Equipment
Should you use an alignment aid on your golf ball?
In our forums, our members have been having an interesting discussion over alignment aids on balls. WRXer ‘jjfcpa’ relies on “instinct and feel” on the greens and has struggled whenever he has tried a ball with an alignment aid, saying:
“I’ve tried using an alignment aid but found that it really did not help my results. In fact, just the opposite. The more I relied on aligning the golf ball, the more I felt like I was losing the feel for what the ball was going to do. I felt like it hurt my ability to read greens.
There are times that I feel like I’m just making a pure guess as to what the ball will do on the way to the hole only to be surprised to find that the ball drops in the hole. Happens much too often without using the alignment aid, and when I have used the alignment aid I don’t see any improvement in my putting stats, which I track meticulously.
Anyone else find this to be true for them?”
And our members have been weighing into the discussion with their thoughts.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Wooley12: “Never for me. Actually set any alignment aid on a ball I’m playing be off line. I putt with the number on top. After a couple of practice strokes while looking at a spot right, left or center of the hole that plumb bob indicated, I repeat the stroke as soon a the number comes into focus. Been putting that way for nigh on 30 years. Alan Alda taught me how on TV.”
- Nickb333: “I use it occasionally for practice when my stroke goes off for whatever reason. Never use it when I play.”
- naj595: “The alignment line introduces too much doubt in my mind. If I don’t set up absolutely perfect I will make a tentative-guidey stroke. I feel freed up without the line.”
Entire Thread: “Should everyone use an alignment aid on their ball?”
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
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Russell
Oct 11, 2025 at 11:55 pm
50 years adherence, Side stamp if there, sharpie line if needed
Randy Cooper
Oct 8, 2025 at 7:34 pm
Do the professionals use alignment lines? YES ..virtually all of them! Whatever issues a person might have with “feel”..get over it. If you don’t line up properly, you are probably not going to “feel” it into the hole. That said ..I wouldn’t mind if it was banned.
Mark
Oct 8, 2025 at 3:06 pm
I use the alignment aid on shorter (<5’) putts only.