Using line on ball for putting?

[slicer79]

I've never done it before but tried it yesterday. Drew a black line on side of ball and used it to line up putts on a few holes. Will need to try it again to see if its for me.
Biggest problem I found was lining it up and then standing over the ball and feeling it wasn't right and being unsure

Anyone here use this method putting? Do you use it on all length of putts ?
Do you feel it has improved your putting?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Most balls come with an alignment line on them these days. I don't use it. I did but I found myself spending more time worrying if the line was lined up correctly and not thinking about line, pace and break as intently as I needed

 

[tsped83]

Most balls come with an alignment line on them these days. I don't use it. I did but I found myself spending more time worrying if the line was lined up correctly and not thinking about line, pace and break as intently as I needed

With Homer on this one. Too much faffing using the line. Pick my spot 12" in front of the ball and go with that

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I line it up using the line on the ball already there

 

[cirrus]

Found this on the web.....interesting read

About 70 percent of the population is right-eye dominant, which puts the trailing eye (that's the one farthest from the hole) in the driver's seat when putting. If this eye is not positioned properly, your view of the hole becomes distorted, lessening your chances of holing out. Not sure which eye is your dominant one? Take the following test.

The test
1. Take a toilet-paper tube and fix it over the ball so that both eyes can see it in the center of the tube.

2. Close your left eye. If the ball remains in the center of the tube (top photo), you're right-eye dominant. If the ball jumps out of the tube and out of your line of sight (bottom photo), you're left-eye dominant.

To set up correctly, follow this routine

Read your putt from behind the ball (left), crouching down so that your eyes are at the same height they'll be during the actual putt. This way, you don't confuse your brain and your initial read when you set up over the putt.


Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/how-find-and-use-your-dominant-eye#ixzz36ocpchBt

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I use it for most putts, especially ones I have a good chance of holing but I also like to use feel for long or putts with loads of break.

 

[London mike 61]

It takes too long to read the break then line it up , sus out the pace and go.

In the end I thought it encouraged slow play so I ditched it.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

I've never done it before but tried it yesterday. Drew a black line on side of ball and used it to line up putts on a few holes. Will need to try it again to see if its for me.
Biggest problem I found was lining it up and then standing over the ball and feeling it wasn't right and being unsure

Anyone here use this method putting? Do you use it on all length of putts ?
Do you feel it has improved your putting?

That's the exact opposite of what the line is supposed to do. If you lined it up and looked at it from behind the ball then the line is pointing directly on your intended target line so should remove any doubt. I've tried it both ways and using the line definately gives better results for me.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

I noticed a player in one of the televised comps over the weekend had 3 lines drawn on his ball. The main line followed the pre printed line on the ball and then there was a smaller line either side of it.

 

[IanG]

I had a putting lesson from my pro a week or so back, and his take on this was that, IF you had and took the time to line up the line correctly it was worthwhile BUT no amateur had the time to do that sufficiently well to make it worthwhile. And then a misaligned line was worse then focussing on the alignment you'd naturally adopt.

 

[c1973]

I usually line it up using the manufacturers 'line' on the ball, think it helps and only takes a second.

 

[chrisd]

I line it up using the line on the ball already there

Me too

 

[Airlie_Andy]

I had a putting lesson from my pro a week or so back, and his take on this was that, IF you had and took the time to line up the line correctly it was worthwhile BUT no amateur had the time to do that sufficiently well to make it worthwhile. And then a misaligned line was worse then focussing on the alignment you'd naturally adopt.

I've read this several times now and I still don't get it.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I have tried this but as others have said felt I was concentrating too much on setting the ball "right" rather than the overall putt.

I do however put the manufacturers line (eg the <--proV1--> marking on a proV1) vertical at the point on the back of the ball I will hit with the putter. I find this position takes all other markings out of view and leaves a plain white ball from above. I have always lined putts up with a mark on the green a yard in front of the ball rather than say 6 inches to the right of the hole and this is just part of my routine now which allows me to concentrate on the ball and that mark with no distractions.

 

[IanG]

Andy, basically his view was that in order to align the line on the ball to your chosen putting line with sufficiently accuracy to be useful it would take several attempts/small adjustments which would take too long.

Hope that's clearer.

Ian

 

[Airlie_Andy]

Andy, basically his view was that in order to align the line on the ball to your chosen putting line with sufficiently accuracy to be useful it would take several attempts/small adjustments which would take too long.

Hope that's clearer.

Ian

Thanks Ian I wasn't sure if you meant drawing the actual line straight.

As for aligning the line it's really not that difficult and certainly no more time consuming then picking a spot to aim at, after all it's not going to be 100% precise and as long as you accept that it's not constant re-aligning.

My own personal routine is to read the putt then line the ball up using the line which takes no more time then basically putting the ball down. One quick last look from behind the ball to confirm and off you go. If it's not quite right a tiny re-adjustment and off I go without checking from behind the ball again. Most of this can be done while playing partners are putting etc. It may take 5 seconds longer than just standing over the ball and hitting it at the most.

 

[3565]

Most balls come with an alignment line on them these days. I don't use it. I did but I found myself spending more time worrying if the line was lined up correctly and not thinking about line, pace and break as intently as I needed

For you to use Aimpoint chart that's very precise and then NOT to use the alignment aid, that's printed on the ball, to the target that's stated by the chart, I'm suprised at this? With you being so intent on improving and will try anything, which I can relate too, that you wouldn't want an aid that will help you to start the ball on your intended read from your chart? Very puzzled.

 

[North Mimms]

Re the eye dominance thing.

I am right handed, so tend to use my right hand to replace ball and line up along intended path using big black line.
However in my first putting lesson last week with new pro, he pointed out that I am left eye dominant, so using my left hand would give me a better alignment.

(I can't shut my left eye to squint either, only my right one, which is why I am rubbish at clay pigeon shooting!)

 

[USER1999]

Sometimes when I practice putting, I put an alignment stick down to use as a guide. Even though it is 4 foot long, and I'm only putting from 6 foot, I still don't find it easy to get it positioned correctly.

I have no chance with a line 1/2" long!

 

[Coatsy79]

I used to do this as I thought it helped (using the line already on the ball) but lately I've just been picking a line and going for it

Puttings about the same really but I feel more confidant in the line I've picked now (usually using something to ian at on line about 10-12" in front of the ball)