[Bulls9999]

1. I use a thick black line on my ball for alignment. Sometimes I'll point the line straight at the hole, but aim 'across the black line' on the ball to hit a breaking putt.
2. I only use a nearby 'spot' on the green that I must 'run over' only when I have putts that I can't keep both my ball and the hole in my peripheral vision. For short putts of 2-6 feet, I am (some how) looking at both the ball and the hole at the same time, making sure I track the line I intend the ball to move on.
3. For long putts, I waggle my putter back-and-forth with ~1-ft backswing & 1-ft followthrough, without breaking my wrists, back and forth about 4-5 times to get the 'speed/force' that I need to move the putter to get the ball to the hole.
4. Long putts...I don't really putt 'at the hole', but i pick a spot somewhat short of the hole that I 'need to get the ball to' so that it will get the rest of the way to the hole on it's own....this is my key for long putts....I don't ever send it by the hole anymore since doing this. I'm always looking for the 'target spot', sometimes 8 feet short of the hole (downhill) that if I get the ball to that spot, the grade will take it the rest of the way.
5. I'm a lag putter, so my ball dies at the hole...if I miss, it's usually a tap in you could make with your eyes closed.

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

Does anyone do this? I do, but have found that I have gotten away from it…I had success in the past with the line, and for a few months last summer and fall had a lot of confidence using it, making putts that I didn’t prior to using the line…putting went south, and though I still mark the ball (easy for ID as well…I use a red marker) I got away from using it, and again had success for a time using intermediate aim points…putting has gone south again and I am now in the process of addressing the issue...haven’t decided on using the line or not as there are more fundamental issues associated (developed a strange stroke that took the pressure off my no longer sore elbow and now have issues with a straight 6 foot roll)...regardless of my issues, it has been a cause for a bit of reflection…
How do you line up your putts?