Instruction
How eye dominance affects your golf swing
The influence your eyes and vision have on your golf game is obvious. They control depth perception, reading break on a green, planning your attack on a hole, avoiding trouble and many other tasks and obstacles.
I also believe there is a less obvious visual reaction, which takes place during the act of striking the golf ball and can have a huge effect on your body’s ability to turn. To correctly understand how your eyes effect the execution of your golf shot, you need to identify which eye is your dominant eye. Although most of us are fortunate enough to have two eyes, one eye is responsible for taking the reigns, or leading the second eye, in what you see.
I’ll take you through a quick test to help you acquire that information, and then share some thoughts about how eye dominance effects the golf swing.
A simple way to identify your dominant eye is to get ready to strike a golf ball. Then, close one eye at a time. If the golf ball noticeably moves when one eye is closed, your closed eye is your dominant eye.
There are varying degrees as to how much your eye dominance effects your technique. Like so many other characteristics in life, these observations do not always apply. There are no absolutes, but the following traits tend to be pronounced based upon your dominant eye.
Backswing Eye
If your backswing eye is your dominant eye (that’s the right eye for right-handed golfers), you have two primary body tendencies that affect your technique. You tend to have a shorter turn during your backswing and tend to be more open with your body at impact.
To have a simpler understanding of these characteristics, close your target eye during your golf swing. If you have a big nose, a big shoulder turn on your backswing or too upright of a posture, you will lose sight of the golf ball at a sooner point on your backswing than you would with your target eye. On the downswing, to have a better look at the object you are striking, your backswing eye wants to get those same offending body parts that were effecting your view on the backswing out of the way.
Address position for a backswing dominant eye (BDE) player.
Note a shorter backswing for this BDE player. His target shoulder is obstructing his view of the golf ball.
This BDE player’s chest is more open at impact compared with a Target Dominant Eye player. The trail shoulder does not obstruct his view of the golf ball.
Target Eye
If your target eye is your dominant eye, you have the exact opposite tendencies. Your body motion tends to produce a bigger turn on your back swing, and your body tends to unwind slower or later sequentially, on the downswing.
Again, to understand those tendencies, close your backswing eye during your golf swing. On your backswing, your turn can be less restricted, because your nose, shoulder and other body parts are less obtrusive in impeding your view of the golf ball as you swing your golf club backwards. On the downswing, your nose, shoulder and body tends to stay out of the way to give your target eye the best possible view of the golf ball as you strike it. Any one of those body parts will obstruct your view of the golf ball if you unwind too quickly during the downswing sequence.
Address position for a Target Dominant Eye (TDE) player.
Note the bigger backswing for the TDE. The target shoulder does not obstruct this player’s view of the golf ball.
This TDE player’s chest is more closed at impact compared with a BDE player. The trail shoulder can obstruct his view of the golf ball.
If you have read one of my previous stories, you will know your body motion plays a huge role in your ability to return a club face to square consistently. Identifying your eye dominance might help you understand the tendencies of your body motion throughout your golf swing.
Both eye dominance characteristics produce world class golfers. Let’s discuss the two world class players in the photos below who have traits of extreme eye dominance patterns.
Former U.S. Open Champion Justin Rose has the traits of a target eye dominant player. He makes a larger turn away from the golf ball on his backswing. On the downswing, his trail shoulder is sequentially later than a backswing dominant eye player in passing the point of impact. Other examples include Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson, Jack Nicklaus and Michelle Wie.
Former PGA Champion Jason Dufner has the mannerisms of a backswing eye dominant player. He makes a shorter turn away from the golf ball, due to his target shoulder getting in the way of his view of the golf ball. On the downswing, Dufner wants to get his target shoulder out of the way to give him a better view of the ball with his dominant eye as he strikes. Other examples include David Duval, Inbee Park and Annika Sorenstam. It is important for me to note that I do not know unequivocally the eye dominance patterns of the players listed above. These are educated guesses, based upon my research and the golfer’s movement patterns.
Note both players at the top of their backswing. Dufner’s target shoulder is restricting his view and backswing.
Note how Rose’s trail shoulder is lagging behind Dufner’s just prior to impact.
Note how Dufner’s chest is more open to the target than Rose’s when the trail arm is parallel to the ground.
