Putting: Finding The Line - Spot Putting

[TundraToad]

I have never been a great putter, luke warm to ice cold. I gone through some different putters making sure I try the different styles to see if one style would work better for me. I have even taken a lesson.

 

This week with a help of a buddy I found out something very interesting. My routine is to stand behind the ball, see my line, stand over the ball and see that same line and then putt. What I found out is the line I see from behind the ball is good, when I stand over the ball what I think is the same line is really aimed right. If I pick a spot from behind the ball and aim at that, it feels like I am going to go way left. I don't, the putt is on the line that I saw from behind the ball.

 

The question I have is will I ever get the feeling that I am aiming on the line I saw from behind the ball, any idea how long it takes to get that feeling. It is hard to putt when your eyes/brain is telling you that you are aimed left of your target.

 

Thanks

[CHRIS509]

Someone will tend to be a mediocre when they try a putt with any type of compensation.
Your last paragraph sums up your problem, trust, you know your aim is correct.
To trust your aim your going to need to hole quiet a few meaningful putts before the "spell" is broken.
This could take sometime because your trying to break a very comfortable compensation, just stick with it
have your buddy check your aim now and then and believe what your doing is for the greater good.

" The meaning of insanity, is to continue to do the same thing and expect a different result"

[dogsbe]

Pick up a putting mirror, there are some cheap ones on ebay that does the job. Not only will it train your eyes, but also check that your eyes are down the line. If not, then setup or putter tweaks are needed. It is worth saying that the vast majority of golfers do not align their putts very well. It does take a lot of work to get spot on. I know Mickelson spends most of his putting practice time on alignment.

[mws92]

[quote name='dogsbe' timestamp='1374701791' post='7532064']
Pick up a putting mirror, there are some cheap ones on ebay that does the job. Not only will it train your eyes, but also check that your eyes are down the line. If not, then setup or putter tweaks are needed. It is worth saying that the vast majority of golfers do not align their putts very well. It does take a lot of work to get spot on. I know Mickelson spends most of his putting practice time on alignment.
[/quote]

Kind of along these lines, you do not have your eyes in a position where you see straight lines correctly.

See this link for help from Dr. Paul Hurrion who is a pretty big short game instructor over in Europe: http://paulhurrion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/gimirror_9drills_hurrion_august09.pdf

Look at drill 3 for figuring where you need to be to see straight. This will help clear up the problem of your line "looking right" when you know it is not.

To get it really dialed in you may need to tuck your chin more to get your vision coming "straight out of your face" instead of down your nose.

[PuttingDoctor]

Very good thoughts above. Trusting your aim is the first fundamental.

Have you considered using an aim line on the ball? Many of my students do, even those who previously didn't.

Most who don't blame it on not being able to aim the line consistently. I've shown them how easy it is with a little practice to aim the ball in hand while standing erect behind the mark. Once the ball is spotted and verified you simply trust where it's aimed.

Better news is that the new Edmonton Nevada Bob's inside Sports Check will have a SAM PuttLab. That means I'll likely be heading your way this fall. For now try the aim line and let me know if you need more help.

Oh, and I like Putting Mirrors too.... just got another 500 http://bit.ly/19k498w

[CHRIS509]

[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1374774774' post='7537826']
Very good thoughts above. Trusting your aim is the first fundamental.

[b]Have you considered using an aim line on the ball? Many of my students do, even those who previously didn't[/b].

Most who don't blame it on not being able to aim the line consistently. I've shown them how easy it is with a little practice to aim the ball in hand while standing erect behind the mark. Once the ball is spotted and verified you simply trust where it's aimed.

Better news is that the new Edmonton Nevada Bob's inside Sports Check will have a SAM PuttLab. That means I'll likely be heading your way this fall. For now try the aim line and let me know if you need more help.

Oh, and I like Putting Mirrors too.... just got another 500 [url="http://bit.ly/19k498w"]http://bit.ly/19k498w[/url]
[/quote]

Highlighted :- I read, heard or have seen an article about aim lines on the ball and on the putter themselves and the fact these " aiming aids" don't work for everyone. In fact the article made a very good case against using them.
This is another personal choice, I happen to have a very consistent and correct aim using a very simple clean putter. This did take a bit of experimentation, the use of a mirror (one of yours) and hours spent on a "RAIL".
That's the only way to change something, put the hours in.

[dlam]

I think that if the line bothers you then dont use it.
The lines doesnt bother me.
I do find I can ignore the line on the ball as well as the line on the putter.

I do feel it helps for certain breaking putts but I dont use it all the time as it can become a crutch.

[TundraToad]

Thanks for all the input !!

I played last night and had one of my best putting rounds in years. Made 2 putts 20+, 31 putts (9 GIR) only missed one 3 footer that lipped out and scared the hole on a number of longer ones. There may be hope for me yet.

