TEED UP

PUTTING...HOW TO GET YOUR GOLF BALL ON LINE

Getting your golf ball on line starts with your setup. Correct ball placement is important if you want to ensure you’re aligned with your target. You might think you’re lined up towards your target, but until you take the time to practice and train your perception, you can’t fully dismiss your setup as a contributing factor to your misses.

One tool we recommend you use to practice your alignment is an elevated string line that will help you visualize what a straight putt setup actually looks like on the putting green. It’s simple to use an elevated string line and, because it’s so lightweight, it’s easy to take it with you wherever you go.

To start, find a straight putt on the practice green. If the ball is breaking left, move to the left and roll it again until the putt straightens out. Then, place one of the sticks attached to the string into the ground a few inches behind the hole. Pull the string across the hole toward the origin of your straight putt and insert the second stick into the ground far enough away so that the string is tight.

Using the string as your guide, line your golf ball up to the hole and to the string directly above it; the ball can be anywhere from 5 to 10 feet away from the hole depending on the length of your string. Now you know with certainty that the ball has a straight path toward the hole. Start making some putts and adjust the string as necessary until you’re consistently starting them and ending them on the same line. You will be able to see if the ball goes offline as you practice.

We recommend that once you’ve done this, remove the string and then use your dominant eye to line up the golf ball to the hole. Train yourself to recognize your setup and putter alignment by sight so you have a reference when you’re on the golf course.

To figure out your dominant eye , simply form a triangle with your pointer fingers and thumbs from both hands in front of you and gently guide them back towards your face; whichever eye the triangle centers over is your dominant eye.