clean and replace my ball and leave the mark behind it. I seem to line up putts better if my ball is on the green.

FWIW, note that in the bold case, your ball is considered to be back in play, even if the mark is still behind it.

---

As for me, I mark my ball if:

• I want to and care enough about the round.
• It's in someone else's way.
• It's dirty.

Or a combination of "kinda" of any of the above.

[sirhacksalot]

59 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

What do you mean "the first thing in your pocket"? Why don't you have a ball marker in your pocket at the start of play? Or a couple of them?

Before I begin play I make sure that I am highly organized. I have 3 tees and my ball in my left front pocket. I have my ball mark repair tool and a ball marker in my right front pocket. If it's kind of sloppy out, and I might need to clean my ball, I have an old washcloth tucked in my right hip pocket. It's also for cleaning my ball when on the green.

My suggestion is, get yourself organized!

First thing in my pocket , meaning its easier to grab a tee etc then a coin. I had my canadian twoney but put it the wrong pocket.  Im not a big guy but short pockets have always been tight. When playing by myself sometimes I have even wore one of those cloth nail aprons you can get at home depot for a $1 and I liked that a lot better than having things in my pockets that was back when I was using my phone for yardage etc. So I had tees , extra ball, repair tool, markers, phone in apron. Sure I could get more organized but it seems that I have been playing with marker police which is good to know as well. Not that I will quit playing with them but it may help me not to take them so seriously and if they ask me to use a different marker etc. It's on them, i'll happily oblige but I dont need to feel like Ive done something wrong etc

[dchoye]

On August 14, 2016 at 9:53 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

I don't know. It doesn't seem all that complicated to me, but then I've been playing for 50 years. I guess I've forgotten how some things can seem to someone new to the game.

I think the best thing I can tell you is to pay attention. When I get to the green, if I'm not in anybody's way, I'll mark my ball and lift it. If I've made a ball mark, I'll fix it. Then I'll clean and replace my ball and leave the mark behind it. I seem to line up putts better if my ball is on the green.

If I am in someone's way, I'll confer with them. Do they need my ball marked? Do you want the mark moved? Which side of the line to you want me to approach the ball from? This can all be done quickly and easily. Just keep at it and it gets easier.

Agree with this.  Common courtesy.  I line up better if the ball is on the green.  I like to putt better when Im away first rather than wait.  If I not away I mark it and then start my routine when I place the ball back behind the marker. 

I rather not read the putt with the marker . Cause 1st sometimes it's hard to find the marker 2nd it's easier for me to read the putt once the ball is back on the green. 

[14ledo81]

I rarely mark my ball. I would if it was in someone's way.

[sirhacksalot]

2 hours ago, 14ledo81 said:

I rarely mark my ball. I would if it was in someone's way.

same for normal play for me obviously.  But like I was saying before, the group seems to mark and then wait for your turn even if we are on all sides of the green.  This throws me off and after reading the comments mentioned before I will try only marking if need to (asked), as said before i do usually mark, clean and place back, especially if its one of the few occasions that its a GIR .but marking then waiting on my turn to putt, placing, then starting what lil routine i have made me question a lot of putts because the line I got from just the marker looked different once there was a ball etc. I will see what i can get by with next Sunday but it  was definitely good getting feed back from others.  

[RayG]

It's not always that the BALL is in your line or their line. You should be careful where your STANCE might be as well. But besides that, I'm in the cam of marking 99.9% of the time. As mentioned- I use the secondary logo (if it has one) as an alignment aid. And like using a tee on par 3's- you are GIVEN the opportunity to clean the ball and replace it. Take advantage of it. Once it's marked, I will ask if I am in anyone's line, THEN move the mark to accommodate. The .1% I don't mark is tapping in or to clean up, making sure to not clomp on someones line who is yet to finish out. THAT is more of a pet peeve than a few other things.