Lining up a line on a ball when putting.

Lining up a line on a ball when putting is OK as long as you use it properly.

It is to do one thing and one thing only. Help you line up to the spot that you want to line up to, not the direction to hit the putt.

I know this again sounds like semantics, but it is very important and here is why.

Before you address the ball, you should be thinking 50% speed and 50% line because how hard you hit the putt decides how much break you play and where you aim…and vice versa.

I poll people on what they think about when they putt AFTER they have lined up(addressed the ball). What percentage on line and what percentage on speed. I get all sorts of answers and they are all wrong. 80-20, 50-50, 20-80, etc.

Once you have decided where to aim and line up the line to that point and address the ball…line is no longer an issue. Once you have addressed the ball you are supposed to think of 100% speed and ZERO on line because you are already setup to the line you want to hit the ball.

That is the mistake people make when lining up the line. They try to steer the ball where the line is pointed.

I may have been a little verbose and confusing, so I will restate.

Once you are ready to hit a putt, whether you used a line on the ball to line up, or lined up yourself, your only job is to hit the putt solid and the right speed. You are already aimed to the place you want to hit it and line is no longer a concern.