Directional Aid On Ball

[Ronald Montesano]

http://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2016/02/14/phil-mickelson-golf-ball-black-mark.html


Phil says that USGA says that manufacturers cannot provide a directional aid/cheater line. However, it's ok for players to add one? Is this the most ludicrous thing ever? Is it even true? USGA guys/gals, what's your take?

[Richard Hetzel]

http://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2016/02/14/phil-mickelson-golf-ball-black-mark.html


Phil says that USGA says that manufacturers cannot provide a directional aid/cheater line. However, it's ok for players to add one? Is this the most ludicrous thing ever? Is it even true? USGA guys/gals, what's your take?

Pretty stupid rule. You still have to putt it into the hole. Callaway is selling these, are they legal?

[Michael Graham]

http://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2016/02/14/phil-mickelson-golf-ball-black-mark.html


Phil says that USGA says that manufacturers cannot provide a directional aid/cheater line. However, it's ok for players to add one? Is this the most ludicrous thing ever? Is it even true? USGA guys/gals, what's your take?

Pretty stupid rule. You still have to putt it into the hole. Callaway is selling these, are they legal?

They're definitely tournament legal. The 2nd most successful golfer in The Open Championship recently put them in play.

[BCrosby]

Dave Schmidt banged this drum back in the day. I agree with him that directional lines on a ball should be banned, whether provided by the manufacturer or drawn by the player.


A rule like that will need a definition of what is a conforming logo on a ball. So be it.


Bob 

[Bill_McBride]

What would you call the line with arrows at both ends on a Pro V1?   When I fooled around with bothering to line up putts I would use that line.  Is it not a cheater line?

[Thomas Dai]

I read about this a while back and recall something about alignment lines on a ball being not allowed if the line goes all the way around the ball, which I imagine is why manufacturers only put a short line on the ball (which some players then extend with a marker pen).


Guessing a bit here but perhaps there is seen to be a difference between a 'permanent' line, as put on by the manufacturer, and a pen line put on by a player, which is perhaps deemed as 'non-permanent'.


Atb

[Pete_Pittock]

Here is the 47 page 'cheaterline' thread, which I believe never discussed golf course architecture
ttp://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,29286.msg858769.html#msg858769

[Ronald Montesano]

I agree, Pete. I thought about writing OT in the thread title, but figured, why? I like and respect the guys on this site and imagined I'd get an answer before Ran pulled the thread.

[Pete Blaisdell]

   If Phil said that, he is mistaken. There is no such restriction on manufacturers. I" ve stated on this site more than once that so called cheater lines giving a player an edge have no effect on making putts. If you believe it does, it's in your mind looking for an advantage.Practice , ability to read greens, knowing what effect different grasses have on a rolling ball, steady nerves and confidence make putts, not a line on a ball.

[archie_struthers]

 




Ban them.   I'm all in !

[Jason Topp]

   If Phil said that, he is mistaken. There is no such restriction on manufacturers. I" ve stated on this site more than once that so called cheater lines giving a player an edge have no effect on making putts. If you believe it does, it's in your mind looking for an advantage.Practice , ability to read greens, knowing what effect different grasses have on a rolling ball, steady nerves and confidence make putts, not a line on a ball.

Pete - is there research that backs up that view?  I have generally found the lines more distracting than helpful but it seems that a lot of professionals use them.

[Pete Blaisdell]

Jason, There is no official research but I made a post not long after I joined GCA that my optometrist , Vince McMahon , a golfer of many moons and with over 40 years in the business told me his opinions on so called cheater lines and unless we humans have the same visual acuity  of a red tail hawk, cheater lines do nothing to improve a players chance to make a putt. I'll go with Vince on this one.

[Kalen Braley]

Jason, There is no official research but I made a post not long after I joined GCA that my optometrist , Vince McMahon , a golfer of many moons and with over 40 years in the business told me his opinions on so called cheater lines and unless we humans have the same visual acuity  of a red tail hawk, cheater lines do nothing to improve a players chance to make a putt. I'll go with Vince on this one.

Pete,

That's an interesting post.  It would be interesting to do a study on that...something like 100 players making 10 putts each.  One time with the cheater line, the other time without...and then see if there are any differences.

