Three alignment lines, and why three beat one
One line tells you where you are aiming. Three tell you whether you are square to it. The centre line does the aiming, and the two shorter lines either side sit 6.5 mm away, so your putter's own sightline fits neatly between them when you set it down behind the ball.
Your eye is very good at judging whether lines are parallel and poor at judging whether a single line points where you think. That is why a set of three is quicker to settle over, and quicker to spot when the set-up is crooked. Three alignment lines on any golf ball goes through the spacing and how to use them.
Three lines on any ball you already play
Some makers sell balls with three lines already on the cover from the factory, which ties you to that ball at that price. The Railway stencil puts the same mark on whatever you play, this season's premium ball or last season's lake balls, in the pen colour you choose.
Set the ball in, draw the three slots, lift it off. A fine permanent marker in the colour you pick comes with it. Made to order and dispatched within 3 days, posted with Royal Mail tracking.
Make it yours
Want your initials beside the lines? Design your own golf ball stencil from £12.99; it starts from these same three lines. Or see the other ready-made designs below.
Questions about the railway stencil
Are three alignment lines better than one on a golf ball?
Three lines make it easier to see whether the putter is square, because the eye judges parallel lines far better than it judges the direction of one line. One line is enough to aim with, and plenty of good putters use nothing more. The three-line set suits golfers who want the set-up checked as well as the aim.
Can I put three lines on a golf ball I already own?
A stencil draws three alignment lines on any regulation ball, so the balls already in your bag get the mark rather than a new box at a new price. The lines sit 6.5 mm apart and in the same place on every ball, which is the part a hand-drawn set never manages.
Is it legal to draw lines on a golf ball?
The Rules of Golf let you put identifying marks and alignment lines on your ball, and the ball stays conforming. Tour players do it every week with a template and a marker pen. The only limit is that you cannot alter the ball itself, and ink does not.
Will the Railway stencil fit my golf ball?
It fits every regulation golf ball: the Rules of Golf set the size at no smaller than 42.67 mm and every maker builds to it. Titleist, Srixon, Callaway, TaylorMade, supermarket balls and lake balls all clip in the same way.
Other ready-made designs