I have dropped the ball from between my eyes and it does hit the ball so I think that should be ok. I also rotate my head to look at the hole. In the pass I have tried to use the line on the ball but it never felt right and now knowing what I know now about my aiming it explains it. I might have to try it again.

At the end it still felt wrong but I kept telling myself trust it and if the future is like last night I just might.

[MadGolfer76]

I have just experienced a putting renaissance in terms of my own game. Reading has never been an issue; I have always been fortunate to stand over the ball and be able to tell if I was properly aligned or not. My issue was making pure contact. Every other issue came from this. I was leaving the face open without realizing and manipulating the club. I did this for years in frustration until my dad asked why I was leaving the face open. Freakin' parents...always being right.

[PuttingDoctor]

[quote name='CHRIS509' timestamp='1374792102' post='7539678']
[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1374774774' post='7537826']
Very good thoughts above. Trusting your aim is the first fundamental.

[b]Have you considered using an aim line on the ball? Many of my students do, even those who previously didn't[/b].

Most who don't blame it on not being able to aim the line consistently. I've shown them how easy it is with a little practice to aim the ball in hand while standing erect behind the mark. Once the ball is spotted and verified you simply trust where it's aimed.

Better news is that the new Edmonton Nevada Bob's inside Sports Check will have a SAM PuttLab. That means I'll likely be heading your way this fall. For now try the aim line and let me know if you need more help.

Oh, and I like Putting Mirrors too.... just got another 500 [url="http://bit.ly/19k498w"]http://bit.ly/19k498w[/url]
[/quote]

Highlighted :- I read, heard or have seen an article about aim lines on the ball and on the putter themselves and the fact these " aiming aids" don't work for everyone. In fact the article made a very good case against using them.
This is another personal choice, I happen to have a very consistent and correct aim using a very simple clean putter. This did take a bit of experimentation, the use of a mirror (one of yours) and hours spent on a "RAIL".
That's the only way to change something, put the hours in.
[/quote]
[quote name='dlam' timestamp='1374793943' post='7539808']
I think that if the line bothers you then dont use it.
The lines doesnt bother me.
I do find I can ignore the line on the ball as well as the line on the putter.

I do feel it helps for certain breaking putts but I dont use it all the time as it can become a crutch.
[/quote]

Please don't get me wrong folks, I truly believe we all see differently. And in as much as I'm a line guy and an eyes over the line coach I understand that it's not for everyone. However with the sample size of golfers over the past two decades I have seen the good, the bad, the ugly and those who only thought that they couldn't (read that wouldn't) try something that could change their game.

That's why the balls I use for testing and for Quiet Eye training are marked with a line and dot and then if you turn it the other way it can be void of mark and or just have the dot available to place at the rear of the ball at address.

I've seen doubtful students follow a simple exercise for less than 30 minutes and change their perception of square. I'm talking about 2.5 open to .5 open in 35 minutes in one case of baseline SAM PuttLab testing. Often perception is incorrect but ingrained to a point that it can be difficult to correct without some very proactive attention.

Take for instance what happens when a golfer approaches their ball at address and places the putter with right hand behind the ball while looking down the line with a tilted visual plane, all the while reaching in to aim the putter. The perception from 18" inside the line looking from an open stance at a ball with no reference mark to the line is one of major confusion for the brain to assess.

Now think about stepping in deep with the right foot so as to be able to rotate only the head with eyes on plane while placing the putter critically behind the ball which has already been aimed at the target / aim point with precision. Oh, and the left hand is now on the putter causing the shoulder plane to be more neutral to the target line resulting in a putter path more on plane. Once the putter is aimed with great care the stance is built from the feet up and finally the right hand is applied again with great care so as not to reach around and open the shoulder line.

Only then do I start to allow a student if comfortable just a ball inside the line to drift back from this aim process. The results are astonishingly good in terms of ability to aim and build a neutral setup. It's only a matter of practice to have the brain accept the new and more fundamentally correct pre-shot setup.

The bottom line is to make the most effective stroke that sends the ball to the target. How you do it and the results may vary.

[Dave D]

I putted ok never great for years until I got fit by a Hurrion guy who need an eye interpretation test. he placed 3 balls in a straight line using a laser, 8ftish apart and stood behind the middle ball so I couldn't see the other. I took my setup and aimed at that ball. he then moved out the way and the back ball looked miles out of line to the right. thus meaning every put that length I was aligning wrong to where my brain was telling me. I now setup with my eyes a good couple of inches inside the ball and can draw a line straight back from the hole to the ball. if I stand eyes over I can never do it it always comes to the inside of the ball. don't believe u have to have eyes over the line just because books tell u to. HTH