"Line M Up" Ball Alignment System
As most golfers know, we lose and use more strokes on the green than on any other part of the course. Why do you think every course seems to have a practice putting green? So this month we decided to review a couple of products that hopefully will reduce the number of putts it takes to get that stupid ball in the hole. We decided to focus on the various ball alignment Systems that are available.
What is a ball alignment system you may ask? Well in the case of the "Line M Up" device from Green Keepers, Inc., it is a plastic stencil that fits around any golf ball, allowing the user to mark their balls with a centerline. This centerline helps golfers align their putts and also tells them whether or not they are striking the ball square when they are putting.

Balanced or un-balanced who gives a crap.
I do, now. After a little research I’ve learned surprisingly that golf ball manufacturers have not been able to produce a balanced ball yet. What this means in essence is that the ball has a tendency to wobble or veer in the direction of most mass. In a way it’s putting an unbalanced ball is like kicking a hamster ball. Unless the hamster is centered over the balls equator, the ball won’t roll straight towards the intended target (swimming pool). It will favor whichever side of the balls equator has the most hamster mass. The same is true with golf balls to a certain extent.

8 –ft challenge
To get a fair comparison of the different marking systems available, USGolfer.net took 3 new golf balls of the same make and model and marked two of them, one using the Line M up device and one using the check-GO device. We then took 10 consecutive 8-foot putts with an unmarked ball, the Line M up ball, and the Check-GO ball. The results were as follows:
The unmarked ball went in the cup on 6 out of 10 tries
The Line M up ball was more successful with an 8 out of 10 hole out rate.
The clear winner was the check-GO ball with an astonishing 10 out of 10 rating.
Here’s what we think.

The Good
At $7.99 (MSRP $10.00) this product is within any golfer’s budget.
Line really helps with aligning putts and tee shots
Thumb tabs for easy ball removal
Retaining tabs snap and hold onto ball to allow easy marking
Ridges for self-centering the ball including larger "Magna" balls
The underside of the slot is designed not to touch the ball surface, which prevents possible smearing
Slot extends more than 180 degrees around the ball, which makes marking the balls quick and easy
This product is small enough to put in a golf bag so a player can mark his balls right on the course or at the proshop.

The Bad
It’s just a piece of plastic and a Marker, $8.00 seems a little steep.
The marker tip is much smaller than the allotted slot allowing for non-straight lines to be drawn.
As discovered in the comparison, this marking system does not account for fact the golf balls are unbalanced. Unless a ball is luckily marked along the equator of equal mass, the ball will always favor the left or right.

The God’s Honest Truth
Overall this is a great, affordable tool that can really help golfers with their short game. It is by no means perfect, but for $8.00 it’s a good start. Yes the manufacturers are probably making a killing, at $8.00 a pop for a piece of plastic and a tiny marker, but most other systems are at least that much.

Ratings info:
0> Total waste of time and money
1> May be beneficial but like moped, it’s fun until you’re friends see you use it.
2> Average benefit for most golfers
3> Pretty Good product, if you have extra money, it’s worth it
4> Buy it now, before the company catches on and raises it’s price


Ratings

Fun Factor
2 out of 4
Ooooooooh, fun with markers, Yeah!

Value Factor
3 out of 4
$8.00 is fairly cheap but then again so is a plastic molded piece and marker

Golf Benefit
3 out of 4
At the very least you will get feedback on how well you actually putt the ball.

Fun Factor	Value Factor	Golf Benefit
2 out of 4	2 out of 4	3 out of 4