Lines on your ball

[srixon 1]

Like I said earlier I only use the makers mark. However, during practice it can be beneficial to have a line completely around the ball. Not for alignment but for quality of stroke. A well struck putt (square face to line on ball) will make the ball roll along the line. A badly struck put will make the line wobble.

 

[3565]

Fundamentally its nonsense. I think anyone who thinks they can align a not much more than an inch long as you look at it, line 2 or 3 mm wide, to an accuracy that will help you with the line of a putt, is seriously deluded. If anything, it more likely, quite probably even, that the line will be misaligned, and so more likely to put you off aligning your putter head to your desired line when you address the ball.
Probably a few pro started doing it without thinking about it, any benefit is unmeasurable anyway, and amateurs started aping it as they do. And small though it is, it is one of the many things that go into slowing down the game.
But hey, its golf, and whatever works for you, works for you (even if you only think it does, when really it doesnt), whether delusional or not.
If I were to bet, I would go for a scientific study coming out with the answer that it is more likely to be harmful, and so a bad habit one is better of not developing.

And I suppose you’ve done a study on this yourself to come up with your conclusion?




Or is it just your ‘opinion’!!! 🙄

 

[USER1999]

I draw a line round my ball. It helps me identify it in the rough.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

Put a line on a couple of years ago but stopped after a few months as I found it a bit of a pain lining it up correctly. Recently though my putting has really gone to the dogs so I have started using a line on the ball again for anything up to 15ish feet and it seems to be working wonders. Certainly not holing everything but a lot more are dropping and the confidence is returning.

I draw a line round my ball. It helps me identify it in the rough.

I draw quite a big line round mine but probably only half way round. It didn't help me the other week though as I was looking for my ball in the rough by the side of a hazard and bingo, a Srixon with a black line showing on all of the ball that I could see. Hacked it out about 120 and then went to play my next shot only to see that it was a bog standard AD333 and not the Tour that I was playing.

 

[backwoodsman]

Whether having a line on my ball, and aligning it to the hole is of any use to me is a decision only i can make.

But...

Please do not accuse me of causing slow play by doing so. Usually, l have lifted my ball, replaced it, carefully aligning the line, then had my lunch, and possibly had a wee snooze, and then putted, long before anyone else has even got near the green. And in the rare instance its not my honour of first putt, l may have another nap before they arrive.

 

[inc0gnito]

Whether having a line on my ball, and aligning it to the hole is of any use to me is a decision only i can make.

But...

Please do not accuse me of causing slow play by doing so. Usually, l have lifted my ball, replaced it, carefully aligning the line, then had my lunch, and possibly had a wee snooze, and then putted, long before anyone else has even got near the green. And in the rare instance its not my honour of first putt, l may have another nap before they arrive.

😏 I agree. I've never done it but surely it only should take a few seconds. I see coach lockey doing it on Mark Crossfields course vlogs and it's done in seconds.

 

[Imurg]

It can be done in seconds and if it is then nobody will have an issue with it.
I've played with people who take 15-20 seconds to align every putt, even from a foot...
You start to lose the will to live.
It's like any pre shot routine.
Do it reasonably quickly and you'll be ok..

 

[patricks148]

Whether having a line on my ball, and aligning it to the hole is of any use to me is a decision only i can make.

But...

Please do not accuse me of causing slow play by doing so. Usually, l have lifted my ball, replaced it, carefully aligning the line, then had my lunch, and possibly had a wee snooze, and then putted, long before anyone else has even got near the green. And in the rare instance its not my honour of first putt, l may have another nap before they arrive.

yes, lined up most of my putts yesterday in the Presidents cup and was round in a 3 ball in 3.15, tricky conditions, so its isn't slowing down play at all.

if you are slow anyway, that is the problem, not lining up putts isn't going to getting round quicker

 

[clubchamp98]

I found it ok for putting .
But very offputting for iron shots as the line would normally not be lined up on the fairway.
Ok in winter when preffered lies are in as you can line it up .

 

[TheJezster]

Using a line helps line it up. Takes no time to do, so do so if you want to or it helps, don't if you don't want to or it doesn't help you. Don't spout nonsense about it not working or being the cause of slow play though, just because you don't understand how something can work doesn't make it voodoo or magic 😂

 

[duncan mackie]

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

Basic drift is that putting a line on your ball could save you a shot every 6 rounds....unless you get beaten to death by your playing partners......
I'd save the ink and practice a bit more

Can we get posters about this printed out for every 1st tee? 😎

As I let my sub conscious work out the correct direction and pace to play the putt I'm only going to confuse things with any lines aimed anywhere....that I usually use a true viz ball is an added complication of course

 

[North Mimms]

I used to use a line on my ball and freely admit to being a rubbish putter.
However my knees went to pot so I found that bending down to properly line up a putt was really painful and getting up again was worse.
So I went for a putting lesson, asking to be helped to putt without a line on the ball.

