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Eyes Focused
on the ball..(Changed - 05/09/2011)
If you asked every golfer of the world if they
watched the ball during the down swing movement, each and every
one would say yes.
However the truth of the matter is that although all golfers
watch the ball during the down swing movement, not many actually
focus on the back edge of the golf ball, they look at the ball but
also take in the surrounding area.
To compound matters, they also allow the focus of the
eyes to move away from the ball a fraction of a second and begin
to look towards the target area - before the ball is actually struck.
The better class golfers focus on the back edge of the golf
ball and also watch the golf ball a little bit longer, 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 - with nearly every shot. ( Hence the
odd bad shot.).
The very best golfers focus intensely on the back edge of the
golf ball until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball
for almost every shot.
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.
Perception of the golf ball.
The way that you
look at the golf ball whilst playing the golf shot can have a dramatic
effect upon the quality of the golf shot.
Speaking from experience I can assure you
that there is a difference between simply
just looking at the golf ball and the precise act of keeping
your eyes fully focused on the back edge of the golf ball as the
club head swings into the contact area.
At the address position, most golfers simply
stare at the golf ball.
The image they see includes an area of the grass around the ball
-- they do not define the focus of the eyes precisely on the back
edge of the golf ball.
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 continuing to read
only 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 not aware 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.
As I have stated earlier, to compound things,
most golfers take their eyes off the golf ball a fraction of a second
before the precise moment the club head actually strikes the golf
ball and simultaneously this allows the head
to rotate away from the original address position too soon.
However in addition to focusing on the spot that the ball was lying
until well after the club head has made contact with the ball, you
must also continue to hold the head so that the left eye remains
slightly behind the ball with "pin
point accuracy", keeping the head in the Fixed
Frontal condition, and also maintain the upper
body angles until both arms are straight.
I cannot stress too strongly how important it
is to maintain the focus of your eyes on the back edge of the golf
ball throughout the back swing and the down swing.
You must maintain this focus on the back edge of the golf ball until
the precise moment the club head strikes the ball 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.
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 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.
Most golfers find it difficult to watch the ball
with such intensity, however if I can do it, so can you -- it simply
requires the golfer to maintain the focus on the back edge of the
golf ball right up to the point when the club head makes contact
with the ball.
However when you see the results of performing
this very basic principle, it will spur you on until it becomes
an automatic action within the golf swing process.
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, but when questioned,
they respond as if I am simple and assumes that everybody knew you
had to watch the ball with such intensity.
(If you are correctly
focusing intensely on the ball when playing short irons, immediately
after the ball has been struck you will notice a dark patch on the
ground where the ball was resting - - this dark image, which only
shows for a nanosecond, is an automatically reaction of the retina
converting the white image of the golf ball into a dark image, therefore
when you see this dark image on the ground after the ball has been
struck, you know that your focus on the ball is intense and
correct.)
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 ball 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 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.
Therefore if you can train yourself to fully
focus on the back edge of the golf ball and hold this focus until
the club head makes contact with the ball, the quality of your golf
will improve dramatically.
( 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
for practically every shot that they made during the round.)
Therefore when you have your next practice session,
experiment as follows:-
Make a mark on the golf ball and place the ball
on the tee so that the mark on the back section of the ball 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
milli-second so that you actually see the golf ball move away from
its resting position.
(You can compare the use of the club head to strike
a golf ball with the action of trying to use 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 of the movement 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 ball until the club head actually makes
contact with the ball and then hold the focus so that you see 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.
I can guarantee that if you can train yourself
to focus your eyes on the back edge of the golf ball until the precise
moment the club head makes contact with the ball and then continuing
to watch the ball so that you actually see the golf ball move away
from its resting position, the quality of your golf shots will improve
dramatically.
But you must focus on the back edge of the golf
ball with such intensity so that the only image that you see after
the ball has been struck is the black mark on the ground.
This principle also applies to the
pitching, chipping and the putting stroke.
Total concentration on this task is essential
if you wish to play better golf.
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 -- 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.
Proof of the Importance of this Basic Principle.
I was recently chatting to a member of my golf club as we played
a round of golf and I mentioned how important it was to actually
focus on the ball until the club head struck the ball.
He immediately responded by saying that this is exactly what
he used to do when he was playing to a handicap of three but he
had completely forgotten about this basic principle.
He simply assumed that as he was getting older he was simply
loosing the ability to play good golf.
After being reminded of this action he began hitting the ball
long and straight off the tee and the rest of his game also improved
dramatically. He hoped that he would not forget this basic principle
again.
So there is actual proof from a previously low handicapped golfer
of the importance of this basic principle.
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