Learning how to aim a putter

[dn0614]

Any tips on how to learn how to aim a putter?  I’ve tried adjusting my setup position to eyes inside the ball (1” to 8”), over the ball, past the ball. I’ve tried a Newport, a spider a mid mallet. No matter what I do, if I aim on line, it looks like I’m aiming way left. The only right handed putter that I can half way aim correctly is a 2 ball. I aim well with a left handed putter too. Right handed and cross eye dominant for the record. 

[MPAndreassi]

1 minute ago, dn0614 said:

Any tips on how to learn how to aim a putter?  I’ve tried adjusting my setup position to eyes inside the ball (1” to 8”), over the ball, past the ball. I’ve tried a Newport, a spider a mid mallet. No matter what I do, if I aim on line, it looks like I’m aiming way left. The only right handed putter that I can half way aim correctly is a 2 ball. I aim well with a left handed putter too. Right handed and cross eye dominant for the record. 

This is a good little video from TXG and a short game instructor. Gives a good drill, and shows you how to setup your body properly to the intended line. I’ve been working on this since I saw it and it’s helped me out quite a bit. 
 

 

[Zitlow]

Imagine there's an eye in the palm of your right hand. Spend a little time on the putting green with 3 balls and practice aiming the eye. 

[kwcsports]

I pick a spot on my intended line maybe a foot in front of me. I then line everything up to that spot and try and roll the ball over that spot. 

[dn0614]

1 hour ago, MPAndreassi said:

This is a good little video from TXG and a short game instructor. Gives a good drill, and shows you how to setup your body properly to the intended line. I’ve been working on this since I saw it and it’s helped me out quite a bit. 
 

 

Thank you. Their video with this putting coach and the ruler is what got me started on this. I’ll try to line up some dots and see if I can get it figured out. 

[dn0614]

37 minutes ago, Zitlow said:

Imagine there's an eye in the palm of your right hand. Spend a little time on the putting green with 3 balls and practice aiming the eye. 

Thank you. I’ll try this out. 

[dn0614]

44 minutes ago, kwcsports said:

I pick a spot on my intended line maybe a foot in front of me. I then line everything up to that spot and try and roll the ball over that spot. 

I’m working on this also. Thank you 

[Soloman1]

Use two balls. Using three balls on the practice green immediately telegraphs that you're a hacker. (Unwritten Rule of golf No. 32a)

[golfsticks]

An alternative to trail under lead eye sighting.

 

 

[TwistedSister]

7 minutes ago, golfsticks said:

An alternative to trail under lead eye sighting.

 

 

This putt must break right to left.  He shure looks like he is lined up right of the hole to me...

[10HcpBlades]

38 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

Use two balls. Using three balls on the practice green immediately telegraphs that you're a hacker. (Unwritten Rule of golf No. 32a)

Quick someone tell Tiger he’s a hack

[Soloman1]

He's a chopper...

[dn0614]

1 hour ago, Soloman1 said:

Use two balls. Using three balls on the practice green immediately telegraphs that you're a hacker. (Unwritten Rule of golf No. 32a)

I use at least 5 so people underestimate me. 

[shoot4par]

2 hours ago, kwcsports said:

I pick a spot on my intended line maybe a foot in front of me. I then line everything up to that spot and try and roll the ball over that spot. 

 

This.

+ use the line on the ball.

+ Make sure you square the face at address. 

[sethdavidsdad]

4 hours ago, dn0614 said:

Any tips on how to learn how to aim a putter?  I’ve tried adjusting my setup position to eyes inside the ball (1” to 8”), over the ball, past the ball. I’ve tried a Newport, a spider a mid mallet. No matter what I do, if I aim on line, it looks like I’m aiming way left. The only right handed putter that I can half way aim correctly is a 2 ball. I aim well with a left handed putter too. Right handed and cross eye dominant for the record. 

For me line on the ball and or chalk line on the green work the best. It takes a lot of practice to learn to trust it. 

I will say this be careful going down that rabbit hole. Some of the best putters in the world don’t aim square. According to Sam lab Faxon for example I think aims 2 degrees right on every putt. My point is just aiming straight won’t necessarily make you a better putter if you have a stroke that doesn’t match. It will take a lot of time to make the change. 

What worked for me is short putts worrying about the line on the ball and putter lined up. Longer putts I tend to read and putt a little right and high side. 

[RichieHunt]

Three things that helped me go from aiming well right to just about dead-on.

 

1.  Change the technique of how you aim the ball in the sense if you try to aim going from the ball to the target...go from the target to the ball or vice versa.  This alone got me out of aiming so far to the right.  