P.S.  I thought Vince McMahon was that WWE guy!! 

[Josh Tarble]

I knew that GCA would know far more than Phil and Callaway on this issue! 

[John Connolly]

Kills pace of play. Guilty here as well.

[David_Tepper]

Can anyone cite the actual rule against manufacturers stamping a directional aid or mark on the golf balls they produce? I took a quick look at the rules and could find no mention of this.

[Sean_A]

Can anyone cite the actual rule against manufacturers stamping a directional aid or mark on the golf balls they produce? I took a quick look at the rules and could find no mention of this.

There is no rule, the manufacturer can place a cheater line on the ball...see USGA decisions. There is some debate (stupid debate of you ask me  ), that the golfer can't place a cheater line on the ball, but the manufacturer can.  I never bothered to look into that bit of insanity for obvious reasons. 

Bottom line, so far as I can make out, for 90 years the rule was quite obvious, the green cannot be marked to indicate the line of a putt. 

R&A 1899 rules

20.  "When the ball is on the putting-green, no mark shall be placed, nor line drawn as a guide. The line of the putt may be pointed out by the players caddie, his partner, or his partner’s caddie, but the person doing so must not touch the ground."

This rule makes no mention of marking a ball prior to play.  Who marks their ball with a line once it is on the green?  I also believe that by the context of the rule that it is the putting surface which is in question...not the ball. For some wild reason, the USGA didn't continue using that sort of language from 1988 and instead used

"Any mark placed during the play of a hole by the player or with his knowledge to indicate the line shall be removed before the stroke is played."

There is no question the context of the putting surface is not included...I think by mistake because the decisions do not uphold this wording of the rule.

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

Sean A. -

If I understand you correctly, you would agree with me that Phil Mickelson's contention that he had to cover up the imprinted mark on his ball because it broke a UGSA rule is incorrect. Am I right about that?

The rule he claims exists does not exist.

DT

[Sean_A]

David


http://www.barryrhodes.com/2009/11/revised-decisions-on-rules-of-golf.html


Fact is, in a Decision to Rule 20-3 - which covers placing and replacing the golf ball - the governing bodies specifically say that an alignment line drawn on the golf ball is OK. It's Decision 20-3a/2, and here is what it says:20-3a/2 Using Line on Ball for Alignment
Q.May a player draw a line on his ball and, when replacing his ball, position the ball so that the line or the trademark on the ball is aimed to indicate the line of play?
A.Yes.


Ciao

[David_Tepper]

Sean A. -

Thanks for the clarification. There appears to be nothing in the rules regarding what a manufacturer can and cannot imprint on a ball. If this is the case, appears Mickelson's explanation was nonsense. Agreed?

DT

P.S. A lot of Mickelson's "pronouncements" are best taken with a large grain of salt.    

[Pete_Pittock]

Fil's missed 5 foot putt on the 72nd hole to tie, might have a bearing

[David_Tepper]

Fil's missed 5 foot putt on the 72nd hole to tie, might have a bearing

Pete P. -

I suspect it had the same bearing on the 13-footer he made for birdie on #17.

DT

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

The cheater line wasn't the kiss of death....it was the stat they put up on TV just before he missed it..

Phil had been 23/23 for putts of 5 foot of less for the entire tournament.  Even 23/24 is a damn fine %.

[Mark Smolens]

Pete,

The cheater line wasn't the kiss of death....it was the stat they put up on TV just before he missed it..

Phil had been 23/23 for putts of 5 foot of less for the entire tournament.  Even 23/24 is a damn fine %.

+1. I thought it was funny that Nance and Faldo didn't say anything about it when that stat came up. Guess they didn't want to be accused of putting the announcer mojo on Phil. As great as his putt on 17 was, pretty weak effort for the tie.

[Richard Hetzel]

Pete,

The cheater line wasn't the kiss of death....it was the stat they put up on TV just before he missed it..

Phil had been 23/23 for putts of 5 foot of less for the entire tournament.  Even 23/24 is a damn fine %.

As soon as they said that, I KNEW he would jack that putt. HA He has enough coin anyway, let Vaughn get a much needed win and some more time on the tour.