Dominate eye putting

[zaphod]

Today I tried making sure my dominate eye (right handed and right eye) was facing the sight line as I got over a putt. Suddenly I am truly confident about the line I see and the putter line up is right. NOW if I could only read the break.

Anyone else with similar experience? Have transferred this thought to full swings also and this seems to also help.

As I think about this the notion I am seeing the line differently when I am over the putt than behind it. Believe I may be pushing or pulling putts because of this and then blaming misread of break, alignment etc. Since I'm right handed I'm going to try opening my putting stance a bit and strengthening my grip to compensate. Hopefully this will allow my right eye to get a good view.

Comments???

 

[Sandpiper3]

As I think about this the notion I am seeing the line differently when I am over the putt than behind it.

This is true if your only looking out of your right eye. You can trust me on this fact... Everything you look at over the ball will look like your aimed to the left more than you actually are, trust what you read behind the ball and line it up from there.

(you can believe this because i cant see out of my left eye)

 

[Farquod]

I read the break with both eyes

(is there any other way? Binocular vision rules) then I close my left eye (right eye dominant) to align my logo on the ball with my line, check the line again from behind the ball with both eyes to make sure the ball is aimed correctly, then step up over the ball to putt and think nothing but speed. Once my line is chosen, I'm committed to it, and I don't think about it again.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Seems strange to me, but I have seen many people do strange things while putting, and putt well. Myself included. Although I am fortunately left eye dominant and putt Right Handed, so that is naturally how I stand over a putt.

I have always found it is more important to read the putt with my dominant eye though. Which may account for part of your issue if you consistently miss to one side, and in time over correcting.

Personally, when I am over the putt the only time I view the target line is when I turn my head to do so. Once I line up the putter head, I never look at the line again and move on to only concentrating on the cup and the speed it will take it to get there. I look only at the ball when my head is down and simply concentrate on hitting it on the sweet spot of the putter at the speed I have predicted.

 

[Andy299]

I am a dreadfully bad putter and have a number of problems. I hope the following does not constitute of hijacking the thread. If it does my apologies and please advise.

Part of it is most probably a bad putting stroke, wrong alignment and at times not seeing the break or seeing left to right one when in fact it is the other way. After reading your posts above, I thought you guys may have some clues.

My left eye is ok for long distance, I see clearly without the need for glasses. My right eye however has a blurry long distance vision so I wear glasses. As far as reading and writing is concerned both of my eyes need glasses, though the left eye here needs the stronger one too. Does this all mean I am left eye dominant?

I generally play without glasses. I can putt with them, but can't swing a club with them. Tried contact lens in my right eye but it is irritating my eye more often than not. So I do not always use it. The contact lens seems to help me with distance perception for longer shots but can't see the benefits on the green.

If I can see the break, I can putt quite well from 6 to 15 feet from the hole and my long distance putting is ok for line but not distance. However, my short distance putting can be terribly bad. I can miss one foot putts, in fact sometimes I miss shorter ones. Not making the long putts can easily result in three or four putts, completely destroying my good ball striking round. I am often told after the round that I lined up wrong on the missed short putts. It does not appear to be the case with six footers or longer ones though.

Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

PS: I am right handed.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

As far as reading and writing is concerned both of my eyes need glasses, though the left eye here needs the stronger one too. Does this all mean I am left eye dominant?

To tell which is your dominant eye, simple put your thumb and index finger in a circle and look through it at something in the distance. Then close each eye. The one that you still see the object through the circle is your dominant eye.

In putting that is usually the best eye to use for reading breaks and such, as it is how you see the line. If you line up with the other eye, yet logically read the putt with the dominant eye, you will likely miss to one side consistently (the right side for RH that are Right eye dominant). Then in time, you will over correct for this and miss to the other side by pulling the ball.

Although something tells me that because you miss alot of shorter putts, your problem may lie more in your technique. Hard to say where the problem may lie, but if you do not already do so, use a forward press (wrist forward of ball, putting a slight tilt on the shaft). This will lock your wrists and hands and allow you to utilize the shoulders and big muscles for the putt.

Anytime I start missing short ones, I usually am losing the forward press that I really use the most for the shorter putts and almost over emphasize. Usually straightens it right out.

 

[zaphod]

Andy,

Have you tried a belly or long putter. The mid to short distances are where these flat sticks excel. Lag putting generally is their weakness. Another technique is to putt those short ones ala Sam Snead, sidesaddle. Just do not straddle the putting line. Its amazing how clear the line is. If the putt is less than 2 feet another technique is to address the ball and then look at the hole when putting. Can also be effective. If your confidence is shaken it may just take a break from your regular technique to right the ship.

good luck

As for the right eye dominance, for me, the last few rounds I have opened my stance (feet and shoulders) retaining my standard grip. I am seeing my line better and have stopped the trend of missing my putts straight right and judgment of the weight of the putt is still good. Will this trend continue or is this just a honeymoon with a new technique? Time will tell.

 

[Andy299]

Thank you to both of you guys,

Yes I have tried all your suggestions already except how to check
for the dominant eye. Just did and it is clearly the left eye. Thank you.

I tried the belly putter and it was great for three weeks then I took fifty putts, I was completely devastated. The next week I had 48 putts with it. To be honest I can't even look at this putter still to date. I will try again at some time in the future but I have to get my confidence back so I can try to see realistically what it can do. Worked initially so it should work again, but at the moment I am still mental about it.

