Putter Alignment Aid on Ball... Thoughts?

[DavePelz4]

I used the line on my ball for two reasons. First as others have comments on is to see line up the putt and see how the ball rolls after the stroke. The other reason is to see where I'm contacting the ball with the face of my driver. The residual red line shows when a ball is struck well or when it's high/low or off the heel or toe. There's probably as much benefit there as with the putter.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

I didn't say that, either Mr. WVP.

Why would you read a thread asking for opinions on sonething if the very idea of someone expressing an opinion differing from yours is so hurtful?

Did you really expect to open this thread and find 100% of the opinions to say that the line on the ball was brilliant? Had that ever happened in the history of GolfWRX?

If you have a problem with me posting my opinion, take it up with the guy who asked "Do you think it's a silly fad that does nothing but slow down the pace of play?"

[24hrclown]

At a recent golf academy, I was introduced to using the alignment aid on the ball to show my line. It's made a huge difference. I work on the stroke length and speed before setting up and then I'm focused on my stroke, rather than line, speed and stroke. My Newport 2.6 is black with a black alignment line and I've never really gotten tripped up on it. I used to really fixate on all of my putting aspects with the big white line in my old Odyssey D.A.R.T.

I pick my line when others are putting to save time when it's my turn. If I'm still taking a little longer per putt(which I doubt), I'm taking less time overall because I'm sinking more first putts, rather than two putts.

[WVP]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376324789' post='7660772']
I didn't say that, either Mr. WVP.

Why would you read a thread asking for opinions on sonething if the very idea of someone expressing an opinion differing from yours is so hurtful?

Did you really expect to open this thread and find 100% of the opinions to say that the line on the ball was brilliant? Had that ever happened in the history of GolfWRX?

If you have a problem with me posting my opinion, take it up with the guy who asked "Do you think it's a silly fad that does nothing but slow down the pace of play?"
[/quote]

Love differing opinions but I was simply surprised by your strong stance on this particular topic:

[i][b][color=#282828]I think it's a crutch for people desperate to make the ball do what they want. Which of course is hopeless.[/color][/b][/i]

[i][b][color=#282828]Look idiotic, slows down play as is far from spirit of the game.[/color][/b][/i]

[i][b][color=#282828]I'm saying yes, it is a silly fad that does nothing but slow down the pace of play. [/color][/b][/i]

[i][b][color=#282828]I just said it was silly, wastes time and is not necessary. [/color][/b][/i]

[color=#282828]That's a pretty bold opinion on a technique proven at the absolute highest levels. Yes, the OP could have framed the thread better.... It was akin to posting something like is the new R1 that good or is it another junk driver from Taylormade? [/color]

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Yes, it was a bold opinion that happens to be exactly what I think. Just how is my holding that opinion hurtful to yourself or anyone else?

Now you're moving on from putting words in my mouth (I have no opinion whatsoever on "left hand low" BTW) to telling us what the original poster meant to ask. And all this because I happen to think that pointing a line on your ball at the hole is a silly waste of time. That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?

P.S. And all that has been "proven" is that yes indeed the guys you see on TV do it. Some of the guys on TV spit used snuff on the golf course, scream "G-- D--- it Tiger" and throw clubs. What does that "prove"?

[WVP]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376329162' post='7661286']
Yes, it was a bold opinion that happens to be exactly what I think. Just how is my holding that opinion hurtful to yourself or anyone else?

Now you're moving on from putting words in my mouth (I have no opinion whatsoever on "left hand low" BTW) to telling us what the original poster meant to ask. And all this because I happen to think that pointing a line on your ball at the hole is a silly waste of time. That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?

P.S. And all that has been "proven" is that yes indeed the guys you see on TV do it. Some of the guys on TV spit used snuff on the golf course, scream "G-- D--- it Tiger" and throw clubs. What does that "prove"?
[/quote]

[color=#282828]I guess it proves that it's a technique that helps some golfers make putts at the highest level. And my putting improved when I started doing it as well. [/color]

[color=#282828]I'm not sure why you think it's a habit along the lines of using tobacco products or swearing. "Practicing" at home I can roll a ball along my hardwood floors to a target some 30' down my hallway, basically every time. I don't use a line on the ball, I use the hardwood planks to show the line. Same thing when I'm at my local golf store where they have a line used for fittings marked on the putting green - it's easy to putt down a defined line. So when I'm on the course and I address my putt, the line on the ball clearly shows my intended line.[/color]

[color=#282828]Your opinion is not hurtful, it was just conveyed in a manner that wound up quite a few posters. Strange that you're not getting that...[/color]

[Huntster]

I like to use it for short putts. When I tried to use it for longer putts I would get over the ball and constantly second guess it. I like to use a bit more feel for longer putts but on the short ones I can be confident with the line.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

I have a habit of looking down at my hand before addressing the ball and checking the position of my thumb relative to the alignment mark on my Ping ID8 grips. I guess it gives me confidence that my grip is correct.

