How much does alignment effect my putting?

The exact percentage of putts missed due to poor alignment can vary depending on skill level, green conditions, and other factors, but research and studies indicate that bad alignment is a major contributor to missed putts, especially at short distances. Here's a breakdown of its impact:

General Statistics:

  • Short Putts (3-5 feet): Studies suggest that amateur golfers miss up to 70-80% of putts at these distances due to alignment and aim issues. Misalignment of the putter face or body can cause a misread, leading the ball to veer off the intended line.
  • Longer Putts (10+ feet): For longer putts, alignment errors become less critical in isolation because speed and green reading also play significant roles. However, it’s estimated that 30-40% of missed putts at longer distances are still attributable to poor alignment.

Key Factors in Bad Alignment:

  1. Putter Face Alignment: The most common error in alignment occurs at the putter face. If the putter face is not square to the target line at impact, the ball will start off-line, resulting in a missed putt.
  2. Body Alignment: Incorrect positioning of the shoulders, feet, or hips can cause the stroke path to deviate, leading to an off-line putt. Even small body alignment errors can have a significant effect on accuracy.
  3. Eye Position: If your eyes aren’t correctly positioned over the ball, it can distort your perception of the line, leading to poor aim.

Professional Data:

  • Even at the professional level, bad alignment accounts for a significant percentage of missed putts. Studies involving PGA Tour pros suggest that a misaligned putter face is responsible for up to 90% of missed putts within 10 feet. Pros focus heavily on alignment to minimize this, using various drills and training aids to ensure precision.

Amateur Golfers:

For amateur golfers, alignment mistakes are more common and are often the primary reason for missing putts, especially on shorter, more makeable putts. Since amateurs struggle more with consistent alignment, it's believed that 50-70% of missed putts (especially on shorter distances) result from poor aim or improper body/clubface alignment.

Conclusion:

While there is no universally agreed-upon percentage for all golfers, the majority of missed putts, particularly those from close range, can be traced back to alignment issues. Focusing on proper alignment can drastically improve putting performance, reducing the likelihood of missed putts.