Chalk Line or Elevated String Line

[Shane Cavitt]

Putting practice and drills. Chalk line or elevated string line? Which do you prefer and why? 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Shane Cavitt

[Abh159]

If on your own mat or backyard green do whatever floats your boat. If you're at an actual course always go with the string.

 

Please don't use a chalk line on a practice green at a course.

[getitdaily]

Chalk line. Allows you to see that the ball started and rolls online.

 

And use one on public courses. It's a chalk line...

[getitdaily]

49 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

If on your own mat or backyard green do whatever floats your boat. If you're at an actual course always go with the string.

 

Please don't use a chalk line on a practice green at a course.

Where else would you use one...on a practice green that's not at a course? 

[Abh159]

1 minute ago, getitdaily said:

Where else would you use one...on a practice green that's not at a course? 

 

If you're going to do it at an actual course you should get permission first. 

 

Not every pro, superintendent, or member (if private club) is going to be happy about you chalking up the green. And yes, I do realize it isn't a permanent line, but I've seen chalk lines last up to a week depending on the maintenance schedule. 

[bladehunter]

2 hours ago, Abh159 said:

 

If you're going to do it at an actual course you should get permission first. 

 

Not every pro, superintendent, or member (if private club) is going to be happy about you chalking up the green. And yes, I do realize it isn't a permanent line, but I've seen chalk lines last up to a week depending on the maintenance schedule. 

If everyone did it…….the green would look like a laser show.  
 

I think it’s much more practical to simply find a straight 5 footer and pick spots on the cup to vary aim.  And use a line on the ball.  This way you get feedback for a pure roll.  I don’t like a line on course.  But for straight line testing. It does the job.  

[GungHoGolf]

Elevated string is fine if your eye position is directly over the ball. If it’s not, the line won’t look right, so chalk is better. 

 

If you don’t know where your ideal eye location is, then string is great - it will teach you to get your eyes exactly over the ball, which is the default best eye position (unless you find out you need to be a little inside or outside with your eyes to see the line as straight).

[EddieEdwards]

Laser level.  I dont know how well it will work outside in the sun though.

[otto6457]

I use both.  I will use the string line more often as it's faster and I use it mainly for training start line on breaking putts.  My aim bias tends right if I get lazy and don't practice breaking putts with a string line.  More so on right to left.

Edited February 25, 2023 by otto6457
brain fart

[b.mattay]

I prefer a gate drill with tees if you’re working on line (which I might practice 30 minutes cumulatively for the year 😂). 

[DLiver]

On 2/24/2023 at 5:10 PM, GungHoGolf said:

Elevated string is fine if your eye position is directly over the ball. If it’s not, the line won’t look right, so chalk is better.

^^^This. FWIW our teaching pro will sometimes snap a chalk line on one of our practice greens (as do a few of our players). I haven't heard any complaints about it, and see multiple players using lines left by the pro or other players. In fairness, we are a private club and have two practice putting greens. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable snapping a line on a public course without getting permission first.

 

FWIW, I bought a putting laser and it wasn't bright enough to use outdoors even on cloudy days. Supposedly it has the brightest laser available to consumers.

[getitdaily]

41 minutes ago, DLiver said:

^^^This. FWIW our teaching pro will sometimes snap a chalk line on one of our practice greens (as do a few of our players). I haven't heard any complaints about it, and see multiple players using lines left by the pro or other players. In fairness, we are a private club and have two practice putting greens. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable snapping a line on a public course without getting permission first.

 

FWIW, I bought a putting laser and it wasn't bright enough to use outdoors even on cloudy days. Supposedly it has the brightest laser available to consumers.

The guys running public courses these days don't play...ever. it's one of the problems with course management these days...the "pros" don't play. I bet more than half the guys running public courses don't know what a chalk line is. The guys working the pro shop on a weekend...fewer know or just don't care regardless.  

 

If I'm at a private course then I'm there to play So i wouldn't drop a chalk line simply because of time. If I'm a member then I know if there's a rule or not.

 

But, it's a chalk line. Getting permission to drop a 10 foot chalk line on a public course is comical. 

[RichieHunt]

I use both.  Chalk line is better for working on your stroke and getting some fundamentals down by using the chalk line on straight putts.  The elevated string is very helpful for me on breaking putts.