But the clubs I had in the past did not have such a mark. And I think I managed to grip the club just fine virtually every time.

The point being, anything that presents itself as a point of reassurance will tend to find its way into our habits. Golf's a difficult and frustrating thing, who doesn't want an extra tiny bit of confidence? But I can hit the ball without an alignment whatever-you-call-that-shape under my thumb. Just like you guys can putt without lining up your line on the ball. So it's not necessary, it's just a reassuring habit.

So when a mere reassuring habit becomes obvious and yes does indeed waste time, then in my opinion it becomes silly. Not as silly as many other things but when someone asks "What do you think about this..." that's my answer.

Kind of like if one of my usual playing group showed up wearing Plus-Fours and spats. I'm not going to tell him he looks like he's auditioning for a remake of Bagger Vance...unless he says "Do you think this getup looks silly". Most likely I will say "Oh yeah, big-time silly". Dude ain't my wife, if he asks whether his butt looks fat I'll tell him you know?

[mac94]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376324187' post='7660672']
[quote name='mikes919' timestamp='1376323076' post='7660514']. I intentionally put the ball in an orientation where I can see as little marking as possible.
[/quote]

Me too. Anything like a line would encourage me to try and steer the putter, which is the putting "death move" as far as I'm concerned.
[/quote]

Well, hey! If it is true for fourmyle, it is true for everyone!

[mac94]

Fourmyle, you miss the point. I am not offended by your opinion. Your opinion is just wrong.

http://quizlet.com/12836215/clinical-psych-exam-1-flash-cards/

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

[quote name='mac94' timestamp='1376355630' post='7664300']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376324187' post='7660672']
[quote name='mikes919' timestamp='1376323076' post='7660514']. I intentionally put the ball in an orientation where I can see as little marking as possible.
[/quote]

Me too. Anything like a line would encourage me to try and steer the putter, which is the putting "death move" as far as I'm concerned.
[/quote]

Well, hey! If it is true for fourmyle, it is true for everyone!
[/quote]

And where, exactly, do you think I claimed it was right for anyone but me?

Where are these statements I'm supposedly making claiming anything other than to be sharing my opinion on exactly the subject requested by the original poster?

When I say "I think fiddling with a line on the ball looks stupid and is a waste of time" that is exactly what it says. It is what I think about a line of the ball.

When I say "Me too" and "as far as I'm concerned" that applies only to myself. If I thought it applied to me an [I]mac94[/I] I would have said "Me and [I]mac94[/I] too" or "as far as [I]mac94[/I] and I are concerned".

Don't put words in my mouth. Go argue with something I actually said if you feel an urge to argue.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

[quote name='mac94' timestamp='1376356268' post='7664380']
Fourmyle, you miss the point. I am not offended by your opinion. Your opinion is just wrong.

[url="http://quizlet.com/12836215/clinical-psych-exam-1-flash-cards/"]http://quizlet.com/1...-1-flash-cards/[/url]
[/quote]

Oh yeah? Well your opinion is wrong.

There, that straightens out that little misunderstanding.

[mac94]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376356354' post='7664392']
[quote name='mac94' timestamp='1376355630' post='7664300']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376324187' post='7660672']
[quote name='mikes919' timestamp='1376323076' post='7660514']. I intentionally put the ball in an orientation where I can see as little marking as possible.
[/quote]

Me too. Anything like a line would encourage me to try and steer the putter, which is the putting "death move" as far as I'm concerned.
[/quote]

Well, hey! If it is true for fourmyle, it is true for everyone!
[/quote]

And where, exactly, do you think I claimed it was right for anyone but me?

Where are these statements I'm supposedly making claiming anything other than to be sharing my opinion on exactly the subject requested by the original poster?

When I say "I think fiddling with a line on the ball looks stupid and is a waste of time" that is exactly what it says. It is what I think about a line of the ball.