 

2.  I got one of the lasers from Wright putting dynamics.  I got the one that allows you to press your putter face up against the laser.   

 

If you aim too far to the right or left, use the laser and alter your ball position until you find something that looks 'square' to the hole to you.  

I did this and when I moved the ball position back a little it started to look square and it was,...indeed square.  Moving the ball position back felt funny, but then I looked at it on camera and there was nothing unusual about it.

 

 

3.  When you align your putter, do it from the same stance that you putt from.  David Orr had a video on this a while ago.  I would make the mistake of aiming the putter and not crouch over like I normally do when I putt.   That altered my aim and I didn't aim as well.

 

 

4.  I forgot on this one...you probably need to use your feel more when you putt.  I first noticed this back when I had an armlock.  I was not trained how to use an armlock and at first I really struggled with it.  Then I just went with feel and shuffled my feet around as I looked at the target to the point where I felt I could naturally putt the ball at the target.  This ended up having me putt from a fairly open stance.

 

Come to find out, not only did my aim get much better with the armlock, but you're generally supposed to have an open stance with most armlock putters!

 

Just trying to feel my stroke and shuffling my feet around and manipulating the putter to get it where I felt I confident I stroke the putter and hit the ball to the target allowed me to naturally aim the putter.

 

It's easy to get bogged down with the line on the ball, the line on the putter.  It's easy to get bogged down on finding and line and sticking to what you think the line is to the target.  I don't know if it will work for everybody, but I think there's a real power in just using feel to aim your putter.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[me05501]

Two things have really made a difference for me.

 

First, I took all the putters I owned of various types to a putting lesson, and let the pro watch me set up and putt with each. We determined that an Anser-style putter is easiest for me, for whatever reason. It suits my eye and my putting stance. So I got rid of all the other putters and committed to an Anser-style putter. 

 

Second, someone posted this short video here several months ago, and it totally changed my putting approach for the better. 

 

Learn how to: 

1. Use a line drawn on the ball to gauge whether you can actually roll the ball on your intended line, 

2. Learn to aim your ball line to correctly match your intended putting line, and

3. Step into the putt so that your putter alignment matches your ball line. 

 

Not only did this give me a routine where I previously had none, but it replaced all the negative/distracting thoughts I had over putts with positive/constructive thoughts. I putt much more reliably as a result. I make more putts and my misses aren't nearly as bad. 

 

 

 

[Curmudg3on]

Grab a metal yard stick and putt the length of it.   It's an eye opener.

[dn0614]

19 hours ago, RichieHunt said:

Three things that helped me go from aiming well right to just about dead-on.

 

1.  Change the technique of how you aim the ball in the sense if you try to aim going from the ball to the target...go from the target to the ball or vice versa.  This alone got me out of aiming so far to the right.  

 

2.  I got one of the lasers from Wright putting dynamics.  I got the one that allows you to press your putter face up against the laser.   

 

If you aim too far to the right or left, use the laser and alter your ball position until you find something that looks 'square' to the hole to you.  

I did this and when I moved the ball position back a little it started to look square and it was,...indeed square.  Moving the ball position back felt funny, but then I looked at it on camera and there was nothing unusual about it.

 

 

3.  When you align your putter, do it from the same stance that you putt from.  David Orr had a video on this a while ago.  I would make the mistake of aiming the putter and not crouch over like I normally do when I putt.   That altered my aim and I didn't aim as well.

 

 

4.  I forgot on this one...you probably need to use your feel more when you putt.  I first noticed this back when I had an armlock.  I was not trained how to use an armlock and at first I really struggled with it.  Then I just went with feel and shuffled my feet around as I looked at the target to the point where I felt I could naturally putt the ball at the target.  This ended up having me putt from a fairly open stance.

 

Come to find out, not only did my aim get much better with the armlock, but you're generally supposed to have an open stance with most armlock putters!

 

Just trying to feel my stroke and shuffling my feet around and manipulating the putter to get it where I felt I confident I stroke the putter and hit the ball to the target allowed me to naturally aim the putter.

 

It's easy to get bogged down with the line on the ball, the line on the putter.  It's easy to get bogged down on finding and line and sticking to what you think the line is to the target.  I don't know if it will work for everybody, but I think there's a real power in just using feel to aim your putter.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

Thank you for the detailed reply. I like the sound of this approach. 

[bbfifas]

Make sure putter is fit for you.  For example, I have mine more upright and it has helped aiming naturally, along with a putter with more toe hang to compliment the stroke.  I found putter flows better. 

