Putting alignment is the most under-diagnosed putting problem in amateur golf. Research shows that most amateur putters aim 2-4 degrees right of their intended line without knowing it — causing compensations in their stroke that make the problem worse. These 5 drills reveal and fix alignment issues.
Stretch a string between two tees directly over the center of the cup and extending 10 feet back.
Putt with the ball directly under the string. Your ball should track the string to the hole.
Place a mirror on the practice green with a target line drawn on it.
Address your putt looking at the mirror. Your eyes should be directly over the ball — not inside or outside.
Place an alignment rod or yardstick along your intended target line.
Set up to a 6-foot putt using the rod as a reference. Make sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are parallel to it.
Place your hat face-down on the green 20 feet away. Putt at the hat.
Check where you aimed the putter face vs. where the ball went. Often these don't match.
Use a chalk line (construction tool) to snap a perfectly straight line on the practice green.
Putt balls along the chalk line. Any deviation from the line reveals path issues.
"Alignment is not instinctive — it must be checked with external references regularly because our perception of where we're aiming is reliably inaccurate without feedback."
GOATY's body alignment analysis in Live Lesson coaching directly translates to putting setup. The same systematic approach GOATY uses to measure your full swing alignment — feet, hips, shoulders, eyes — applies identically to putting alignment diagnostics.
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