When I say "Me too" and "as far as I'm concerned" that applies only to myself. If I thought it applied to me an [I]mac94[/I] I would have said "Me and [I]mac94[/I] too" or "as far as [I]mac94[/I] and I are concerned".

Don't put words in my mouth. Go argue with something I actually said if you feel an urge to argue.
[/quote]

Seriously? The first several posts you made were all generally applied to everyone. You made the claim it didnt do anything for anyone. Don't blame people for putting words in your mouth. You did it yourself.

[esketores]

You are simply having too much fun. IMO.

[mac94]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376232401' post='7652790']
I think it's a crutch for people desperate to make the ball do what they want. Which of course is hopeless. You could draw a line on the ball, a line on the green, fix every spike mark within 20 feet of your line and have Steve Stricker stroke it for you and they're still not all going to do what you want them to do.

It's the moral equivalent of those silly LPGA Tour players who have their caddie stand behind them and line them up on every shot. Look idiotic, slows down play as is far from spirit of the game.
[/quote]

Just look at this one. "It' a crutch for people." Not "it's a crutch for me."

"You could draw a line of the ball and its still not going to do what you want them to."

"It's the moral equivalent." An absolute statement if there ever was one.

"Looks idiotic. Far from the spirit of the game." Are you saying this is true only if you do it and not everyone else?

[CC Stryder]

If it works, go for it. I for one would putt with a piece of PVC pipe on the end of a dowel rod if it would improve my putting consistently...

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

It looks silly whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

It wastes time whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

That's what I think. I'm not telling you not to fiddle with the line on your ball. It's not my place to decide which silly wastes of time are allowed and which are not. So to be clear I[b] am making no statement about whether you or anyone else should be fiddling with the line on your ball before you putt. [/b]Do whatever you like that makes you happy, as long as you don't take so long doing that you back up the whole course behind you. it's all good. Golf is a game, have fun.

I would not have started a thread saying this was a stupid-looking waste of time. But when my opinion was solicited I gave. Bluntly and in no uncertain terms because I am very certain what I think about this particular practice. If you think that opinion is wrong ignore it. Or say you disagree. But if you present arguments that you think prove the superiority of your way of putting, I will certainly refute those arguments as I see fit.

It's a choice no different that using a broomstick putter or using the Kuchar grip. It's just another fad that people latch onto because people are prone to all sorts of gimmicky behavior on the putting green. Putting tends to bring out extreme behavior because it is the most emotionally vexing part of the game. The difference is [b]in my opinion[/b] this particular fad looks silly and wastes time, unlike long putters and funky grip fads.

I have a friend that paces off the distance from the ball to the hole on every single putt outside of 10 feet. I think that looks silly and wastes time but I've never mentioned the fact to him If he asked me "Do you think this helps or is it just a stupid-looking waste of time" I'd feel free to tell him what I think. But he doesn't ask so I don't say. In any case, I would never tell him not to do it. We all have our silly-looking habits on the golf course. Heck my GOLF SWING is pretty silly looking, although it can't be accused of wasting time...

P.S. And that's it for me on this thread.

[gamecock]

I do it every putt. Those saying its a hoax or a joke are clueless

[straightedge]

I use the line that's printed on my Chrome+ balls. I crouch down and put that line exactly on the line I want the ball on, stand over it and put the line of my putter on that line, and hit it. I often find that the line is not the line I would hit if I were lining it up standing over the ball, so I think it's better for me. It might not be for everyone, just as Super Strokes might not be for everyone, but I like it and it makes me more confident in my putts.

[Nyeard]

I do it not so much because I need help aligning the putt (although I think it does make it easier) but also so that when I stand over the putt I KNOW that I'm aimed correctly so I can just focus on making a good stroke. It just takes one variable out of the equation for me and helps mentally.

[mac94]

SMH

[Carrots]

I use a line. What I do is point the line directly at the hole the best I can (pretty difficult on long putts, actually) and then play the break off the line on the ball. I don't solely rely on that but it does help get an idea on how much break you're playing.

[cyi1]

I started lining it up and have made far more putts. Once I line it up I can focus just on speed alone.

[nmanoles3]

Ping irons with their bottom groove painted. Lining the face up by using that is blasphemous!!! This thread got ridiculous quickly
But for real, I make more putts with a line. So be it.

