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"Seeing the Line Every Time"

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Announcement:

I have moved to beautiful Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club just ¾ of a mile from the 5 freeway in Mission Viejo nestled in a canyon with beautiful mountain views. I teach at the back of the range with two outstanding golf professionals, Bobby Laskin and Perry Parker.

My Golf School dates have been posted for 2005. There is a 2 for 1 offer for the full day (9 hour) school through March, 2005 and alumni may return for the full day for $75 during that same period. There is a lot of new content that has evolved from our ongoing research on set up. Please join us and experience beautiful Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club.

During post round interviews you have heard Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods or other players say they weren't "seeing the line" as they describe a difficult day on the greens. When the tour players I teach arrive for a lesson "not seeing the line" is a common complaint. They know they putt their best when they "see the line." So, what does "seeing the line" mean? The line these players are describing is a visual perception of an imaginary line along which their ball will roll into the hole. The line may be a slightly darker or lighter color green than the grass or a trough, trench or track that visually appears to run from your ball curving into the hole. I have heard many different descriptions. I am going to show you how to "see the line" every time you address the ball by simply adjusting your set up.

Let's go to the practice green and you will experience seeing the line by following a few simple tips. The October, 2004 Tip, Check Your Line, was about you checking how well you aimed a line on your ball by taking a piece of string and running it from your ball to a toothpick.

Use a string line to be certain the line on your ball is aimed at a toothpick as you see in the illustrations above. Set the toothpick about three feet from the ball. Note: This exercise is simply to illustrate how to "see the line." Many of you don't use a line on your ball to line up your putt. Once you finish this exercise, you will be able to "see the line" even if you don't use a line on your ball.

Take your putter and address the ball using the toothpick as your target. The September, 2004 Tip, Crossing Lines at Impact, shows the importance of placing your putter face in a position so that it almost touches your ball.

If you address your ball an inch or so behind the ball and "see the line" from that address position, you will notice your perception of the line moves left or right when the putter face is moved to the ball impact position.

In the April 2004 Tip, Build Your Set Up From The Ground Up, the concept of aiming your right foot 90 degrees to your target line and the OPTICAL ILLUSION of points on your target line looking left or right are important points for you to review as you put together a set up that allows you to "see the line" every time you set up to a putt. (You will find these articles in the archives of the Golf tips section of www.mindunderpar.com)

Aim your right foot 90 degrees to your target line, ground the putter and aim the putter face at a "toothpick-precise" intermediate target. Visually draw an imaginary line from the line on the ball at the toothpick. The line will likely appear left or right of the toothpick.

No matter where the line appears to be aiming, feel your back stroke but don't hit the ball. If the line on the ball does not look like it is going at the toothpick you will notice that your back stroke does not look or feel straight back. Now address the ball again and begin to adjust your set up by pulling your left foot straight back until the line on your ball, not your putter face, looks like it is going at the toothpick.

Note: 90 percent of you will "see the line" by pulling your left foot straight back and 10 percent will need to pull your right foot back. This has to do with your comfort over the ball and your core muscle rotation. (If you attended the golf school you have been through the 3 minute exercises to square your core muscles, you are able to "see the line" every time.)

When the line on your ball visually appears to be in a line to hit the toothpick, feel the putter path back. Notice how straight back and through the putter feels.

Your ability to visualize lines is directly related to balance. When you have taken the stress off your core muscles by adjusting your stance, you will feel your weight center in your feet, the line on the ball will look like it is aimed exactly at the toothpick and your putter path will feel straight back and smooth.

When you "see the line," your hips and shoulders become parallel to each other, but not necessarily to the target line, as shown in the following pictures of tour players Kevin Stadler and Bob E. Smith.

That is why our golf school students use the hip and shoulder line bars on the putting green. Our golf school staff are able to follow a student's progress by observing the orientation of the hip and shoulder bars at address.

Note: On the putting green, if you use a point that is toothpick precise and close to the ball, it is easier to line up your putt and maintain visual contact with your intermediate target as you get into your address position. Sam Snead said the best putting round he ever had was when he had a precise intermediate target 3½ inches in front of the ball on every putt.

Please remember our March, 2004 Tip Be Precise if you use an intermediate Target. Recall that at nine feet, an intermediate target one foot in front of your ball that is the width of the head of a tee will put you outside the hole if you aim at the right or left edge of the tee.

Your targets should be toothpick or blade of grass precise! The more precise your targets, the better your performance, putter through driver.

This completes our first full year of online golf tips. We welcome your comments or request for tips in a particular area. For comments or request, please email me at drwright@mindunderpar.com

Next month I will give you drills to practice speed control, the most important part of putting.

From our lesson tee to your home, have a Safe, Happy Holiday Season. We wish you the best for the New Year.

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