This information can potentially help you understand your golf game better than ever before. We are all trying to find the best technique for our own individual needs, and your inherent vision just might be the last clue to help you achieve your golfing goals. Or, for beginners, it might be a wonderful place to start the task of building a game for a life time.
I would also like to thank @JimHPGA, a mentor to me both on and off the course for close to 20 years, for his help with writing this article.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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steve
May 14, 2017 at 1:52 pm
right eye dominant right hand golfer; great short game due to open stance, get beat up on driver because of squareness of setup, guess we should be hitting high fade off the tee
Jerry Bryan
May 21, 2016 at 6:34 pm
I am left eye dominant, right handed. The biggest detriment to this condition is putting. I have discovered I always line up to the left of the hole. I have a putter device that kicks the ball back to you when the ball goes in. I practiced with this for a long time on my carpet. If I stand behind the ball, and lay down a string parallel to the hole, then get in my set up position, the string looks way right of the target. I suspect I have this same alignment problem on all my shots.
Joey
Sep 21, 2018 at 5:46 am
Mike Malaska has a great drill for that on youtube, search for him and putting and you’ll find it. Basically he has a test to see how “off” you are. He puts a marker down on line between your ball and the hole, then covers it with his hand, then he asks you to line up, then he pulls his hand back and if you are OK it should still look straight — the student in the video said it looked like it was pointed left. He knows it’s straight but somehow his mind’s eye sees it left.
Mike
Jul 9, 2015 at 3:10 pm
I agree totally ive worked on setup for five years and still haven’t found a way been to instructors talk to good golfers, can’t repeat it but I’m right eye dominant and right handed, and for me to play good have to move ball up in stance because that’s what I’m seeing and my nose to pointing at. I cannot get my head and nose even with my body even as I type this my left eye isn’t even on the screen I’m so right sided its crazy even had a few instructors laugh said never seen nothing like it.
wineyax
Oct 3, 2014 at 2:22 pm
I am a right eye dominant player. I was not paying any special attention to this fact.
I recently started cocking my head to the right because I read somewhere that it was what many great players did. Since then I have been hitting more fat shots than usual. Very slightly fat, not by much. My driver has been hitting the ball more on the middle to lower section of the driver face too.
Whenever I would slack off and just setup without thought I would hit good iron shots and driver would hit from middle to upper section of the driver face (no head cock to the right).
I have a feeling that adjusting my setup to let my dominant eye see the ball more might be a cure for this… What do you think?
Saevel25
Sep 30, 2014 at 9:58 am
Sadly I am right eye dominant, a right handed golfer and I have a big shoulder turn and do not have my hips more open at impact. Sorry but I break your generalization. I would like to see actual numbers, maybe an actual large sample size study. To take two players and draw a generalization is a poor analysis.
I would note I am not convinced that set up can tell you if a person is right eye or left eye dominant. Unless you actually test them, that is a poor assumption.
Overall it is an interesting idea, but needs a lot more work before it should have been put into an article making claims.
Eugenio Grosso
Sep 25, 2014 at 6:32 am
As an italian Optometrist and a golf teacher i just can add some big compliments to Mr. Mitchell.
Still a lot will come but the research is important,obviously we all have to understand what to take from it,what to change from now on and most important what to leave the way it is.
I can assure you that even in 2014 “Vision” and sight are the most underestimated aspects of this amazing sport.
P.s About the Brian’s reply i agree to be carefull to change ball position just in accordance with the eye dominance but i totally disagree with the lack of importance of dominant eye when, in a body motion(backswing)an average hcp or novice has significant difference of vision beetween his dominant eye and non dominant (ex N.D.E visus 10/20 D.E. visus 20/20).
Tony
Sep 18, 2014 at 4:02 am
Guys;
The game is hard enough already, without thinking of another thing to think of.
The average handicap hasn’t come below 16 for the last 30 years, doesn’t that tell yous something. There is to much info now about what to concentrate on instead of trusting your own ability and mind to swing the club. To many mechanical thoughts just freeze your swing and you get worse not better. Try trusting your mind and picture your shots before you hit your shot. While standing over your ball, look at your target and then when ready just swing. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll play this great game.
