Eyes Focused on the Ball..(Changed -06/11/2023)


 

This is one of the main keys to playing very good golf.

Keeping your eyes focused on the back portion of the golf ball from the moment you begin the back swing, right up to the precise moment the club head strikes the ball is one of the fundamental principles to playing very good golf.

But more importantly, you must keep your eyes focused on the spot that the ball was resting until well after the ball has been struck -- until the momentum of the golf swing forces the head to rotate away from the frontal facing position.

 

**** You will probably dispute this, but if you are a mid to high handicapped golfer I am fairly confident that you do not actually see the club head strike the ball --- you probable keep your eyes focused on the ball for most of the down swing movement but like most amateur golfers, your eyes begin to look towards the target a split fraction of a second before the club head actually makes contact with the ball.

It is that split fraction of a second that makes the big difference between a poor golfer and very good golfer. ****

 

Do not take my word for it, watch the ball for that extra split fraction of a second so that you actually see the club head strike the ball and keep looking at the spot that the ball was before it was struck for a milli-second longer--- and see the difference.


Therefore the length of time that you focus on the back portion of the golf ball whilst playing the golf shot is very important.

Basically the longer you can maintain the focus on the back edge of the golf ball before you strike the ball, the better the quality of the shot in both the strike action and the direction of the shot.

But importantly, also holding your focus on the spot that the ball was resting, after the ball has been struck is absolutely vital to striking the ball well.


Perception of the Golf Ball.

Speaking from experience I can assure you that there is a difference between simply just looking at the golf ball -- as opposed to keeping your eyes fully focused on a particular point on the back portion of the golf ball as the club head swings into the contact area.

You do not believe me?? -- carry out the following test.

 

Take your normal stance and address the ball and absorb what you see.

You will notice that as you look at the ball you are basically staring at an image that includes an area of grass that the ball is resting on - you are not focusing on any particular point on the golf ball.

 

Now pick up the golf ball and hold it so that you can read the manufacturer`s name - and whilst continuing to read the name on the ball, bend over and place it back on the ground/tee peg with the manufacture`s name in a position where the club head would make contact with the ball. -- Then whilst focusing solely on the manufacturer`s name on the ball, gradually raise your body until you are back to the normal address position.

You will instantly notice that by concentrating solely on the manufacturer`s name on the back edge of the golf ball, you are unaware of the grass around the golf ball.

You are actually focusing the eyes exclusively on a particular spot on the golf ball.

By focusing your eyes on the ball in this way, it clearly demonstrates how vague your perception of the golf ball may have been before you carried out this exercise. ( Top Golfers focus on a dimple on the ball)


 

I cannot stress too strongly how important it is to maintain your focus on the back edge of the golf ball until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball and then continue to focus on the spot where the ball was resting, until well after the ball has been struck in order to achieve a very good contact of the ball, but also to achieve accuracy of the golf shot.

This action will ensure that the head is held in the correct position until after the ball has been struck.


 

To enable you to understand what happens when you watch the ball until the club head strikes the ball, try out this test.

Address the ball with a golf club as normal but focus your eyes intensely on the manufacture's name on the golf ball.

Whilst keeping your eyes fixed on the manufacture's name on the golf ball, get someone to flick the ball away (Do not allow your eyes to follow the ball but keep looking at the spot the ball was resting.)



You will notice that as long as you hold your focus on the spot that the ball was resting, a black image of the ball can be seen on the ground, an image which is only visible for a milli-second after the ball has been struck.

( You need to look very closely at the ground with intensity where the ball was resting before it was flicked away in order to see the black image after the ball is moved because the black image very quickly fades.)

Therefore when playing golf, try to see the black image after every shot.


The mid to lower handicap golfers focus on the back edge of the golf ball and also watch the golf ball a little bit longer than the average golfer, almost until the club head is just about to make contact with the ball.

However the top professional and top amateur golfers actually watch the back edge of the golf ball until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball and continue to focus on the spot on the ground after the ball has been struck - with practically every shot.

However it is on the odd occasion when the top players do not watch the ball until the club head strikes the ball that inevitably results in a poor shot.



Imagine trying hit a nail into a piece of wood without actually focusing on the head of the nail until the precise moment the hammer head hit the nail.
Without a shadow of doubt you would miss- hit the nail.

This is why you must watch the ball right up to the precise moment the club head strikes it.


So my analysis is that the longer you are able to maintain your focus on the back edge of the golf ball before the club head strikes the ball, the better golfer you will become.

Perform this action with every shot and your golfing skills will move to a much higher level.


Therefore be it on the tee, the fairway or the rough, it is absolutely vital that as you address the ball you must focus your eyes on the back edge of the golf ball.

For example, from the moment you begin the back swing you must focus your eyes on the back edge of the golf ball, but you must continue to hold this focus on the back edge of the golf ball throughout the back swing movement and the down swing movement - right up until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball.

( If you want to understand what I mean by watching the ball until the club head strikes the ball -- If you hold a very sharp sewing needle in your left hand and then tried to physically touch the tip of the needle with the index finger of the right hand, you will note that to avoid being pricked by the needle you have to watch the tip of the needle very carefully so that you literally see the tip of the finger of the right hand actually touch the tip of the needle - this is how intensely you must watch the back edge of the golf ball, i,e until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball.)