 

Then I practiced with the line on the ball method and a "Putter Stick" and it has rewired my brain.  I used to aim left (laughably so says my father in law) and then subconsciously open the putter face and cut across it to get it straight. I played to a single digit handicap that way as lag putts not affected as much but short putts could be terrible.  

[dn0614]

3 hours ago, bbfifas said:

Make sure putter is fit for you.  For example, I have mine more upright and it has helped aiming naturally, along with a putter with more toe hang to compliment the stroke.  I found putter flows better. 

 

Then I practiced with the line on the ball method and a "Putter Stick" and it has rewired my brain.  I used to aim left (laughably so says my father in law) and then subconsciously open the putter face and cut across it to get it straight. I played to a single digit handicap that way as lag putts not affected as much but short putts could be terrible.  

I’m fit for the putter. The putter stick, is that just like a metal yard stick ?

[dn0614]

On 3/2/2021 at 11:45 AM, me05501 said:

Two things have really made a difference for me.

 

First, I took all the putters I owned of various types to a putting lesson, and let the pro watch me set up and putt with each. We determined that an Anser-style putter is easiest for me, for whatever reason. It suits my eye and my putting stance. So I got rid of all the other putters and committed to an Anser-style putter. 

 

Second, someone posted this short video here several months ago, and it totally changed my putting approach for the better. 

 

Learn how to: 

1. Use a line drawn on the ball to gauge whether you can actually roll the ball on your intended line, 

2. Learn to aim your ball line to correctly match your intended putting line, and

3. Step into the putt so that your putter alignment matches your ball line. 

 

Not only did this give me a routine where I previously had none, but it replaced all the negative/distracting thoughts I had over putts with positive/constructive thoughts. I putt much more reliably as a result. I make more putts and my misses aren't nearly as bad. 

 

 

 

Part 2 of this video is my problem. There isn’t a position that I can find that looks like I’m aimed correctly. No matter where I put my head, it looks like I’m aiming left. 

[me05501]

3 minutes ago, dn0614 said:

Part 2 of this video is my problem. There isn’t a position that I can find that looks like I’m aimed correctly. No matter where I put my head, it looks like I’m aiming left. 

Might be worth a lesson then. It’s possible that you are right handed and left-eye dominant or something odd like that. Heck, you might putt better lefty! 

[dn0614]

Just now, me05501 said:

Might be worth a lesson then. It’s possible that you are right handed and left-eye dominant or something odd like that. Heck, you might putt better lefty! 

I am cross eye dominant. 

[Myherobobhope]

@SeeMore Putters is a good place to start...

 

I did an edel fitting that tested my aim and was all over the place... then I did a seemore fitting and got a seemore putter...

 

the RST works. It’s helped me aim significantly better than I was. Just hiding the dot makes sure you are square and down your target line. 
 

highly recommend checking them out... get a tempo mat too!

[Obee]

4 hours ago, me05501 said:

Might be worth a lesson then. It’s possible that you are right handed and left-eye dominant or something odd like that. Heck, you might putt better lefty! 

 

PM Me. Much more than I can putt in a post.

[SeeMore Putters]

11 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

@SeeMore Putters is a good place to start...

 

I did an edel fitting that tested my aim and was all over the place... then I did a seemore fitting and got a seemore putter...

 

the RST works. It’s helped me aim significantly better than I was. Just hiding the dot makes sure you are square and down your target line. 
 

highly recommend checking them out... get a tempo mat too!

 

Keep trusting the stroke and building on every putt.  

[8thehardway]

You might check out David Edel's YouTube videos (Edel Golf) on aim bias where he uses a fitting to show how things like putter shape, line placement, shaft/hosel location, grip, length, etc. influence a customer's aim. 

[bbfifas]

19 hours ago, dn0614 said:

I’m fit for the putter. The putter stick, is that just like a metal yard stick ?

google "the putting stick"  Its acrylic and has a little indentation to hold the ball.  Also has a mirror so you can see if your eyes are aligned over the ball.  Has a level on it too.  

 

Using this with a line on the ball gets instant feed back. You have to hit put square otherwise it falls of stick.  Can be very difficult at first but you start to get grooved.  

Edited March 4, 2021 by bbfifas

[thejazzmarauder]

If you can’t see the line then forget it. That matters more than everything else combined. Opening up my putting stance was the best thing I’ve ever done for my scores. The change was immediate. Is my stroke perfect? No. But every putt I hit has a chance now because I can actually see it. Do whatever you need to do.

Edited March 5, 2021 by thejazzmarauder