Start Your Putts Online with the Ball and String Drill

The ball and string drill is a simple way to train one of the most important skills in putting: starting the ball on your intended line. If your putt begins offline, it does not matter how well you read the green or how good your speed is. This drill gives you immediate visual feedback by placing a straight reference directly above the ball’s path. That makes it easier to see whether you are delivering the putter squarely enough to send the ball where you intend. It is also an excellent maintenance drill when you want to check your start line without overcomplicating your practice.

How the Drill Works

To set up the drill, place a piece of string low to the ground between two anchors. You can use 8-inch hook screws, crochet needles, or any similar object that can hold the string in place. The goal is to create a clear, straight visual line that runs just above the golf ball.

Once the string is set, position a ball directly underneath it so the string appears to sit right over the ball’s equator or alignment line. From there, make your normal putting setup and roll putts while trying to keep the ball traveling directly under the string.

The beauty of this drill is that it isolates the start line. You do not even need a hole at first. In fact, practicing without one can be helpful because it keeps your attention on the quality of the roll rather than the result. If you do want to use a hole, simply aim the string on the line where you want the ball to begin. On breaking putts, that can also help you train your green reading, because you can watch the ball start on the intended line and then curve naturally as the slope takes over.

For best results, begin on a straight putt. That gives you the clearest feedback. Once you get comfortable, you can use the same setup on a breaking putt and simply judge whether the ball stayed under the string for the first few feet.

Step-by-Step

Set the string on a straight line. Anchor a piece of string between two points so it runs low and taut above the green.
Place the ball directly under the string. The string should visually bisect the ball or sit right above its alignment line.
Choose a short putt first. Start with a straight putt of a few feet so you can clearly evaluate whether the ball begins online.
Take your normal setup. Do not force a special stroke just because you are doing a drill. The goal is to test and improve your real putting motion.
Roll the ball under the string. Focus on sending the ball straight enough that it tracks beneath the string immediately after impact.
Watch the first few feet. That is the key zone. If the ball starts under the string, your start line is doing its job.
Repeat and adjust. If the ball launches left or right of the string, check your face alignment, strike, and motion through impact.
Progress to breaking putts. Once you are consistent on straight putts, aim the string on your intended start line and observe how the ball begins on that line before the break moves it.

What You Should Feel

This drill should give you a sense of clarity. You are not guessing whether the ball started online. You can see it. That visual feedback helps you connect the feel of a good stroke with the actual result.

As you do it well, you should notice a few key sensations and checkpoints:

A stable putter face through impact rather than a last-second flip or twist.
A centered strike that sends the ball rolling cleanly instead of wobbling off the face.
A neutral, connected motion where your arms and body work together, not a handsy jab at the ball.
Immediate start-line feedback as the ball tracks under the string in the first few feet.
Less concern about the hole and more attention on the quality of the roll.

If the ball starts under the string consistently, you can be confident that your mechanics are supporting a reliable launch direction. That is exactly what you want from a putting drill.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Setting the string on a poor line. If the string is not truly aimed where you want the ball to start, the drill loses its value.
Practicing only to the hole. When you become too result-oriented, you may ignore whether the ball actually began on line.
Using too much break too soon. Start on a straight putt so you can judge the start line clearly before adding slope.
Changing your setup just for the drill. Keep your normal posture, ball position, and routine so the feedback applies to your real putting.
Watching only the finish. The first few feet matter most. A putt can end near the target even if it started poorly.
Ignoring face control. Most start-line errors come from the putter face, so pay close attention to how square the face is at impact.
Doing too many reps mindlessly. Use the drill as a check on quality, not just a way to hit ball after ball without reflection.

How This Fits Your Swing

Although this is a putting drill, it fits into the bigger picture the same way every good golf drill does: it trains control at impact. In the full swing, you care about face angle, path, strike, and start direction. Putting is no different. The scale is smaller, but the principles are the same.

Starting putts online is one of the foundations of scoring. If you can launch the ball where you intend, then your job becomes much simpler: read the green correctly and control your pace. Without a dependable start line, even great reads and good speed get wasted.

This is why the ball and string drill works so well as a maintenance drill. You do not need to live on it every day, but it is a great tool to revisit when you want to make sure your setup and stroke are still producing a true roll. It also pairs nicely with other putting work that improves connection and release, because those pieces all contribute to a putter face that behaves predictably through impact.

Use this drill to build trust in your start line. Once that piece is in place, putting becomes much more straightforward. You can stand over the ball knowing that if you choose the right line and speed, the stroke is capable of sending the ball there.