That "Putting Line Up Mark" on the ball

You've seen it, maybe you are a practioner. One puts a mark, often a straight line around the circumference of the ball with which to line up your putt. Tiger does it. I tried it and it just didn't work for me. I use Pinnacle balls which have an arrow that one can use to line up the putt. No matter how carefully I lined the arrow up to my line, once I got over the ball and lined up everthing to that arrow, it never looked right. I just couldn't trust it. It messed with my head so I had to go back to just visualizing a line and adjusting my set up to the ball until it felt right. Anyone else have that problem? How are you lining up your putts.

The line I visualize extends about four
feet behind the ball and about 16 feet
ahead of it. What's an inch and a half
to that picture? No, I say focus on
the big sight picture and don't bother
with a little line on the ball.

I squat behind the ball, visualize the line, stand and try and pick up that line while addressing the ball and square the putter perpendicular to the line and then look at the hole for a sec. I like the last thing I look at to be the hole. Then I put the stroke on it. But like everyone, I need improvement to bring my scores down.

If one used the mark to line up the putt direction and was very confident of when lining up the ball, then it is all speed thinking from that point. Just set the putter perpendicular to that line and strike it accordingly. Seems it would simplify things if I could get comfortable with the method.

I'm a line marker. Yes it helps me align myself to my chosen target line, but it also gives me instant feedback on whether or not I struck the putt well. If I've struck it well and sent the ball on its way rolling nicely, then the line doesn't appear to wobble all over the place. Plus my wanting to watch the ball to see this stops me from lifting my head too early to watch the hole, I just try to watch the ball...

I've putted better this past month, so I'm happy...

Cheers

__________________
Look at the Target, Look at the Ball, Swing... Dr Bob Rotella...

Well, now, Scragger63, that does make
sense. You are using the mark to evaluate
contact more than for to get the line.

hi
i'm a line marker but i do find it helps when i line up the ball and i can tell with the way the line runs to the hole if the putter face made clean/squre contact with the ball or if it wobbles if i was a little into out.
bill

Hey

I like the line myself-if you can read greens pretty decent than this should be easier.Then it's all speed -the reading is over,I've seen it too many times-
(AH MAN I DIDN'T HIT IT AND SO ON.)......I believe because the line wasn't trusted to begin with and still trying to get the speed right.

Good luck, G

OK line markers, when you line up your putter on the ball, do you find yourself questioning whether or not you set the ball on the correct line? Is there some kind of optical illusion going on that just makes it seem that way? And if so, did you just decide to trust it even if it seemed a little off?

Correct with the trust thing.I think you have to have some idea where to line up......If you line up the ball and say wow that looks to outside or inside etc. and putt on a different line - than lining up the ball did no good because you didn't trust it.Make it easier- pick the line trust it-then it's all speed.Don't need to many thoughts over a putt.


G

I worked with an instructor who is a little different then most. he saw me putting and missing straight puts to the left. He told me that instead of looking at the put straight, visualize the put as a curve. So in my mind I imagined a path that started out 1 inch right of the hole and then came back to the right center of the cup. I proceeded to make the next three out of four pts, which before I made 1 of six from 8 feet. Basically he said people percieve things two diffent ways. One way is everything is a curve, no matter if it is straight or not, the other way, everything is straight, no matter if there is a curve or nt. so for people who see everything straight, picking out a target 6 iches, a foot, or so from the ball and putting straight to that, will take care of the break of the putt, but for those who see it on curve, picking out a spot or putting a straight line on the ball will not work. Dont quote me on all that, but that is what I got out of what he said. A little hard to explain, but basically it is about how people percieve things

There is so much to putting, it requires as much understanding as the rest of the game together.

My main consideration in a putt is whether I can hit the ball a little harder and negate any break or hit softer and allow for it by aiming off. I like to use a line mark to consider the initial direction or ball line as it is a good starting reference.

The marker line can have another quite important purpose.

No - or at least very few - balls are completely homogenous. Because of this, balls will have "north and south poles", the south pole being the heaviest spot on the ball, and the north pole the lightest.

Knowing where these "poles" are and lining the ball up accordingly can make a lot of difference, especially on fast greens and longer putts.

A ball that has the heavy "pole" to the left at line-up will likely curve to the left when struck dead straight on the line, causing you to miss putts.

A line-up mark that goes round the circumpherence of the ball and THROUGH both "poles" will ensure that the ball rolls "end-over-end" and has less tendency to roll off the intended line.

__________________
//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

Mox,

Something for your birthday list.

http://www.golfballbalancer.com/

I have just ordered one of these ball spinning gizmo's. Will let you know how I get on with it.

If you address the putt, and you don’t trust where you aimed the line on the ball, reach down and move the line to where you do trust it. Hit the ball on the line and SEE the result....good or bad. If you can hit the ball on the line consistently, and you can read greens correctly, your brain will learn VERY quickly where to put the line.