Watson's Shortcuts : How to set your putting alignment - Brief Article

Golf Digest, Dec, 2000 by Tom Watson, Nick Seitz

If you think you should be making more putts (and who doesn't?), be sure you're paying enough attention to your practice strokes. Here's a key I rely on for consistency.

Aim parallel for practice strokes

Once I've determined the break, I make my practice strokes a few inches to the side of the ball, lining up parallel to my intended line with my feet, hips and shoulders. The clubface aims down this "parallel left" line. Now I can simply move straight into the ball with the same body and clubface orientation I used for my practice strokes, no adjustments required.

The photo shows a right-to-left putt and the parallel line of my practice stroke. If you have a putt you've read to break six inches to the left like this one, line up your practice stroke six inches left of that. Then as you step in for the real stroke, keep everything the same as it was for your practice stroke.

Most important, don't change your mind over the ball. Just think about making solid contact.