Rory McIlroy explains why he doesn’t use a line when putting

At a recent TaylorMade event that was attended by some of the brand’s biggest stars, Rory McIlroy was captured on video talking about how not using a line while putting has helped him.

In a group discussion caught on Instagram, McIlroy extolled the benefits of TaylorMade’s new Spider X putter, which incorporates a True Path system on the crown — something McIlroy has come to appreciate.

“One of the big things for me as well with Spider, compared to the [TP Collection] Soto I was using, is the face is shallower,” McIlroy says on the video. “[So] I’m hitting it more in the middle of the putter face more consistently, and if anything, I align it more out on the toe, so to have the white channel and the long black line, it helps me center the ball on the putter face more often, and then obviously [to have a] more consistent strike, it’s going to lead to better speed.”

When McIlroy and his peers were asked if they use a line on the golf ball as well, several of them, including DJ and Rahm, said they did not.

“I think there are two different types of putters: someone who is more of an external-cue person, like Jon [Rahm], myself, DJ, or an internal cue, which is more getting into your own little world [using] a line,” McIlroy says. “I’ve sort of went on and off using the line, but anytime I use the line, I struggle with my speed. Because I’m so into what I’m doing [with the line], I lose connection with the target.”

Whatever McIlroy has been doing on the greens appears to be working. He had three wins and 14 top tens in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, won the FedEx Cup, and was named Player of the Year.

You can watch the video in its entirety below.

View this post on Instagram

Take 3 minutes out of your day to watch this great fly on the wall video posted earlier today by @trottiegolf which features some of the @taylormadegolf staff players talking about why they either do or do not have lines on there putters and balls.

A post shared by CharlesMb (@theputtingengineer) on Jan 14, 2020 at 2:47pm PST

View this post on Instagram

Take 3 minutes out of your day to watch this great fly on the wall video posted earlier today by @trottiegolf which features some of the @taylormadegolf staff players talking about why they either do or do not have lines on there putters and balls.

A post shared by CharlesMb (@theputtingengineer) on Jan 14, 2020 at 2:47pm PST

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