Anybody draw a line on their ball for putting?

[PhillyEagle]

The recent weather really hasn't allowed me to try it on the course enough, but I have started drawing a line on my ball for putting. Just line up the ball to where you want to aim the putter and you really can't aim incorrectly (as long as you pick the correct line that is).

Other than taking a little bit longer on the greens (although if you sink more putts, it will actually be quicker), what are the negatives of doing this?

[bames]

I have a friend who has always done this, he is a great putter and a scratch golfer. I tried it because I loved the idea. I really get into the technical crap of golf. It turned out though, that I was too focused on the mechanics and my line and I basically forgot to putt. It works for my buddy, but I realized that I putt better if I allow my muscles to respond to what my mind just read on the green. Give it a shot though, I've seen many golfers use this technique so there must be something to it.

[Sandpiper3]

Id love to do that, i do work on it and i do put a line on my ball, but my ...."vision" problem restricts me on it a little.

I line the line up on the bottom so im looking at just white, no writing watsoever, and i can see the line rolling if i put a good roll on it towards the hole.

(im blind in my left eye, so looking behind the ball and looking from above it the line looks completely different and its hard as hell just to stick to wat i see from behind it, but without the depth perception of both eyes my line looks completely different from both positions...)

[PhillyEagle]

One reason why I'm bringing this topic up is because my alignment is almost always the problem. On a straight 6 foot putt, I can "see" the line, the problem is, when I line up my putter I end up aiming a good 3-4 inches to the right of the hole. If I look down at my putter, to me I feel like I'm pointing directly at the hole. Couple months ago I had somebody say "hold on for a second" and they grabbed my putter and kept it aligned how it was. I stepped back and was really shocked how far to the right I was aiming. The worse part of all, I'm a decent putter. I've spent a lot of time developing a stroke that works with aiming 3-4 off to the right.

I'm still asking the original question in my first post (thanks for the responses so far). But now I'm also asking, how do I go about ingraining a stroke that actually works with lining up correctly? I've already ingrained a "pull stroke" I suppose.

[zaphod]

I tried it but doesn't work for me. Getting behind the ball and lining up the marked lne made me obsess about parallex issues etc. Just was never convinced about line once I got above ball in stance. I use offset Ping Craze. By putting the offset over ball and using the alignment marks of putter and ball to connect line to target I swing easier. Many ways to sink same putt.

[Sandpiper3]

For your stroke w/aim, try a solid drill ive been using for the past year. Put two tees on either side of the face of your putter so it can barely squeeze through w/o touching each tee, and have it lined up at the hole (or left/right if it breaks a bit) and just keep stroking them.

I think im guna work on this line on ball thing a little more, cause ive been great with weight, but im just off by that little fraction left/right all the time lately. If i can just help that alignment a little, this year tourneys im guna be golden

[bames]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

For your stroke w/aim, try a solid drill ive been using for the past year. Put two tees on either side of the face of your putter so it can barely squeeze through w/o touching each tee, and have it lined up at the hole (or left/right if it breaks a bit) and just keep stroking them....

I saw Phail Mickelson doing this but to up the ante he had two more tees about 6" away that would barely allow the ball to pass through. Pretty great drill for alignment.

[PhillyEagle]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

For your stroke w/aim, try a solid drill ive been using for the past year. Put two tees on either side of the face of your putter so it can barely squeeze through w/o touching each tee, and have it lined up at the hole (or left/right if it breaks a bit) and just keep stroking them.

I think im guna work on this line on ball thing a little more, cause ive been great with weight, but im just off by that little fraction left/right all the time lately. If i can just help that alignment a little, this year tourneys im guna be golden

Originally Posted by bames

I saw Phail Mickelson doing this but to up the ante he had two more tees about 6" away that would barely allow the ball to pass through. Pretty great drill for alignment.

Both sound like good ideas, I'll have to try them. Sounds sort of like some of the training aids that Pelz offers, only not ridiculous is price

[bames]

Yeah, as far as price goes it is pretty tough to beat a drill that requires 4 tees! Now that I think about it, he started with the second set of tees closer to the first but with a wider gap. He progressively increased the distance but narrowed the gap until about 6-8".

[PhillyEagle]

Now you guys have me itching to play golf and there's snow on the ground

Every carpet in my house seems to have a huge break

[Sandpiper3]

I saw Phail Mickelson doing this but to up the ante he had two more tees about 6" away that would barely allow the ball to pass through. Pretty great drill for alignment.

Im definately guna start doin this too Thx bames

[bames]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Im definately guna start doin this too Thx bames

No problem, let me know how it goes. I think I will start using this as my main form of practice this spring as well.

[PhillyEagle]

I'm guessing courses would get a little mad if you use a chalk line on their practice green(s)? Would be a nice drill to do the thing with the tees, and use a chalk line at the same time to actually see the line.

Edit: I suppose an elevated aim line (similar to the one I saw Pelz using) would do the trick and not get anybody angry. I forgot about that

[Sandpiper3]

Ive used chalk on my course's green a lot and on other courses i go to play a practise round on to visualize. Its chalk....

Pretty much you can either leave it and the morning dew will get rid of it, or just bring a water bottle and spray it down yourself. In the case that somehow it stays (no idea how...), the grass will grow, they will cut it, and in a week itll be gone at the longest (unless they are extremely lazy with their grass cutting, if that, then they would be a shitty course, and definately shouldnt worry about the chalk)

[warbirdlover]

The Bridgestone E5 and E6 balls have a nice line on them. I think some of the other new balls are doing the same.