Golf Putting Training With Lasers - Do's and Don'ts For Laser Training and Fitting Devices

Lasers can help golf putter fitting and training if used correctly.

Golf putting training laser devices are available in two types:

1) Spot Beam Laser Systems

Spot beam laser systems have two drawbacks: a) they output a "Spot" beam which produces a limited amount of information and b) they are difficult to mount accurately since they clamp onto the putter shaft or are fastened to the putter face with some kind of bracket.

Spot beam laser systems,if mounted accurately, only indicate where the face is pointing. They must have a clear path towards the target so this means the putter can not be set up with a golf ball at address unless they are mounted higher than the top of the ball. And, then there is no indication on the golf ball that it is in the proper location. Plus, they don't give any fitting information relative to lie angle.

Accurate mounting of spot beam laser systems is difficult. The shaft mounted types are very difficult to align correctly and consistently. The face mounted types are inconvenient and can produce errors due to putter face loft. Recent studies have shown that a putter with a face loft of four degrees can have a directional error of approximately one and one-half inches at a ten foot distance if the heel or toe of the putter is raised as little as five degrees from flat.

2) Fan Beam Laser Systems

Fan beam laser systems can be used for putting training and putter fitting. Fan beam laser systems, if mounted accurately, produce directional and lie angle setup information. They produce a horizontal and vertical beam line using special optic lenses. They will go over a golf ball and still produce a line on the ground toward the target. If aimed at a vertical surface the vertical line will indicate if the putter is properly positioned at address and during the stroke.

Accurate mounting of fan beam laser systems can be assured through use of a precision machined mounting block that mounts with a tongue and groove system to the top rear of the putter head. This is most effectively down with mallet head putters. The precision machined groove in the top of the putter head assures correct vertical and horizontal alignment and is not affected by putter face loft issues.

If the fan beam laser system includes a remote on/off switch for easy temporary mounting on the putter shaft/grip then it can be a great visual alignment training aid. It will allow the golfer to setup with the laser off and then once they believe they are accurately aligned they may turn the laser on. This will show them where they are actually aligned versus where they think they are aligned. It is not uncommon for a golfer to be off by one-half inch or more on a ten foot putt. Most golfers have visual alignment issues due to dominant eye, astigmatism or other physiological vision issues. This On/Off laser putting training method can help a golfer identify such issues and retrain themselves to correctly align their putters at setup.

John "Sandy" Reese is the founder of Golf Lab and the inventor of the REESO Putter. It has been designed to precision mount the REESO Laser Fitting and Training Module (LFTM). The LFTM uses a Fan Beam Laser with a remote On/Off unit.

You may also see a brief video and read about the features and benefits of the new REESO Laser Fitting and Training Module (LFTM) here See The Laser Fitting and Training Module

Golf Lab (REESO Putters) offers a color illustrated Free Report for putting improvement entitled "Stop Missing Short Putts". Filled with up to date putting improvement tips and drills, it is a must read. To receive your free copy that you can read online or print out go here Free Putting Report