Aim
Use the Top Line
The ability to aim your putter accurately
is a critical skill in making more putts.
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IN SHORT
If you can't align to your target, you won't sink many putts. Use the T-square the top line of your putter forms to line up your putterface to your target. This is one of the best alignment aids. |
Unfortunately our eyes often deceive us and our putterface is either pointing right or left of the target when we place it behind the ball.
Anyone who has watched a magician perform an illusion will realise what we believe we see is not always accurate. If we relate this to putting, then there are a lot of golfers out there whose eyes are out of whack when over the ball.
The arithmetic is simple. One degree off true gives an alignment error of 0.21 inches per foot – 2.1 inches off target on a 10-foot putt.
Putter Aim
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Ping G51 UgLe |
To putt accurately you must be able to place your putterface perpendicular to your target. Face-angle errors at impact transfer 83% to the ball's direction according to Dave Pelz.
Side-spin on the ball from a diagonal putter path has a negligible effect on the direction of your ball.
A lot of research and development has been going on in an effort to help golfers, both professional and amateur, line up their putters more accurately.
Putter Design
In earlier days when golf marketing was not as intense, the design of putters was less complicated. Putters didn't have any alignment aids or rear flanges.
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Dyna-Tech 1 |
A blade putter was just that. Golfers used the top line of the blade to orient the putterface at right angles to the target.
The technique was to view the straight line from the toe of the putter to its heel as the top of a T-square.
Despite all the modern day hoopla, this is still the best and most accurate method.
Visual Distraction in Aiming
Not so long ago Nike introduced the IC range of putters designed to emphasise the top line of the putter by muting the areas of the putter head that were not critical to alignment.
By using optical engineering Nike has contrasted the leading edge of the white top line with the green coloured putter head. It claims that this eliminates visual noise or distraction and therefore helps you to square your putterface.
There is much to commend this design feature as any glare off your putter can easily distract you.
There are many alignment aids built into the modern putter, but the top line of your putter is still a reliable guide that your putter is aligned accurately at your target.
