Have you ever found yourself playing a round of golf, spraying the ball all over the yard, and wondering why? Or I’m sure you’ve often hit shots where swings feel good, your mind is focused on your swing thought, and still you mis-hit a shot or sail one off line. Often the one common denominator between all of these missed shots is your eyes. Eyes are an incredibly important and underrated aspect of a player’s golf game. It’s not enough to simply say “keep your eye on the ball.” We also need to know when and how you are doing that.
WHAT ARE THE EYES RESPONSIBLE FOR?
The eyes are responsible for more than you could ever imagine in a golf swing. Think about a situation in another sport. How often have you seen a wide receiver in a football game drop a ball because they visually lose the ball and, out of self preservation, pick up that safety coming in for a big hit across the middle? That is nearly exactly what happens when your eyes don’t stay focused on a point whether that’s a football coming at you across the middle or a golf ball sitting perfectly still on a tee. A common scenario during a golf swing is eyes moving forward (toward the target) at the start of the downswing. Once that happens, anyone’s natural reaction is your head following. Once your head moves so does your upper body, and when that happens your lower body will stop it’s rotation and stall out. This one moved of your eyes can cause almost any shot you can imagine (slice, hook, push, pull, top, skull, chunk, chilly dip, and yes, the occasional decent shot) and force you to rely simply on perfect timing to hit a decent shot.
HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE EYE CONTROL?
Practicing your eye focus or movement might seem like it’s unnecessary but consider any other movement we make during a golf swing. We’ll practice the take away but not what our eyes do during the take away. There is an assumption that our eyes are looking at what they need to be looking at and we are in control of that. But we don’t often have as much control over what we’re looking at as we might think. The next time you are driving to work I want you to actually consciously think about where your eyes are looking. What you think you’re looking at and what you actually are might surprise you. To practice eye control, focus consciously on what you are looking at in one of these next few situations:
- Hold a pen or finger up if front of you with a moving background (a tv would work). Try to focus on the tip of the pen or finger as long as you can.
- The next time you exercise, fixate on a specific point in front of you. This works especially well when you’re running.
- Take short golf swings or roll putts and don’t let your eyes move until you hit the golf ball or it goes in the hole.
THE EYES EFFECTS ON YIPS
If you have played golf for long you’ve probably struggled at some point with the yips. A lot of you probably have without even knowing. Contrary to popular thought, the yips are not a mental condition requiring counseling, medication, or lobotomy. It’s caused by unconscious and unaware eye movement typically at the moment the club moves away from the ball. Playing collegiately at Miami University I had the unfortunate privilege of having the putting yips. I discovered during a long, frustrating practice session that I never actually saw the ball get hit and along with it had developed an involuntary muscle movement in my hands. Once I discovered this I developed a practice routine that forced me to consciously keep my eyes on the ball through impact and after several hours of practice I was able to rid myself of my yips. I have found this concept to stand true in nearly every aspect of golf and sport since then. Great eyes equal great consistency.
CONCLUSION
Mastering your eye movement is not something that comes terribly easy. It is something, however, that can be learned and practiced. I encourage you to try some of the tips above to help you practice your eye control and of course contact me at benbastelgolf.com for help in developing your own practice regimen.
The Infinite Golfer 