Lets talk alignment lines? Whats yours and why?

lblanto1

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I have used a blade most of my life and the line has always been on the flange if you will. While I realize A LOT of other things can be in play here, I have wondered about going to a putter with a top line alignment line. I find I miss to the right most of the time and its generally relatively close, often burning edges. I am mainly referring to putts 10 ft and closer. On a 3 footer for instance, I noticed when I go by that line and focus on it, I feel lined up, then can look up and tell I am aimed to the right by looking at the face. I have tried mallets and like the alignment lines but never preferred their feel over a blade. I read an article on DJ switching alignment lines and how it helped him on his aim immediately and was wondering if anyone made that type of switch and had good results. Looking at the Toulon Austin myself for the top line alignment aid.
 
I'm a big supporter of alignment line on putters and balls, basically just lining ball to where I want it to start then line up putter line against ball line and pull the trigger. I feel lost over a putt without the use of visible alignment.
 
I'm a big fan of a single, solid line on the flange or the top line. No dots, no multiple lines, no balls. Not a huge fan of the versa either. Keep it simple and easy.

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I have 6 blades with 3 different alignment marks: dot on top line, line on top line, line on flange. I honestly could not say that one of them helps me with proper alignment over the other two.
 
I've gamed almost every style of putter over the years for at least one or two golf seasons. If I have any preference it would be the 2-ball or a wide white stripe like a Versa. I putt worse with an alignment line on the ball, especially with breaking putts. It's visual noise for me and I don't look at the ball when putting anyway. My focal point is either a spot on the grass just behind the ball or on longer putts, I look at the hole.
 
I turn the putter grip 90 degrees counter-clockwise...so that the flat part and the club face are on the same plane. That way I can "point" the putter at a target, or line, without focusing on the head itself. For me, putting is all about imagining what the ball is going to do...and the less I think about the putter the better.
 
I've gamed almost every style of putter over the years for at least one or two golf seasons. If I have any preference it would be the 2-ball or a wide white stripe like a Versa. I putt worse with an alignment line on the ball, especially with breaking putts. It's visual noise for me and I don't look at the ball when putting anyway. My focal point is either a spot on the grass just behind the ball or on longer putts, I look at the hole.

If I start missing putts without understanding why, I'll use a line on the ball to help force my stroke back on line. But it's always a temporary thing, just to get straightened out again. Big picture, a line on the ball is, as you said, visual noise....and it messes with my speed control.

I like a line on the flange. A line on the top line is too short to do any good for me. And a putter with no sight line at all (like the red spider I had), made short putts very difficult to me.

Right now, I own 3 putters: Scotty Newport, TP Mullen, and Ennroll ER8. All have flange lines. The Mullen has 2 lines, but that doesn't really make a difference to me.

A line that's "too" long.....like a Ping Ketsch, also messes with me. It's visual noise like a line on the ball. So I guess there's a happy medium for me. Top line only is too short.....face-to-back is too long.....flange line is just right.
 
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I used to put a line on my ball to align with to putt.
I went away from it a few years ago. I found that getting the line on the ball and the alignment on the putter and the line of my intended putt all in alignment was akin to hitting a 3 ball combination in pool.
Now I use just the putter alignment and I place my ball so I am looking at a blank slate. Since doing that a few years ago, my putting has improved greatly.
But....that is just my personal preference. YMMV
 
After 10 different putters, I settled on a 2 ball. I added an alignment line to it and I mark all my balls with alignment lines. Does it help me? You bet! Tim
 
I use the ball alignment line in addition to a 2-ball putter. I use the ball line to do my initial placement then use the 2-ball to visualize the direction as a confirmation.
 
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