Aligning ball for putting - aiming right

[ParHunter]

Hi,

I've been trying to improve my alignment on putting by using a line on my ball. The problem is while it looks aligned when looking from behind the ball, it looks like it is going to the right when standing above the ball and the ball is going to the right as well (I don't think I am pushing the ball, I have been working a lot on gate drills so I think my ball is going where I am aiming).

How is this possible? Could it be that the equator of the ball marked by the line is not exactly vertical when I place the ball?

Regards

ParHunter

 

[ekennedy]

While its possible that the line, despite your best efforts, is not aimed properly (have someone else check) it is far more likely that your eyes need to adjust. If it doesn't "look right", you won't make a good stroke.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Hi,

I've been trying to improve my alignment on putting by using a line on my ball. The problem is while it looks aligned when looking from behind the ball, it looks like it is going to the right when standing above the ball and the ball is going to the right as well (I don't think I am pushing the ball, I have been working a lot on gate drills so I think my ball is going where I am aiming).

How is this possible? Could it be that the equator of the ball marked by the line is not exactly vertical when I place the ball?

Regards

ParHunter

It's almost a "eye-paralax" issue. Remember you lined up the putt looking directly over the ball 180* to your line. You then move to 90* to your line (if you aim square) and bend over at some angle and your eyes have to look at another angle to get back to the same line on the ball. So you aren't "crazy." lol

SO, what does this all mean?

Well I show people all of this when i teach putting. I recommend do exactly what you did, line on the ball and "line up" everything you want when behind the ball looking directly down your line. THE TRICK is you have to convince yourself that even though it doesn't quite look right when you get back over the ball you HAVE TO TRUST IT. Your eyes are simply looking at everything at radically different angles.

No matter how awkward it feels to "line up" your body and club to what you are looking down at you just "have to" and "trust it." Your putting will thank you for it.

 

[bgoodyear]

This happens to me too. I feel like its pointing right of the target.

I find that it helps to get my eyeline directly over the target line with my eyes centered and not looking up or down or sideways much. This is done by getting the head and jaw on the same horizontal plane.

 

[ParHunter]

The problem is the ball is going right!
I've been practising hard with a gate drill, SI I know my putts normally start on the intended line.

I try to look directly down onto the ball when I try to confirm my read.
It certainly doesn't fill me with confidence when I think the ball is aligned to the right. Isn't the danger that your subconscious will always try to correct your putt by doing some adjustments during the swing?

I used to align my ball a few years ago but stopped when I noticed that I was missing it right all the time.
I am now trying to use it again as I tend to lose my aiming spot in front of the ball easily.

 

[bgoodyear]

If you are extremely confident that you are striking the ball on the line indicated on the ball and the ball is going right of the hole then the line must be aimed to the right.

Perhaps the problem is that from behind you unintentionally point the line slightly right? Are you familiar with eye dominance? I am right eye dominant and cannot accurately line up a putt using my left eye.

 

[ekennedy]

The problem is the ball is going right!
I've been practising hard with a gate drill, SI I know my putts normally start on the intended line.

I try to look directly down onto the ball when I try to confirm my read.
It certainly doesn't fill me with confidence when I think the ball is aligned to the right. Isn't the danger that your subconscious will always try to correct your putt by doing some adjustments during the swing?

I used to align my ball a few years ago but stopped when I noticed that I was missing it right all the time.
I am now trying to use it again as I tend to lose my aiming spot in front of the ball easily.

Only one way to find out for sure...continue the line around the ball and stroke a few putts, aiming at nothing. If the line is dead solid, then you are, in fact, hitting the putt where you are aimed. If that's the case, then you need to work on lining the ball up better.

Once you are confident that the ball is lined up PERFECTLY (not as easy as it sounds), set the putter up behind the ball as well from behind, Betsy King-style. Now take your set up and see how it looks. If it still looks bad then you have a dominant eye/near sighted/far sighted issue.

 

[teacherfitter]

The same thing occurs when lining up a regular shot. If someone took a alignment rod and stood several feet in front of the ball while you were telling them where to plant that rod where it would be directly in line with the target, when you address the ball to hit it, that same rod will appear to be considerably to the right of your target. I call that the illusion of alignment.

 

[magicmarker]

How is this possible? Could it be that the equator of the ball marked by the line is not exactly vertical when I place the ball?

If the putt breaks from left to right, possibly... If this happens on putts with no break, then it sounds like you just like to push your putts. Is the line on the ball rolling end over end?

 

[cwdlaw223]

Check out books on putting by Dr. Craig Farnsworth. He talks about this issue and the visual problems with putting. He's a former optometrist or ophthalmologist. Jim has a very good post on trusting your alignment. It takes time and commitment.

 

[sharkey35]

I would check out Michael Jacobs forum for putting threads featuring Geoff Mangum before buying any books or going nuts on this issue. Lots of good stuff there.

 

[JEREMY5577]

I would check out Michael Jacobs forum for putting threads featuring Geoff Mangum before buying any books or going nuts on this issue. Lots of good stuff there.

Yes if you follow Geoff's method you will know you are aimed correctly before you putt.

