Putting and Alignment

[Khamelion]

How good is your alignment when putting? I mean without standing behind the ball or anywhere else, could you walk up to your ball, place your putter behind the ball and given a 15foot putt on a snooker table flat putting surface make the putt?

How many would you make if your were given three tries?

1 - You made the last as the first two were pushed/pulled/left short.

2 - You sunk two, you push/pulled/left short the first one and compensated accordingly.

3 - You made all three, alignment spot on for the start.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Traditionally I would always miss to the right. Not by much but just enough. Earlier this year my son pointed out where i was going wrong, taking the putter out basically, and I changed how I putted. I changed my putter, one with a little more weight, I stand slightly more upright which helps keep me square and my take back is different. I now make more straight putts than ever before.

I'm not arrogant to state that I would make 3-3 from 15ft as in reality that is doubtful but on a good day I would certainly threaten more than before. I'd probably be option number 1 but from 15ft would that be too bad?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Traditionally I would always miss to the right. Not by much but just enough. Earlier this year my son pointed out where i was going wrong, taking the putter out basically, and I changed how I putted. I changed my putter, one with a little more weight, I stand slightly more upright which helps keep me square and my take back is different. I now make more straight putts than ever before.

I'm not arrogant to state that I would make 3-3 from 15ft as in reality that is doubtful but on a good day I would certainly threaten more than before. I'd probably be option number 1 but from 15ft would that be too bad?

No idea how many I'd make and would suggest the tour average is only around 15%. I work hard on my basics including alignment and aim (putting mirror and putting gate) but I would expect to give each a good run and hopefully learn enough from the first two to give the last a really good chance

 

[3565]

PGA tour average is about 22% from 15ft. So I think if I get 1 in 3 I’d be happy but reality I think 0.

 

[Reemul]

Yeah but that % is not on a flat putt.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Pace control is more important.

As long as your straight enough on those 3 footers and under you can miss longer putts by 3 feet either side.

I’m pretty well aligned but its for finishing the job. Record is 51 3 footers in a row!

 

[shortgame]

No idea how many I'd make and would suggest the tour average is only around 15%. I work hard on my basics including alignment and aim (putting mirror and putting gate) but I would expect to give each a good run and hopefully learn enough from the first two to give the last a really good chance

This for me too. I too spend a lot of time working on my alignment etc and doing putting drills. Actually enjoy it in a strange kind of way

 

[jim8flog]

My alignment is good, it's the stroke that makes me miss.

 

[Khamelion]

I mentioned alignment as different shape putters and affect a persons alignment in different ways. I had a putter, a half mallet with a round back, but on a putter fitting the fitter placed a laser pointer over the hole, placed a mirror on my putter face and ball on the ground about 10-15feet away from the hole, he had my line up the put with the ball in place, got me to close my eyes while he checked, I did this three times to make sure the alignment was the same each time, on the last setup, he had me look to where I was aiming, where the putter face was pointing. I was 24 inches right of target.

Yet when on the course I rarely missed right, from what I thought was good alignment was infact very poor and with my stroke I had obviously compensated a lot to get the ball close to the hole.

So I was just wondering about others alignement, is it correct or is your putting stroke compensating for bad alignment with you subconcioulsy making changes.

 

[shortgame]

Pace control is more important.

As long as your straight enough on those 3 footers and under you can miss longer putts by 3 feet either side.

I’m pretty well aligned but its for finishing the job. Record is 51 3 footers in a row!

That's good 👍 I quite often in the winter set myself a target of 100 consecutive 3 footers in a row. Knees start to knock when in the 90's. That's on a perfect indoor green though - not as easy on the course with imperfections and slopes and a card in the hand!