Do you use a line on your ball to aim your putt?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Rubbish.

Since when did a ball not on someone's line deflect their ball? If its between them and the hole, even a few feet off their line I'll mark it, otherwise they can always ask, if they're that precious.

Sorry Hobbit - @Three is 100% correct on this as far as I am concerned.

Who am I to judge whether or not a ball is in another players field of vision or may in some way distract. It's nothing to do with the player being precious - it's about the player not putting affording the other respect - and not having to be asked - which for some players might be difficult to do.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What has that got to do with marking a ball, unless you're worried about a noisy ball that needs to be muffled in a pocket?

I'm not bothered where people stand providing I'm not going to whack them when swinging. Noises and reasonable chatter doesn't bother me when I'm playing, although I'd rather not maintain a conversation mid-swing. Equally, I know other players prefer quiet and on occasion prefer a player to stand in a particular place. Again, I will sometimes ask "am I ok here?"

If I feel my actions are impacting on another player I will do something about it, especially slow play. But as for marking a ball every single time... don't be silly.

I do not think it is for you to make that decision. Just mark and lift and there is then nothing to decide, and nothing for the other player to ask.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Lol.
Walk on the the green, mark it, clean it, put it back when it's your turn, unless it's behind someone else who's putting and they can't see it, or you're all miles from the hole. Been doing that for 30 plus years, no affectation, just the way it's done.

Can't remember the last golfer I saw who never marked his ball.

Correct, though I do still from time to time finding myself asking a player to mark and lift his ball. I always mark and lift when it is not me to putt. And as I said - I do this when the player to putt is prep'ing. So not one second added to play.

 

[Dasit]

Every single putt ? How about from a foot or six inches?

Not every putt.

I actually got a tip from Crossfield when watching a VLOG of his. If I hit a putt and it gets to about 3 foot or less, I always putt out as you have an idea for line and speed really fresh in your mind. Not a perfect science but I do think it has helped me.


If I am not putting next I would always mark my ball as if someone else hits it I get the penalty.

 

[duncan mackie]

Not every putt.

I actually got a tip from Crossfield when watching a VLOG of his. If I hit a putt and it gets to about 3 foot or less, I always putt out as you have an idea for line and speed really fresh in your mind. Not a perfect science but I do think it has helped me.


If I am not putting next I would always mark my ball as if someone else hits it I get the penalty.

nope - they do...

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Sorry Hobbit - @Three is 100% correct on this as far as I am concerned.

Who am I to judge whether or not a ball is in another players field of vision or may in some way distract. It's nothing to do with the player being precious - it's about the player not putting affording the other respect - and not having to be asked - which for some players might be difficult to do.

Sorry but unless there is something written down in the rules of Golf in the etiquette area about marking the ball on the green it will be down to each person's personal opinion - many times there will be instances where it's not needed to mark the ball and it's not a lack of respect to not mark the ball if it's not in someone's or near someone's line

 

[Dasit]

nope - they do...

Good to know, cheers.

 

[Slab]

Re lifting while others putt out

I think there's usually a large part of the green where my ball can be without it being in someone eye-line or path to the hole (maybe even outwith their peripheral vision)

There's no need to lift it under this scenario, unless asked (& even then you'd be having the odd thought about how someone cant play a shot with another ball somewhere on the green)

I mean how do they manage on the fairway if my ball was two meters to the right of theirs?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As far as I am concerned it doesn't matter what I might think in respect of where my ball is on the green. I know that a player just might find it distracting (for whatever reason - it is not for me to need to know or to ask why) - and so out of respect for the player about to putt I always mark and pick up.

In any case. As part of my putting routine I mark my ball and pick it up, clean it - and replace it. I'd have thought that most, if not all, players do this. So just do the mark and pick up before anyone else putts.

This is very, very simple. No one is forcing anyone to mark their ball. But I just do not understand why some resist doing this when they know that their ball may be a distraction to the player putting - especially when it can be difficult to ask for a ball to be marked, Just mark and pick up if it is not you to putt. It is not difficult - nor does it take ANY time if done whilst the player to putt is prep'ing to putt.

 

[ManinBlack]

Rubbish.

