Quite a few professionals use a line on the ball to help alignment setup. Some research indicates that there is no significant difference whether or not you spend time orienting the ball using the line.
In many cases, golfers reorient it when they don’t believe it is correct. This reorientation can only be done a limited number of times and in the event that you remain doubtful when over the ball and compromise your stroke for the discrepancy this will introduce an element of mental conflict when over the ball and ready to make a stroke which is something you should avoid at all costs.
Trust your acquired ability to read and align the putt and make a confident stroke without any mental conflict regarding whether or not you are correctly aligned.
Conflict is one of the worst enemies when putting.
For further reading, please refer to Chapters 5, 10 and 11 of our book, The Fundamentals of Putting, written to help you putt well.
Frank and Valerie
Do you use a line on the ball and does it help or hurt? We always enjoy hearing from you. Share your thoughts below with our Frankly Friends…
The line on the ball serves two purposes: 1) It lines up the ball direction better that standing over the ball with “feel”, 2) the putting stroke is move precise by focusing on getting the ball to “roll-over” it’s line over line.
I tried it and found that I forgot how far away the hole was by the time I got the ball on-line. I putt better by walking to the hole, looking at the line from behind the ball, aligning my putter blade square to the target line, and stroking through the ball before distance-Alzheimers kicks in.
A line on the ball is helpful, but one must trust the alignment to the hole, must be sure the putter face is perpendicular to the line, and must maintain the orientation of the putter face to the line through the stroke to be successful
I have found a line on the ball to be distracting……. Once I am set and lined up correctly to where I want the ball to start….. I focus on one dimple on the back of the ball and swing……..
and Tiger uses TaylorMade P7TW irons.
I should get those, too?
always been amazed that I could think I could align a two inch line on a ball to
a 15 foot (180 inch) putting line with a degree (!) of precision that would make a practicable difference.
the issue, as is often the case in golf, is confidence and routine. it it’s part of your pre-shot routine, and it works for you, do it. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t.
but remember, each of these things you add to your routine just detracts from the pace of play: if you can be confident without it, drop it.
Waste of time. I watched a three some of high school golfers putting out. They all had putts ranging from 3 to 5 feet. Never mind none of them had attempted to continuously putt out. All three of them squatted down spent an in ordinate amount of time getting their little lines squared up then all three missed. A bunch of budding Bryson DeChambeaus.
Some kind of line, either added by me or provided by the manufacturer, helps me square the putter face with the target line. It removes an element of doubt for me.
Some kind of line, either provided by the manufacturer or added by me, helps me square the putter face with the target line. It removes one element of doubt.
franklygolf 
The line on the ball serves two purposes: 1) It lines up the ball direction better that standing over the ball with “feel”, 2) the putting stroke is move precise by focusing on getting the ball to “roll-over” it’s line over line.
I tried it and found that I forgot how far away the hole was by the time I got the ball on-line. I putt better by walking to the hole, looking at the line from behind the ball, aligning my putter blade square to the target line, and stroking through the ball before distance-Alzheimers kicks in.
A line on the ball is helpful, but one must trust the alignment to the hole, must be sure the putter face is perpendicular to the line, and must maintain the orientation of the putter face to the line through the stroke to be successful
I have found a line on the ball to be distracting……. Once I am set and lined up correctly to where I want the ball to start….. I focus on one dimple on the back of the ball and swing……..
I’m not buying this one, unless I see some real data from a solid test study.
Same doubt can be there no matter how you putt.
Until then, Tiger Woods uses a line … enough said.
and Tiger uses TaylorMade P7TW irons.
I should get those, too?
always been amazed that I could think I could align a two inch line on a ball to
a 15 foot (180 inch) putting line with a degree (!) of precision that would make a practicable difference.
the issue, as is often the case in golf, is confidence and routine. it it’s part of your pre-shot routine, and it works for you, do it. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t.
but remember, each of these things you add to your routine just detracts from the pace of play: if you can be confident without it, drop it.
Waste of time. I watched a three some of high school golfers putting out. They all had putts ranging from 3 to 5 feet. Never mind none of them had attempted to continuously putt out. All three of them squatted down spent an in ordinate amount of time getting their little lines squared up then all three missed. A bunch of budding Bryson DeChambeaus.
Some kind of line, either added by me or provided by the manufacturer, helps me square the putter face with the target line. It removes an element of doubt for me.
Some kind of line, either provided by the manufacturer or added by me, helps me square the putter face with the target line. It removes one element of doubt.
Your statement is very accurate and correct. Line only sets up another element to cause a miss.