Line or No Line Putting

[mistermuhl]

I've been toying with the line lately and I am blatantly more successful without it. Something about trusting the line rather than my feel makes me uneasy over the ball.

[MuniGrit]

I use both. I don't use the line on longer lag putts. On shorter 5 ftish length putts I use the line.

[colin007]

Is there any other testing besides this recent one?

https://mygolfspy.com/mgs-labs-line-vs-no-line/

[iacas]

 

[colin007]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

 

"The following media includes potentially sensitive content."

 

Lol WTF???

[iacas]

5 hours ago, colin007 said:

Lol WTF???

I don't know. It doesn't.

[colin007]

15 minutes ago, iacas said:

I don't know. It doesn't.

Maybe because it contains the word "whitest"? I really can't figure it out...

[golfer2b2000]

On 11/14/2016 at 1:43 PM, Strat-Pack Rick said:

I checked for a thread on this, promise.  Ive always put a line on the ball when i mark them for I.D. The line helps when i practice to see a wobble from my stroke. I thought the line would help on the course with lining up putts but i have recently quit using it and im putting way better. The line just causes me trouble when playing but i still practice with it. Just curious about who uses a line and who doesnt. Maybe im just not using the line correctly or its more trouble than its worth.

I myself do not use a line. I have learned also that the putterhead whether being pointed straight, left, or right of the hole does not mean that is where the ball is going to go. I pay more attention to the way my feet set up towards the line I want to hit the ball on. Once I get settled onto that line I dont waste much time hitting the putt. To me a line on the ball seems to just complicate the putt. It seems like most pros use a line, but again most of us are not pros...

[DrvFrShow]

lol. everything is sensitive these days.

I put a line on the ball because it makes it easier to identify in the woods. "Yeah, that one's mine."

I don't use it on the green because i can't line up the line very well. We all have our little methods of lining up putts.  

[iacas]

 

[saevel25]

Makes sense that a line helps out more on shorter putts. Longer putts, you have more chances of other variables to come into play and speed control matters a bit more. 

I use to putt with a line, but when greens got beat up it was hard to get the line set up where I wanted. That was more distracting than anything. 

[dennyjones]

I personally find that a line on the ball is distracting.   

[Vinsk]

27 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I personally find that a line on the ball is distracting.   

Same. It’s silly, but it bothers me if the line is showing and off my line for a shot when off the green. Like a crooked picture, just distracting to me.

[imsys0042]

I usually use a line for alignment.   I feel the longer the putt, the less helpful.  I do believe that it helps set me up better for a putt.   On the flip side, I don't feel like alignment lines on the top of a putter help me at all.   I concentrate on the face being square.

Interestingly enough, I go back and forth between two methods.

1 -  standard point the line on the ball's intended path

2 - point the line straight at the hole and decide what angle to hit it at.

Realistically, it's more of a way to have me think of less over the ball.   Once I am lined up, I solely concentrate on speed.  I'm sure over time if I kept track, I'm roughly the same doing this or not.

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

 

I would bet that a stat analysis of these results would show there is not a significant difference even though the raw numbers look a tiny bit better at some distances. I would have wished they also gathered some data on how much longer using the line took compared to no line.

[Zippo]

On 2/2/2022 at 6:34 AM, Vinsk said:

Same. It’s silly, but it bothers me if the line is showing and off my line for a shot when off the green. Like a crooked picture, just distracting to me.

For me, with the slight tremor I seem to be acquiring in my hands, by the time I got the line set up for the putt, my playing partners would be two holes ahead of me.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 11/14/2016 at 6:28 PM, Mr. Desmond said:

Tried the line a long time - late '90's. I could not get comfortable because the line seemed a bit "off." Took more time over the ball. 

Pretty much the same thing here. I was told by a person I trust that I was too slow on the green... that was a long time ago. I stopped using the line and try to visualize spots on the green not the ball. I play much faster now. Statistically my putting improves when I practice not when I use a line so ... there's that. 

On 2/2/2022 at 11:36 AM, boogielicious said:

I would bet that a stat analysis of these results would show there is not a significant difference even though the raw numbers look a tiny bit better at some distances. I would have wished they also gathered some data on how much longer using the line took compared to no line.

I have been saying this for years about MGS. They tend to run these tests and say this is better or that is better. But very often their results are statistically the same. 

 

On 10/29/2020 at 2:36 PM, DrvFrShow said:

lol. everything is sensitive these days.

I put a line on the ball because it makes it easier to identify in the woods. "Yeah, that one's mine."

IMO  -  This is the correct answer. 

It's funny because I started playing Sherbet Orange golf balls because I could very literally "see" them better. But having played that way for so long now. I actually very much like have a "uniquely identifiable from a distance" golf ball. I really like when my foursome comes over a hill in the fairway and suddenly 4 balls become visible. It's cool when I immediately know which one is mine. It doesn't improve my score or anything like that, but I do prefer a slightly unique golf ball.