Putting eyes
I have been reading some very interesting information about
putting and what good putters do versus what bad putters do. As a
teacher I don’t believe there are,
”
bad putters.
”
I think that they are just untrained. I believe anyone can be a
good putter with proper training and a good practice routine. Once
you have been trained on how to putt then it comes down to how you
use your eyes.
Putting eyes
I have been reading some very interesting information about putting and what good putters do versus what bad putters do. As a teacher I don’t believe there are, “bad putters.” I think that they are just untrained. I believe anyone can be a good putter with proper training and a good practice routine. Once you have been trained on how to putt then it comes down to how you use your eyes.
First, let’s talk about how to look at your line and how to perceive distance. We have all seen Tiger Woods squat down behind his ball to line up a putt and put his hands on the side of his head to shade his eyes. If you notice, he is wearing a hat, so why shade his eyes even more? The reason is so that he doesn’t have to squint. For those of us who wear contacts or glasses, we know that without them if we squint we can see a little better; we pinch our eyes, narrow our iris and can see a little clearer, kind of like looking down the wrong end of a pair of binoculars, clear but wrong as to how far things are away from us. That changes our perception of distance. So from now on when you are lining up a putt, don’t squint and instead shade your eyes.
I have just read a study on what good putters do with their eyes compared to the less skilled. It is called “Quiet Eyes.” A good putter picks their line, addresses the ball, then slowly rotates their head along their target line then back to the ball a couple of times. Then they look at the back of the ball, putt and for at least another second, keep their head in place, then rotate their head to watch the ball roll to the hole. Quiet Eyes. The less skilled putter moves their eyes quickly back and forth from the hole to the ball, then looks at the top of the ball, then the back and never really settles down before they putt. The good putter learned the art of Quiet Eyes. They developed this skill and so can you. You don’t even need me there to watch you while you practice. Play well.
Eagle Ridge’s Mini Course is open every Sunday at 2 p.m. for kids 12 and under. Cost is $5 for all the holes you want to play. We provide clubs, balls and tees.
Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting you can call me at 408-846-4531 x 205 or e-mail me at
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. If you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com. And don’t forget, if you’re not having fun playing golf,call your local PGA or LPGA instructor. We will help. Golf is more fun when you’re improving. Don’t be afraid to be good.