Since when did a ball not on someone's line deflect their ball? If its between them and the hole, even a few feet off their line I'll mark it, otherwise they can always ask, if they're that precious.

I'm with you on this one, Hobbit. Far too much farting about goes on in even friendly games.

 

[Chokeahontas]

I would think the sight of someone mucking about marking and lifting their ball is much more off putting than their ball being in my peripheral vision

 

[ManinBlack]

I don't do this because even if the line is half a degree out your putt will miss by a lot if it's any length. I don't even pick a spot in front of the ball. I "see" the putt travelling to the hole in my mind's eye then make a note of where the line is in relation to the hole. I then line up on the line & hit the putt on that line.

 

[ManinBlack]

As far as I am concernedit doesn't matter what I might think in respect of where my ball is on the green. I know that a player just might find it distracting (for whatever reason - it is not for me to need to know or to ask why) - and so out of respect for the player about to putt I always mark and pick up.

In any case. As part of my putting routine I mark my ball and pick it up, clean it - and replace it. I'd have thought that most, if not all, players do this. So just do the mark and pick up before anyone else putts.

This is very, very simple. No one is forcing anyone to mark their ball. But I just do not understand why some resist doing this when they know that their ball may be a distraction to the player putting - especially when it can be difficult to ask for a ball to be marked, Just mark and pick up if it is not you to putt. It is not difficult - nor does it take ANY time if done whilst the player to putt is prep'ing to putt.

Then you're wrong. None of the people I play with do this &, coincidentally, we never get accused of slow play. This may be OK to do in serious competition. In casual games just a complete waste of time.

 

[Region3]

For me it happens the opposite way round more often, meaning I am away and over the ball ready to hit it, then have to stop because the person who's just putted up to 4' appears in my vision to mark his ball.

In answer to the original question I don't use a line on the ball because I struggle to line it up exactly, and when I do I don't trust it when I stand over it.

 

[ScienceBoy]

question I don't use a line on the ball because I struggle to line it up exactly, and when I do I don't trust it when I stand over it.

Really important point.

Line up or not, you have to stand over the ball with conviction. Doubt about your line will result in a poor putt.

If I second guess my first read I miss the putt 11/10 times

 

[Crow]

Ah - this is another matter though. In my eyes and my learned practice you should always mark and lift if is not you to play as you do not know whether or not the payers to putt before you might want you to. So I always mark and lift my ball as soon as I can whilst the player to putt is prep'ing.

That argument is flawed. As I posted earlier, I'd sooner people didn't mark their balls (unless to clean or on/close to line of putt) so you're not showing good etiquette to me and those like me.

If someone is upset by a ball on the green then they can ask to have it marked, but once the ball is marked and lifted it's too late for me to have an option as it would be ridiculous to ask for it to be replaced before I putt.

 

[3565]

Not read the whole thread but not sure what the fuss is about?

I always mark and lift my ball whether it's in someone's vision or not, and if I putt up to the hole not within tap in distance, I mark and lift let others play then play mine. Those who putt up near the hole but then decide to leave it there while I'm replacing my ball to putt and don't mark and lift get my goat up.

 

[patricks148]

Not read the whole thread but not sure what the fuss is about?

I always mark and lift my ball whether it's in someone's vision or not, and if I putt up to the hole not within tap in distance, I mark and lift let others play then play mine. Those who putt up near the hole but then decide to leave it there while I'm replacing my ball to putt and don't mark and lift get my goat up.

I do too, the important reason for lifting for me is to clean the ball.

 

[bobmac]

Correct, though I do still from time to time finding myself asking a player to mark and lift his ball. I always mark and lift when it is not me to putt. And as I said - I do this when the player to putt is prep'ing. So not one second added to play.

So if your ball is 20 feet right of the hole and your FC is 15 feet away at the front of the green, you'd ask him to mark it?

 

[Capella]

Here in Germany it is common practice to leave the ball on the green, unless it clearly is on or close to another players line, at least in social golf. I do line my ball up (I use either the logo/alignment aid that's already on there or draw a sharpy line if that does not suit my eye), so I do usually mark and pick it up as soon as I walk up to it, but here that is really the exception. If it is in nobody's way and they don't feel the need to clean or line up the ball, it just stays on the ground, unless somebody explicitely asks you to mark it.