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in front of the ball and aim at it. I just started doing this from a recommendation and so far it seems to be working pretty good. I just wanted to know if many people putt like this.

I'm glad you started this one jimbob. I started spot putting years ago, i had never read or heard anything of it, just something i started doing. Every putt i play bar none is a spot putt. It seems i naturally try and find a spot to aim at about one third of the total distance. Find something that works for you and stick with it. Sometimes i must admit that spot putting on perfectly prepared greens can get difficult.

I know a lot of guys who do this, and it works well for them. I however, only do this when it's a putt with a fair amount of break. In that case, I like to pick the spot i want to hit it to and let it break from there. On most normal putts, I just try to get the right speed for the distance and don't usually pick a spot, I just pick left edge, right edge, 1 cup high, etc. . I will pick a spot on chips though.

It depends on the putt. I start by looking at the hole and which way it leans, then read the putt backwards from there. On longer putts with little break, I pick out a spot(e.g. 4 inches left of the hole) and create my line from that. On more breaking putts, I use the first method.

As far as I am concerned this is the only way to putt. I do it on full shots as well. I find that I'm 10 times more likely to hit the spot I want to hit far away, if I aim at a spot that's near.

I've heard of stuff like this, but I personally don't use it. Accuracy isn't really the source of my putting woes, it's feel for distance and reading the green. But everyone says putting is such an individual aspect to the game. Being taught something as right is always suspect. So if this works for you, why would one even question it? Now only if I could find a style for me that achieves this...

Personally, I have improved my putting through my putting pre shot routine. I start surveying the green as I approach it, looking for the low points. Then when I get on, I survey it only from behind the ball because I need to keep everything simple with the least amount of swing thoughts in my head. Then I pick where I think the apex will be, point my putter in that direction, and use my putter shaft to line up the aiming line on my ball with it. I'm pretty good at determining speed, so I don't even take any practice putts. People have told me that speed is more important, but I think that line and speed are equally important. Superintendents tend to cut the greens the same speed as the practice greens. So when I warm up, I spend a lot of time on the greens to figure that out so that I don't have to worry too much about it when I am playing. I just wish I could straighten out my driver.

I usually spot putt on long lag putts with a lot of break in them

I usually check the green as I approach it, reading the big movements. I have recently taken to trying to get a look from behind the hole as well as behind the ball, walking around to the ball along the low side of the hole to try to decipher how much break is in the putt. Once I get behind the ball, I line the putt as if I'm putting to a spot along the same line as my start line, depending on break. I pick a spot about a foot in front of the ball and try to start it on that line. Then, I go and putt the other two times...

I don't use spot just for direction. I use it for distance as well. If it's uphill left to right, I'll choose a spot beyond the hole on left side and putt to that spot. Once I choose a spot, I don't have to worry about uphill, downhill or breaks. I just pretend that it's a flat surface. Works well.

I find a spot on the line (sometimes it's just a distinct blade of grass) that is close enough for me to be able to see it while looking at my putter at address. This lets me take my stance and focus on lining up the putter with the spot while keeping my head down and over the ball. I find using this approach that most of the puts I miss are due to misjudging speed and misreading the break, not my aim.

are all methods that produce different results based on indvidual skill and comfort. A few years back I was asking a friend of mine (one who played DI golf in college) for some putting advice and he gave me a lot of different drills to try. During the course of our many discussions he asked me what I see when I get behind my ball to line up a putt...and I said "I see a visible line on the green".

He was blown away and said that there are two basic types of putters in the game of golf "linear and non-linear putters". It has little to do with the stroke and more to do with the way the brain processes the visual inputs the eyes see. When you hear Tiger talking about putting to the picture he's saying that he sees a distinct line on the green and he's putting to match that mental image. Some believe that had Nicklaus been able to process things the same way he'd likely have won twice as many tournaments because he already had a very good putting stroke and the minds input of visual data could have been the cause of several of his losses.

In my case its easy to see the line every time, unfortunately the speed and the other variables that come into play give me fits. I spend no time reading the putter or practicing how to read the break of a putt and spend all of my time judging the speed. Unfortunately my touch with the putter leaves something to be desired otherwise I would be making a lot more one putts and a lot fewer two putts.

Glad to hear that picking a spot works for you. Different strokes for different folks.

I can see the line as well. I didn't develop it until I put in at least 100 hours of putting practice this summer. I at first thought it was just mowing marks that I could see the distinct color difference, but now after seeing it on all lines of putt, it was really cool. I thought I was crazy and just the only one.........darn. Just out of curiosity , what color are you seeing of "the line" supertiger..... mine is more of a darker green then the surrounding areas.

The same color as you. In fact I don't think it's really a color difference but the mind telling the eyes or vice versa that how the terrain breaks between you and the hole. Similar to folding a sheet of white paper at a 45* angle. The crease in the paper isn't a different color but the mind processes the inputs to make it darker or lighter than the surrounding sections of paper.

It's a cool thing to have and it really pisses my golf buddies off because I usually step up to my ball without lining it up to a spot and simply stroke the putt. I also makes them a little mad when I read their putt completely different than they see it and I am right.

Great post! Trust the line and the spot that counts is the Cup!