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Alignment is the quiet foundation of good putting. You can have a smooth stroke and perfect speed, but if the putter face and your body aren’t aimed where you intend, the ball will start offline and never have a chance.
Begin with the putter face, since it dictates the start line more than anything else. Instead of trying to aim directly at a hole 20 feet away, pick a small intermediate target just six to 12 inches in front of your ball — a discoloured blade of grass, an old ball mark, anything distinct.
Square the face to that spot. It’s much easier for your eyes to be accurate up close, and the ball will travel along that line towards the hole.
Once the face is set, position your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to that intended line, not pointed at the hole. Many golfers unconsciously aim their body at the target, which opens the shoulders and leads to pushes. Think of train tracks: your feet and shoulders run along the outside rail while the ball sits on the inside rail.
Your eye position also matters. When you set up, your eyes should be directly over the ball or just slightly inside the target line.
If they drift too far inside, putts will look left; too far outside, they’ll look right, and you’ll compensate with a poor stroke. A quick check is to hold a ball at your eye level and drop it — it should land on your ball placed on the ground or just inside it.
Practice with feedback until the feeling becomes automatic. Lay a club on the ground parallel to your line to guide your feet, and another to frame the putter path, or use alignment sticks if you have them. Groove the setup on the practice green so you can step up on the course and trust that you’re aimed correctly, then let your stroke do the work.
Catch you on the fairways!