Your Lying Eyes Make You a Bad Putter

When you get the chance watch a video clip ofThe effect of not using your dominant eye to
Jack Nicklaus taking a full swing at a golf ball and afocus on the green is even more pronounced. If
video clip of the Golden Bear putting the ball onyou are right eye dominant, while in your putting
the green. Watch closely. What you are lookingstance you tend to "see" the hole slightly to the
for is for Mr. Nicklaus to make a slight twist of hisright of its actual location. The usual affect is that
head at the beginning of his stroke. It is almostwhat you think of as a perfectly lined up putt
imperceptible at times but it's there.gets pushed right. You make corrections and
In his book "Golf My Way" Mr. Nicklaus said thatmore often than not you will overcorrect and
he begins both his full swing stroke and his puttingcome outside in to pull the ball left of the hole.
stroke by focusing his left eye entirely on theAbout 70% of all golfers are right eye dominant.
lower half of the back of the ball. He also saidHere is how to find out. Make a little telescope out
that this technique worked for him and may notof your hands by folding the fingers on both
work for everybody else.hands to their thumbs. Hold your hands far out in
As we all know it worked very well for Jackfront of you and focus both eyes on a distant
Nicklaus who went on to become one of theobject. Without moving your hands, close your
greatest golfers of all time. But here's the rub.left eye. If the distant object is still in the middle
Jack Nicklaus' advice to focus your left eye onof your little telescope with only your right eye
the back of the ball is only going to work foropen then you are right eye dominant. If it stays
about 3 out of every 10 golfers. The reason forin the telescope with your right eye closed and
this is that Jack Nicholas is a left eye dominantyour left eye open then you are left eye
right handed golfer.dominant.
If you are right eye dominant and if you playWhen you set up to putt you want your
right handed and do the same thing as Jackdominant eye positioned directly over the ball. If
Nicklaus when you start your swing you willyou do not set up this way than your eyes and
unconsciously tilt your head to the left and shiftyour brain are going to process a distorted
your balance a little bit to the right. You will still hitposition for the hole. Your lying eyes will require
the ball but probably not as sharply and crisply asyou to actually make an off-line putt to hole out.
you would if you used your right eye to focus onSometimes it works out but more often than not
the front of the golf ball. Some golfers who haveyou will miss that birdie or saving par. Now you
made this change have watched, to theirknow why those putts miss right and what you
amazement, the slice they had for years startcan do about it to become a better putter and a
landing on the fairway.better golfer.