For the first time in 20 years of playing golf, I finally get compliments on my putting!

 

[hovis]

Fundamentally its nonsense. I think anyone who thinks they can align a not much more than an inch long as you look at it, line 2 or 3 mm wide, to an accuracy that will help you with the line of a putt, is seriously deluded. If anything, it more likely, quite probably even, that the line will be misaligned, and so more likely to put you off aligning your putter head to your desired line when you address the ball.
Probably a few pro started doing it without thinking about it, any benefit is unmeasurable anyway, and amateurs started aping it as they do. And small though it is, it is one of the many things that go into slowing down the game.
But hey, its golf, and whatever works for you, works for you (even if you only think it does, when really it doesnt), whether delusional or not.
If I were to bet, I would go for a scientific study coming out with the answer that it is more likely to be harmful, and so a bad habit one is better of not developing.

this post is fundamental nonsense. my putting is much better when i use the alignment line. its not so much to get the line of the putt correct but more to make sure the putter face is square to the line of the put.

just because you don't like it doesn't make it nonsense.

i had putter analysis done and without the line i set up 3 degrees open with the stance and 2 degrees open with the face. put a line on the ball for reference and everything goes square at set up. hows that nonsense?

 

[Backsticks]

this post is fundamental nonsense. my putting is much better when i use the alignment line.

It certainly isnt nonsense one the basis that you putt much better when you use the alignment line.
It is quote possible though that your putting seems better to you even if it isnt really.

its not so much to get the line of the putt correct but more to make sure the putter face is square to the line of the put.

If using the line on the ball to align the putter, then the alignment of the putter face is entirely subject to the accuracy of the alignment of the line on the ball to the line of the putt. (all assuming you have picked the right target line (non necessarily the hole, but the line on which you want to hit the ball) to aim the ball line at). If the line on the ball is off, the line on the putter is by definition off.

just because you don't like it doesn't make it nonsense.

I neither like not dislike, and didnt say that that is what makes it nonsense. Its that the geometry just doesnt add up for me to give any reason for a benefit to ones putting. But as I say - so much of golf is in the mind, even if your are tricking your mind, so whatever works for you.

i had putter analysis done and without the line i set up 3 degrees open with the stance and 2 degrees open with the face. put a line on the ball for reference and everything goes square at set up. hows that nonsense?

The idea that you can align your stance, seeing a straight line between your shoe tips, and align them to a 1.68 inch coarse line, inbetween those shoe tips, correctly, (to what accuracy?), correcting a 3° error without sounds, and a 2° of the putter head sounds just silly.

Again, assuming you could align the line properly in the first place - you are talking about aligning the leading edge of the line, rotated about the back edge to an accuracy of about 0.5mm per degree : good luck with that ! The line itself is already 2mm or more wide.




Its in the same sphere as low friction tees and longer drive underpants I think.

 

[garyinderry]

If I do use a line then I do it like this.

I read the putt and putt the ball with the line down in approximately the position I think is good. I then look from behind to see if this is in line. more often than not it will appear a little out so instead of moving the ball, I just adjust the putter to aim slightly left or right of the line.

The putt requires a pace read too so having the line exactly right doesn't bother me.


My mate had given me a metal ring which draws a great straight line. A 3 or 4 centimetre line is enough. not a fan of a line all around the ball.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

this post is fundamental nonsense. my putting is much better when i use the alignment line. its not so much to get the line of the putt correct but more to make sure the putter face is square to the line of the put.

just because you don't like it doesn't make it nonsense.

i had putter analysis done and without the line i set up 3 degrees open with the stance and 2 degrees open with the face. put a line on the ball for reference and everything goes square at set up. hows that nonsense?

Here here!
The gent you quoted talks absolute rubbish!

 

[shortgame]

Here here!
The gent you quoted talks absolute rubbish!

+1 👍

 

[shortgame]

I read the putt and putt the ball with the line down in approximately the position I think is good. I then look from behind to see if this is in line. more often than not it will appear a little out so instead of moving the ball, I just adjust the putter to aim slightly left or right of the line.

See this doesn't work for me
Maybe OCD but for me it has to be lined up perfectly for the pace I've decided I need

If I do this I generally putt well
If I'm lazy and can't be bothered to adjust the line as required & instead just realign the putterhead I rarely make them

Purely anecdotal and probably psychological but I'm convinced

 

[3565]

Here here!
The gent you quoted talks absolute rubbish!

Bull locks more like.

 

[Piece]

this post is fundamental nonsense. my putting is much better when i use the alignment line. its not so much to get the line of the putt correct but more to make sure the putter face is square to the line of the put.

just because you don't like it doesn't make it nonsense.

Nail on the head.