 

David Orr has talked about this for a long time...your stroke can influence how you see breaking putts.  For instance, years ago I had a very leftward path with my putter.  The result of this was that it fooled my eyes into seeing left-to-right putts breaking more than they actually do and right-to-left putts being straighter than they actually were.  Thus I would start to over-read right-to-left putts and under-read right-to-left putts.

 

While I worked diligently to improve my stroke, it was ingrained in my eyes to overread left-to-right putts and under-read right-to-left putts.  And that was with using AimPoint that I had learned over the years from Mark Sweeney, John Graham and Justin Blazer.  To compound matters even further, my brain had been ingrained to hit left-to-right putts softer (to compensate for the over-read) and right-to-left putts too firmly (to compensate for the under-read).

 

The only thing that worked for me was to start practicing with the elevated string line on breaking putts.  I was floored by how much straighter left-to-right putts that I made looked with the string line.  In fact, when I made the left-to-right putts, when I first struck them I thought they had no chance to go in because it felt like I hit a pretty bad push. 

 

So I think both are very helpful.  The chalk line for calibrating your aim and your basic stroke fundamentals while the string line is a bit more advanced in helping make birdie putts you're more likely to have on the course.  From all of the research I've done on PGA Tour putting it's clear that the best putters are the best at making breaking putts and have almost no bias between making right-to-left vs. left-to-right putts.  But there's also something to be said for not putting the cart before the horse and having your basics down pat.

 

 

 

 

 

HoC

 

[DLiver]

2 hours ago, getitdaily said:

But, it's a chalk line. Getting permission to drop a 10 foot chalk line on a public course is comical. 

I dunno. Seems like the considerate thing to do.

[mattcote8]

What chalk line string are you guys using? 

[Asics10]

I put my alignment stick down, and draw a line with my sharpie on the grass about 15"long. Add two tees on the side of the line and you're good to go. 

I used to use a caulk but it's too heavy and you get caulk dust in the bag, plus it stains the fingers. 

[GungHoGolf]

12 hours ago, Asics10 said:

I put my alignment stick down, and draw a line with my sharpie on the grass about 15"long. Add two tees on the side of the line and you're good to go. 

I used to use a caulk but it's too heavy and you get caulk dust in the bag, plus it stains the fingers. 

 

Sharpie lines on the practice greens at my club would not go over well, to put it mildly. But it makes me wonder if a dry erase marker would work, and if it could be wiped clean with a damp cloth. On a perfect roll, perhaps a dry erase marker line would transfer an equator line on the ball - that'd be pretty cool.

 

And I hope you meant you used to use chalk, and not actually caulk - although the thought of a guy on the green with a caulk gun makes me lol 🤣

[GungHoGolf]

18 hours ago, mattcote8 said:

What chalk line string are you guys using? 

 

Hard to go wrong with the time-tested standard, the Irwin Classic, for around $10: https://amzn.to/3AYBC9P

 

 

[Socrates]

I do neither.  I will find a 5-10 foot putt (whether it's straight, L to R or R to L) and use a felt marker.  I will place on small dot at my starting point and another a foot or so ahead of that one.  It doesn't have to be perfectly placed.   I then just roll the ball over the dot (or to either side).  Minimally invasive and still gets the job done.   

[slprince67]

My supt doesnt care about the actual line on the green.  What makes him angry is the guy that stands in the same place for an hour and a half hitting the same putt.... the two footprints that stay on the soft bent grass green for a week!

[Asics10]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:08 AM, GungHoGolf said:

 

Hard to go wrong with the time-tested standard, the Irwin Classic, for around $10: https://amzn.to/3AYBC9P

 

 

Ha, yes chalk..... Not caulk 

[Asics10]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:03 AM, GungHoGolf said:

 

Sharpie lines on the practice greens at my club would not go over well, to put it mildly. But it makes me wonder if a dry erase marker would work, and if it could be wiped clean with a damp cloth. On a perfect roll, perhaps a dry erase marker line would transfer an equator line on the ball - that'd be pretty cool.

 

And I hope you meant you used to use chalk, and not actually caulk - although the thought of a guy on the green with a caulk gun makes me lol 🤣

The sharpie mark is gone after the next mowing... 

 

At my club they don't care about line, but definitely want people standing on a towel to not destroy the grass where standing.