This is the number one priority that all golfers should adhere too and I cannot stress too strongly how much this basic principle contributes to playing very good golf.


Unfortunately not enough attention is given by the top golf instructors in order to teach this very basic principle of the golf swing - in fact I have never heard a top class golfing instructor or a top class golfer mention how important this basic principle contributes to playing very good golf.

These people assume that everybody is aware that you had to watch the ball with such intensity.


Therefore if you wish to play better golf you must teach yourself to actually watch the ball until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball and then after the ball has been struck, hold the focus on the spot where the ball was resting for that extra mill-second so that you actually see the ball moving away from its resting position.

Even as you practice this action you will forget it from time to time, but if you can teach yourself to perform this action on every shot, I can assure you that you will see a dramatic improvement in the accuracy of the golf shots.


At first you will find it very difficult to hold the focus of the eyes fully on the back edge of the golf ball until the club head actually makes contact with the ball on every shot.

In addition, you will also find that at first it is almost impossible to keep the focus of your eyes on the ball until the precise moment the golf ball actually moves away from its resting spot.

However by constantly reminding yourself of this action and then seeing the results of this action, you will accept the significance of the action and it will begin to enter the long term memory.

So practice, practice and practice this action, and in time you will never forget carry out this basic fundamental principle.


Top class golfers have a natural ability to focus intensely on the back of the golf ball as they swing the club head into and through the contact area.

( When a top golfer says that he is striking the ball well, they may not realise why they are striking the ball well, but what it actually means is that they have maintained their intense concentration on the back of the ball for practically every shot that they made during the round.)


Therefore when you have your next practice session, experiment as follows:-

Make a red round spot on the golf ball and place the ball on the tee so that the mark on the back section of the ball and is just visible as you address the ball. -- Fix your eyes on this mark and keep your eyes fully focused on this mark as you make a back swing and the down swing movement.

Continue to keep the eyes fully focused on this precise mark until the club head makes contact with the ball, but importantly hold the focus on the golf ball for that extra millisecond so that you actually see the golf ball move away from its resting position.

(You can compare the using a club head to strike a golf ball with the action of using a hammer to drive a nail into a piece of wood. You do not look at the hammer head when trying to hit a nail -- you watch the head of the nail very carefully until the precise moment the hammer head strikes the nail.)


Self Teaching Method.

You can begin to teach yourself to watch the club head strike the ball on the practice putting green.

On the putting green, focus your eyes on the back of the ball and as you return the putter face to the ball, concentrate on literally seeing the precise moment when the putter touches the ball.
But importantly keep this focus on the ball until the ball actually begins to move.

This is an action that is easily said than done, simply because as I mentioned earlier, your mind rushes ahead and the eyes begin to track the line of the ball even before it has been touched - however with concentration it can be done.

Therefore always begin your practice sessions on the putting green with this "watch the club head touch the ball" practice routine - this will encourage this action to enter your long term memory.

 

Expand this method to the chipping area and again force yourself to watch the back edge of the golf ball until the club head actually makes contact with the ball and then hold the focus so that you literally see the golf ball move away from the resting position.

When you perform this action correctly, you will notice how crisply you strike the ball, but even more importantly, how accurately you strike the ball.


Many golfers are able to hit the ball off the tee with no particular problem. However when it comes to the second or third shot to the green, they often miss-hit the shot.

The reason for this is that their concentration is at its highest level on the tee and therefore the golfer is totally focused on the ball.

However when it comes to playing the ball off the fairway or from the rough, the golfer does not take enough care to fully focus on the back edge of the golf ball as the club head swings into and the contact area.

So if you experience this problem, tighten up your concentration when playing from the fairway or the rough.


If you carry out a golf swing whilst focusing on a back section of the ball or the dimples of the golf ball on the back edge of the ball, you will immediately notice a dramatic improvement in the strike of the golf ball.

At first you will find it very difficult to maintain the focus on the back section of the golf ball until you actually see the ball move away from its resting position, but persevere and you will eventually reap the benefit of your efforts.

Do not simply take my word that this basic principle will dramatically improve the quality of your striking action - try it for yourself.


Putting.

The same applies when you are putting --- After you have lifted the ball in order to clean it, replace the ball and fully focus your eyes on the very back edge of the golf ball where the putter head will make contact -- but importantly you must focus your eyes on this very back edge of the golf ball and actually see the putter head make contact with the ball.

Importantly, as the putter makes contact with the ball, do not allow the eyes to follow the movement of the ball, you must continue to focus on the spot that the ball was standing and keep your head in the original address position with a "pin point accuracy" and swing the putter through the contact area.

If you can maintain the focus on the ball whilst performing the mechanical action of the putting stroke, you will begin to notice that the ball rolls on the exact line that you intend, but beware, you must not allow the eyes to follow the ball and also do not allow the head to move with a lateral motion.

This principle of actually seeing the club head strike the ball is equally important when you the chip shot.


Clearly defining the focusing of the eyes on a particular spot on the back of the golf ball and maintaining this focus as the club head swings into the contact area is one of the major keys to playing very good golf, so make this aspect of the golf swing a priority.


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