Line or No Line Putting

[sjduffers]

After years of not using a line, a played with one for a few years as I was seeing the best players doing it (even Tiger) and saying that this way they only have to worry about the speed.

One day, as I was talking to my instructor about lipping out so many putts recently, he had a look at my routine with the line. I hit the putt on the line pointed by the line on the ball, sure, but the line was aligned just a tad bit left of the center of the hole (on a straight putt), maybe inside or on the left edge for a 20-25 feet putt. Enough to cause a higher percentage of misses than the line helped me hole out.

He advised to not use the line on the ball, perhaps just looking at the white part of the ball (no logo or mark showing) and let my eyes do the alignment work and guide the stroke. Guess what? A lot more putts started falling in after a couple of weeks of adjustment...  This was 2.5 years ago and I haven't looked back at a line on my ball ever since. I have looked at plenty of people taking forever to align their line though (probably off line like I was...) 

[Hatchman]

If you can't aim your line right or read a green to position it why bother slowing down the game.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Hatchman

[OrangeHog]

I tried the line on the ball once out on the practice green and really gave it a workout.  Just could not get the feel for using it.  I always seemed to aim it at what I thought was the hole but when I stood over the ball it looked off to one side or the other.  Took WAY too much time so I scrapped it.  I putt far better just looking down at a white ball and using the single alignment line on my putter to help set up.

[dchoye]

Still using the line particarly for shorter putts inside 15 feet that move left on me 

For some reason I can not make a right to left putt unless I use the line and focus on the line rather the circle of the ball if that makes any sense 

this helps me square up the putter blade to my target for some reason 

 For chipping sometimes I will imagine a straight line to my ball and then square or open the wedge blade to that line

Or sometimes use the score lines on the belly wedge to line up to the hole 

Sand shots require similar imagination as I tend to imagine a rectagular edge and box around the ball 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 11/14/2016 at 2:22 PM, iacas said:

I've found that most people can't line that line up very well, either.

Yeah, what good does that do you? When I'm putting or driving, I don't want to see anything but pure white golf ball! On other shots I don't have a choice.

[zero]

I use a line for putting practice to see the wobble. I have started using it on the course so that I can align the putter with the ball and then focus primarily on speed and stroke - one less thought in my head during the stroke. BTW, I'm not a very good putter yet so just using different techniques for improvement/drills.

[dchoye]

I'm starting to like to see a curve line on the ball like the callaway logo on their ball which has a bit of a curve . I'm finding it helps align my eyes to a breaking putt 

Coupled with a pre putt routine where I tap the bottom of the putter on the ground   

I start the routine by holding the putter with my right hand then left hand prior to the putting stroke 

Edited February 17, 2017 by dchoye

[tlazzol]

On 11/14/2016 at 2:13 PM, DaveP043 said:

I've never used a line on my golf ball to help align my putting.  I don't know about anyone on TST, but I've seen lots of players really get slow, aligning the little line, back up and look at it, re-aligning it, etc, its maddening for me to watch.  I've even seen one or two guys using it on the tee, which is even more maddening.  I find it hard to believe that a 1.68 inch long line can be aligned precisely enough to be any real help.  

I would have been one of those guys if I kept using a line on the ball.  Have a tendency to get OCD about some things.  Quit doing it because I felt the tension building as I tried the get the line exactly right.  Putting all the Keurig K-cups in the holding rack exactly the same way doesn't bother anyone else.  Fussing on the green does.

[1badbadger]

On 11/14/2016 at 4:04 PM, newtogolf said:

I used to use the spinning devices to mark my balls but stopped after I found that running the same ball through the process multiple times resulted in multiple lines that were not very close in proximity.  If the device was working as advertised, the line should be consistent no matter how many times you run it through the process.   

A lot of those devices like the Check-Go are designed so as the ball spins it will spin around the heaviest part of the ball, which is the seam.  So a ball with a seam will spin the same if you do it multiple times. A seamless ball doesn't have a heavy spot and will be different every time. That type of ball is more consistent.  

