Should you use a line on your ball when you putt?

Welcome to GOLF’s Top 100 Teacher roundtable, where some of the best instructors in the business answer the game’s most pressing questions. The goal? To help your game and lower your scores ASAP.

Everyone has their own approach when it comes to putting. Some are rigid and mechanical. Others are free-flowing and artistic. There’s no one answer on the right way to putt. All that matters is that you’re comfortable doing it.

One of the elements that defines every golfers’ putting approach is whether or not they use a line on their ball. While it can be a helpful alignment aid when standing over the ball, that doesn’t mean it will be beneficial for every player.

So, should you use a line on your ball when you putt? Our Top 100 Teachers share the pros and cons below.

1. Use it for practice

Using a line on the ball can be very helpful for golfers that struggle with face and body alignment. Practicing with a line on your ball can help identify the factors they need to improve. However, sometimes when golfers try to take this out to the course they obsess over trying to get the line perfect before they putt. This is not only time-consuming, but also can cause golfers to forget about making a quality stroke. —Bryan Lebedevitch

2. Don’t let it distract you

If you don’t practice aim and alignment with your putter, using a line on your ball is a great way to make sure you are aimed in the right direction during a round. But don’t let the line be a distraction. If you already can aim the putter well, using a line might do more harm than good. —Dom DiJulia

3. Make sure you’re aiming correctly

Using a line on your ball is great — but only if you are able to properly read the greens. A line on the ball allows you to square your clubface as it sits perpendicular to the mark when you address your putt. But using a line is only as good as your ability to aim correctly. If you’re a good green reader, using a line can be an advantage. If you struggle to read greens, it might not be so helpful. —Carol Preisinger

4. Mix methods together

Having a line to help you with alignment can be a great asset when you set up on the greens. But it can be detrimental if it makes you overly technical when standing over the ball. Sometimes it’s best to mix methods. Use a line on shorter putts (inside 10 feet) but don’t use it on putts that need more feel, such as lags and putts with lots of break. —Brady Riggs