Have a number of putters and tried all different stances and ball positions. Yes, I use a forward press. My pro, we played in the same group recently, told me that all short putts I missed were the result of walking in to the putt from the side rather than from behind and not the result of a bad stroke. Since then I walk in from behind, but at times I still miss them. All short missed putts are horse shoes and if I am not mistaken all right to left. If you know what I mean.

From a short distance when I line up the putt it looks incorrectly aligned looking from above compared to the way it looks when I look for the line from behind the ball. I have no idea why this is but probably something to do with my eyes. I have tried to trust my line up from behind, but it is awfully difficult. Also tried to trust the look from above, but I can miss with both technique. I do not have this lining up problem when I am six or more feet away from the ball. If I were to make all these putts I would try to leave to ball that far away from the hole all the time, but I do not make enough of them and three putt.

 

[zaphod]

Andy
When I went through a period of putting as you described I used a long putter and went sidesaddle with it for short putts, radical but effective.

Have you tried putting drill where you surround the practice hole with balls at 3 o'clock 6 o'clock etc and tried to make lets say 20 in a row. It's a good way to settle down on one usable technique.

Have not used one but there is an interesting putter trainer out there called the Zen putter which looks like it would work for training on short putts. Is Mallet putter with a hole in center to capture and release the ball.

You also could get Dave Pelz's book the Putter's Bible. I got one but it is a real chore to read 500 pages about the technical aspects of putting. The book needs to come with your favorite caffeinated beverage.

 

[zaphod]

Andy,

I read your reply again and see you are right handed and left eye dominate. Jack Nicklaus has same combo and IMHO one of the greatest putters ever. Look up his putting style on the Internet. Its very stable with right elbow tucked in and left square. Leads to a very smooth stroke.

BTW visiting Australia and New Zealand is a goal of mine. Please hoist a Foster's in our name. G'day Mate

 

[Andy299]

Andy,

I read your reply again and see you are right handed and left eye dominate. Jack Nicklaus has same combo and IMHO one of the greatest putters ever. Look up his putting style on the Internet. Its very stable with right elbow tucked in and left square. Leads to a very smooth stroke.

BTW visiting Australia and New Zealand is a goal of mine. Please hoist a Foster's in our name. G'day Mate

Thank you for the kind thought I shall look into your suggestions. Next time I have a drink I will raise it for you. Cheers! If you do come our way let me know. I would be glad to take you out for a round of golf.

I have read the Pelz book on putting and his short game one too. I practice putting at least three times a week, generally several things in a playful format. Straight ones, long distance lags and around in circles too. It works pretty good on the practice putting green, but there I already know how the balls break in general. Taking that to the course is not quite there yet. Mind you, in the last three month I had my first round with 36 putts. For the past twenty years I could not achieve that. I followed it up with two 35 and a 33 putt round. I thought I was on the right track, but since then I am back to over 40 putts per round.

I will try to get a copy of the Pelz book and read it again.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Andy,

I read your reply again and see you are right handed and left eye dominate. Jack Nicklaus has same combo and IMHO one of the greatest putters ever.

It seems to be a pretty big consensus among pro's and golf instructors that you have a big advantage by having your eye closest to the hole as the one that is dominant. So I have always felt fortunate that I am RH and Left eye dominant. Not sure I could say that is the big reason, but putting has always been the best part of my game.

From most of what I have read, if I were having serious problems with my putting and were right eye dominant, at least trying out a Left handed putter would not be to far out of the question. The Quiet Eye approach (staring at the hole during the putt) is supposed to work for some as well.

edit 1 - ran across this article which seems to give merit to the idea of the original post and explains eye dominance to some degree.
GOLFONLINE - See The Perfect Putt

 

[Greydawg]

Question...

Jayhawk,
I really hope that this doesn't sound too stupid, but here goes.
When you do the test with your fingers are you supposed to use your right hand, if you're a rightie?
I'm serious.
If I use my right hand to look through I'm left eye dominate.
Then vice-versa.

Thanks for the advice!:thumbs up:

 

[Andy299]

Jayhawk,
I really hope that this doesn't sound too stupid, but here goes.
When you do the test with your fingers are you supposed to use your right hand, if you're a rightie?
I'm serious.
If I use my right hand to look through I'm left eye dominate.
Then vice-versa.

Thanks for the advice!:thumbs up:

During my initial try I picked an object far enough away from me, but your question prompted me to re-test that I did the test correctly a few days ago.

I have just tried it again with picking objects to look at from long and short distances from me. If the object is too close then it matters which hand you form the circle with. So, keep picking an object further and further away until only one of your eyes will see it through the circle formed by your fingers. At that point it will no longer matter whether you used your right or left hand. Then you will know which one is the dominant eye.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Jayhawk,
I really hope that this doesn't sound too stupid, but here goes.
When you do the test with your fingers are you supposed to use your right hand, if you're a rightie?
I'm serious.
If I use my right hand to look through I'm left eye dominate.
Then vice-versa.

Thanks for the advice!:thumbs up:

Shouldn't matter as it has to do with your eyes and not your hands, although I further like the link that I found and linked above. Using a toilet paper roll. I just used to shoot rifles competitively from the time I was 11 and found out about eye dominance years later. They gave the example of using the fingers. I never understood why I shot a rifle left handed when I was right handed, and did so with such accuracy. At the age of 11 it just seemed to make more sense and I didn't know why. Once I found out about eye dominance it became much easier to understand. I use the same methodologies while putting as I did while shooting a rifle, all the way down to regulating my breathing. Although when I shot a rifle you would learn to do so in between heartbeats, something I never took to as much depth on a golf course.

Here is the link:
GOLFONLINE - See The Perfect Putt