This guy uses a line

[No Mulligans]

I tried using a line.  It didn't seem to help and the lining the ball/line up was a big hassle.  Never again for me.

[Kalnoky]

To me, a line feels more comfortable when using a mallet, because of the weight in the back. This off-season I went back to the blade putter for practice and don't use any line at all. 

[1badbadger]

I never use a line on long lag-type putts.  If I'm going through a phase where I'm not getting my putts started on line, I might use it on putts in the 5-15' range, but mainly I use it on putts inside of about 5'.  Sometimes I draw a line on my ball, or I use the sidestamp.

[iacas]

Most people are better off not using a line. Their line is often not pointing where they think.

Plus it takes them longer and makes them slower.

[boogielicious]

16 hours ago, iacas said:

Most people are better off not using a line. Their line is often not pointing where they think.

Plus it takes them longer and makes them slower.

This^.

When I first started playing seriously in 2009, I used a line and it was slow. I stopped after a half season. After I got fitted with my putter and knew I could aim my putter at the target, the line became unnecessary.

[GolfLug]

I do not use a/the line but I use the logo for general address orientation for putting and tee ball. If not I feel like I sometimes lose my posture through down/forward swing. But yes, using a line to point exactly at a spot in the cup seems excessive and not sure if actually helpful. But then again, putting is so much more 'habitual' than other aspects.

People going back and forth across the hole three times to read the putting line drives me more nuts than anything else.  That is truly a time drain and makes me lose patience.

[1badbadger]

7 hours ago, GolfLug said:

I do not use a/the line but I use the logo for general address orientation for putting and tee ball. If not I feel like I sometimes lose my posture through down/forward swing. But yes, using a line to point exactly at a spot in the cup seems excessive and not sure if actually helpful. But then again, putting is so much more 'habitual' than other aspects.

People going back and forth across the hole three times to read the putting line drives me more nuts than anything else.  That is truly a time drain and makes me lose patience.

I agree that it can slow down play when guys can't get the line where they want it.  But look at it this way...if some players have a difficult time aiming the line on their ball correctly, what are the chances that their putter is lined up correctly if they don't use a line on the ball?

I'll admit this has happened to me...I place the ball on the green just in front of my ball marker and if it's a right edge putt for example  I position the line to point at the right edge, but when I back up and check it, it's pointed almost a ball outside the cup!  Or when I have the line aimed perfectly, when I address the ball and get in my stance it looks wrong.  So I'm one of those guys who has a perception problem sometimes and things look different from behind the line of the putt vs standing over the line of the putt, and the line or sidestamp does help me from slipping into my old tendencies, but I can do it efficiently to where it doesn't hold up the pace of play.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, 1badbadger said:

I agree that it can slow down play when guys can't get the line where they want it.  But look at it this way...if some players have a difficult time aiming the line on their ball correctly, what are the chances that their putter is lined up correctly if they don't use a line on the ball?

Probably no different.

Look… people can't line up their putters. They can't line up the line on their ball either.

I generally recommend:

• Don't use the line on your ball. Just set the ball down with mostly white space pointing at you.
• Find a putter (Edel or otherwise) that you can aim properly.

1 hour ago, 1badbadger said:

I'll admit this has happened to me...I place the ball on the green just in front of my ball marker and if it's a right edge putt for example  I position the line to point at the right edge, but when I back up and check it, it's pointed almost a ball outside the cup!  Or when I have the line aimed perfectly, when I address the ball and get in my stance it looks wrong.  So I'm one of those guys who has a perception problem sometimes and things look different from behind the line of the putt vs standing over the line of the putt, and the line or sidestamp does help me from slipping into my old tendencies, but I can do it efficiently to where it doesn't hold up the pace of play.

That's almost everyone.

[Zeph]

Never used a line. I prefer finding a spot a some inches in front of the ball and use as an intermediate target. I keep focus on that spot while setting up and once I'm ready, it's focus on distance control.