That is the question.
A consistent theme with good putters is that they are target focused. They spend most of their time over a putt thinking about, visualising, and feeling where they want the ball to go.
Where they look reflects this when they are over the putt, they spend more time looking at where they want the ball to go.
Many have a much clearer attachment to the target with their practice stroke (i.e., looking at their intended target), if they take a practice stroke at all.
Now with poor putters, much of their intent and attention is around their putting stroke and how individual body parts move.
Where they look reflects this with the target an afterthought.
They spend too much time looking around the ball.
So here in lies the rub of using a line, when using a line if it brings your intention more towards your stroke and the mechanics of it and where you look is more near you, your body and the ball and the not the target.
You probably aren’t that great a putter. (always exceptions to the rule.)
Stop using the line and see if it helps.
If you feel the line helps your aim, your intention stays target focused when using it and you hole more putts, happy days.
Keep putting that line on the ball!
Practicing Putting
This also opens up another conversation on putting drills or training aids that are close to your body. Such as tees or coins that are 1ft in front of your ball to check where you are starting the ball.
OR
Training aids such as the putting arcs that you have to follow with your putter for a better stroke, like you did as a kid with tracing paper and a drawing.
If when using them for too long on these areas it draws your intention and where you look more around you, your feet and the ball.
Then you are neglecting the target.
Where you want the ball to go.
Therefore…
Conclusion
ALWAYS think of the end goal, what good putters do.
They spend more time thinking about the target and looking at the target.
Therefore, when practicing your putting, even when doing technical work on your putting stroke, don’t spend all your time focused on around the ball.
Attach some, or much, of your practice to the target, where you want the ball to go and looking at where you want it to go.
If a line or putting template helps that then great, if it amplifies the opposite then explore it without the line and maybe give the target more than an afterthought.
Guest blog by Peter Arnott...For Lots of Free Golf Practice Games and Advise go to: www.practicethinkers.com
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