 

[Damon Lucas]

From behind the ball, look at the line with your dominant eye only. Secondly, ensure the line on the ball is perpendicular to the surface, not to gravity. Finally, over the ball, make sure that the head/face is perpendicular to the surface, and the eyeline parallels the intended startline, which should be the line along which the ball is pointed.
If there are still issues, then as Jim says, you have perceptual issues, or you are feeding off of the putter's alignment features, in which case you need to practise in the manner ekennedy suggested.

 

[Robbohank]

Damon,

iirc you're Mangum certified. I really like most of his stuff. How many guys on tour do you believe utilize his philosophies? Pretty subjective I know, but I'm always amazed at how good tour players putt, yet none of them ever talk about anything that Geoff talks about. Do they do it subconsciously or do they not want to divulge any secrets?

Even the new wave of putting guru's never seem to get into the "instinctive putting" stuff.

 

[Damon Lucas]

They are not smart enough, and they typically follow the herd! Geoff does not typically travel the 'everybody has a right to an opinion' road, and that doesn't curry favor with those media outlets that promote instructors. Spend an hour on his website and you'll figure out(hopefully) just how far his knowledge is ahead of other putting instructors. It is not close. He is verbose, and does not simplify things enough(if you don't look closely enough) for a lot of unique visitors, including pros. So they take the oft travelled 'simple' road, and ignore the possibility that they could get much better. Obviously, the same could be said for Brian. He could, and should be teaching 10-20 of those guys. They get sold on a method, or a look, or a media darling, at the expense of something greater, and they are scared witless of going back a step so they stay with what they know. Which putting instructor has had success recently? Michelson's putting guru? Sergio's? Michelle Wie's?

 

[Robbohank]

Thanks Damon. I've said before (maybe on this forum) that his "core putt" basis for distance control is genius, but I find myself wanting to "over-ride" gravity as it were. Lately I've been trying to use the gravity based TEMPO but one that I control (sort of what he prescribes when you're in close). When I try and simply let gravity totally control things I'm a bit lax and get the occasional mis-hit. A firmer grip but with a self-controlled gravity-mimicking tempo seems to work better for me providing more solid impact with good distance control.

Geoff's the best... you better not ask him a question if you're not prepared for a well-thought out detailed answer!

 

[hp12c]

Hi,

I've been trying to improve my alignment on putting by using a line on my ball. The problem is while it looks aligned when looking from behind the ball, it looks like it is going to the right when standing above the ball and the ball is going to the right as well (I don't think I am pushing the ball, I have been working a lot on gate drills so I think my ball is going where I am aiming).

How is this possible? Could it be that the equator of the ball marked by the line is not exactly vertical when I place the ball?

Regards

ParHunter

Parhunter u have the same problem I had, right eye dominance and putting from the left side of the ball. The one thing I found that works is after I line up my ball line in the direction I want to start the ball and get on the side of the ball and go through my waggle and looks at the hole, before I look at the ball before I take the putter away I close my right eye (dominate eye) for a few second and look at the ball with my left eye only, as soon as I open my right eye and both my eyes are on the ball the line on top of the ball wont look like its pointing to the right, but it only LAST FOR A FEW SECONDS, try it and see, its cool to see the line straight and then my dominant eye takes over and BAM the line looks like its pointing to the right again, funny stuff. helped my putting a bunch. Or switch to putting left and the line will look straight cause now your dominant eye is closer to the hole. I tried putting on that side and for me it was goign to take more time to get accutomed to it, so I just close my right eye, open, putt.

 

[ParHunter]

Thanks for all the great advice. I guess it is time to spend some time on the practise green Might take out my DIY alignment laser to help me.

And yes, I am indeed right eye dominant.

 

[ekennedy]

Here is an interesting story about putter and ball alignment...at least I thought it was cool.

Back in the 90's when I was playing full time, I was paired several times with a "lifer" on the mini-tours who was a great putter. He may have been the first guy I had ever met that lined the ball up each time...and he was diligent about it. After one of the rounds, he saw me putting on the practice green and offered me some advice. I seem to recall that he was working with Farnsworth at the time and was beginning to create a stable of his own. He explained the theory behind lining the ball up to your intended target, then the putter and so forth.

I said that it sounded simple and he agreed, it "sounds" simple. He took out a sheet of paper and put a dot randomly on either end. Then he took out a business card and asked me to try to line up the two dots. Sounds simple. I was off a couple of degrees to the right. I tried again. A couple of degrees to the right. If it is difficult to line up two dots, 10" apart, imagine how difficult it is to line up a ball with a line to an intended target 20 or 30 feet away...and do it quickly.

The cool part of the story? He said he's only seen one guy that could consistently line up two dots every single time, without fail.

A professional wall paper hanger.

 

[Frans@France]

Thanks for all the great advice. I guess it is time to spend some time on the practise green Might take out my DIY alignment laser to help me.

And yes, I am indeed right eye dominant.

You are aware that you did not tell us the most important part of the story How did the ball roll? On the line or did the line wobble or maybe the line was not visible at all when rolling?