[yumbrownies]

It never really helped me. I ended up lining it up from behind the ball and then having my gut tell me something different when I was standing over it. I actually still do it though just because it became part of my putt-reading routine... just don't get locked into what the little line looks like it's telling me.

[tander69]

I tried the line on the ball but gave it up. I really putt better without the line.

[Atrayn]

To each his own...

Before the sharpie line craze I used the logo. My putting didn't improve much either way. Now I make sure there is nothing. Just white. It took my focus off lining the ball to my line. Now I just pick a spot in front of my ball on my intended line and focus on speed. Made a huge difference in my putting stats.

[stryper]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376389323' post='7666222']
It looks silly whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

It wastes time whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

That's what I think. I'm not telling you not to fiddle with the line on your ball. It's not my place to decide which silly wastes of time are allowed and which are not. So to be clear I[b] am making no statement about whether you or anyone else should be fiddling with the line on your ball before you putt. [/b]Do whatever you like that makes you happy, as long as you don't take so long doing that you back up the whole course behind you. it's all good. Golf is a game, have fun.

I would not have started a thread saying this was a stupid-looking waste of time. But when my opinion was solicited I gave. Bluntly and in no uncertain terms because I am very certain what I think about this particular practice. If you think that opinion is wrong ignore it. Or say you disagree. But if you present arguments that you think prove the superiority of your way of putting, I will certainly refute those arguments as I see fit.

It's a choice no different that using a broomstick putter or using the Kuchar grip. It's just another fad that people latch onto because people are prone to all sorts of gimmicky behavior on the putting green. Putting tends to bring out extreme behavior because it is the most emotionally vexing part of the game. The difference is [b]in my opinion[/b] this particular fad looks silly and wastes time, unlike long putters and funky grip fads.

I have a friend that paces off the distance from the ball to the hole on every single putt outside of 10 feet. I think that looks silly and wastes time but I've never mentioned the fact to him If he asked me "Do you think this helps or is it just a stupid-looking waste of time" I'd feel free to tell him what I think. But he doesn't ask so I don't say. In any case, I would never tell him not to do it. We all have our silly-looking habits on the golf course. Heck my GOLF SWING is pretty silly looking, although it can't be accused of wasting time...

P.S. And that's it for me on this thread.
[/quote]

Fourmyle, get back on your meds, please. You're obsessing over nothing...literally, [i]nothing[/i].

[sheldonjhacker]

[quote name='stryper' timestamp='1376519039' post='7677738']
[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1376389323' post='7666222']
It looks silly whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

It wastes time whether you do it, I do it, Tiger Woods does it, whoever.

That's what I think. I'm not telling you not to fiddle with the line on your ball. It's not my place to decide which silly wastes of time are allowed and which are not. So to be clear I[b] am making no statement about whether you or anyone else should be fiddling with the line on your ball before you putt. [/b]Do whatever you like that makes you happy, as long as you don't take so long doing that you back up the whole course behind you. it's all good. Golf is a game, have fun.

I would not have started a thread saying this was a stupid-looking waste of time. But when my opinion was solicited I gave. Bluntly and in no uncertain terms because I am very certain what I think about this particular practice. If you think that opinion is wrong ignore it. Or say you disagree. But if you present arguments that you think prove the superiority of your way of putting, I will certainly refute those arguments as I see fit.

It's a choice no different that using a broomstick putter or using the Kuchar grip. It's just another fad that people latch onto because people are prone to all sorts of gimmicky behavior on the putting green. Putting tends to bring out extreme behavior because it is the most emotionally vexing part of the game. The difference is [b]in my opinion[/b] this particular fad looks silly and wastes time, unlike long putters and funky grip fads.

I have a friend that paces off the distance from the ball to the hole on every single putt outside of 10 feet. I think that looks silly and wastes time but I've never mentioned the fact to him If he asked me "Do you think this helps or is it just a stupid-looking waste of time" I'd feel free to tell him what I think. But he doesn't ask so I don't say. In any case, I would never tell him not to do it. We all have our silly-looking habits on the golf course. Heck my GOLF SWING is pretty silly looking, although it can't be accused of wasting time...

P.S. And that's it for me on this thread.
[/quote]

Fourmyle, get back on your meds, please. You're obsessing over nothing...literally, [i]nothing[/i].
[/quote]

AMEN !!!!!

[RecreationalHacker]

I have some I use for the practice green to see how I'm rolling the ball. I do not use alignment marks on the ball when I'm playing.