Tim Mitchell
Sep 18, 2014 at 8:44 pm
Tony… Thanks for your comment, but to play the devils advocate, aren’t you suggesting another thing to think of by encouraging players to visualize their shots? To me, each golfer as an individual, is an athlete and a scientist. If the athlete is failing, or not performing as consistently as he would like, the scientist needs to help the athlete better understand why he is failing. There is a time and place where each characteristic needs to be taking the reins to help achieve maximum performance. Check out this post, it might make you think differently about when it is good to think like a scientist and when it is good to perform like an athlete.
http://www.golfwrx.com/131447/the-three-personalities-you-need-on-the-golf-course/
Good luck!
M59O
Sep 20, 2014 at 7:51 am
Good explanation. I also see the suggestion to look at your target and then swing to be in support of the article, not in opposition. It is letting vision play it’s natural role, without us consciously interfering. This lesson experience may help clarify one use of this information.
I had a video lesson which identified a small “over” move which was; with one simple drill, put on a much better path. The instructor then said the last thing I would like to see is your head at impact to be in this position (described a TDE position like Justin Rose’s) and not like it is (a BDE position like Jason Dufner’s). We went on to have the conversation that since I was right eye dominant my head would natural want to seek it’s current position (like Dufner’s), of which we then agreed. To attempt to achieve a TDE position, could have sent me down many months of frustrating and needless attempts to overcome what my vision, as it leads my body, wants to naturally do.
The problem often is not with the information, but in its application.
Richard Taylor, PGA
Sep 17, 2014 at 4:33 pm
As a golf instructor, I often under estimate the importance of eye dominance. This is a great article. In my own swing, I can see it. Although it would be difficult to get some students to grasp this concept, there those it might give the right insight (pun intended). Thanks for publishing!
Sam M
Sep 17, 2014 at 1:08 pm
I’m off scratch and play right handed, right eye dominant. Would you suggest practising with this eye closed to stop the tendency to stay on the right hand side?
Tim Mitchell
Sep 18, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Hi Sam. There is just too many factors to consider to give you a proper and accurate answer… For example, do you have physical limitations that make it hard for you to transfer your weight? Is your ball position too far back? Is your golf club getting steep on the downswing? What direction does your golf ball start? How does it curve afterwards? Do you hit the golf ball high or low? What is your ball contact this? Sorry! Wish you were closer so I could take a look at ya!
Richard (Dick) Baney
Sep 15, 2014 at 1:36 am
Tim,you’re right on target with your article concerning the dominant eye.As a former member of the MLB ( BIG RED MACHINE) CINCINNATI REDS,I often listened to comments of some of the best hitters in baseball, talk about the same subject.Baseball hitters are concerned with a baseball being delivered at 90+ mph.It makes sense that a golfer should concern himself also with a ball sitting still and his dominant eye……(nice job, Tim)
M59O
Sep 14, 2014 at 7:18 am
Article matches with what I’ve read before (if it was accurate):
Jack Nicklaus – famous head preset before swing – left eye dominant
Sam Snead – head swivel throughout swing – right eye dominant
M59O
Sep 14, 2014 at 7:04 am
Thanks for an article to put in perspective how eye dominance can affect alignment and motion tendencies.
Few basic points not already posted in replies to comments.
Vision guides motor (ex. drive your car and keep looking left, your car will start to go left).
Dominant eye is a consideration in a hitting a baseball. You don’t want you dominant eye turned away from the pitcher.
You wouldn’t want to block you dominant (vision leading) eye, as some golf instruction asks. As soon as you go to swing it is going to want to take the lead.
Tim Mitchell
Sep 15, 2014 at 1:38 pm
M590…I wanted to thank you for your added insight and knowledge to this article. If you’re open to this, I’d like to ask you some additional questions. Please message me at your convenience.
M59O
Sep 20, 2014 at 8:26 am
Certainly. You can look for the email I sent you at the tim.mitchell@davidleadbetter.com address.
James
Sep 13, 2014 at 5:12 pm
This is the stupidest article I have ever read.
Now your gonna have hackers standing over the ball on the first tee asking themselves which eye they are looking at the ball with…thanks for making golf harder than it needs to be… AGAIN
M59O
Sep 14, 2014 at 6:27 am
I agree, this is certainly something you don’t want to be thinking about as you play. It would serve no purpose, unless you want to mess with your buddies head, along with do they inhale or exhale as the swing.
That being said, however-
It is one of the best articles I have read that actually takes proper consideration in how eye dominance can affect setup and motion tendencies. I have seen many instruction articles which ask students to do things completely contrary to their eye dominance. It’s not going to happen. So if you are working on something that would be totally unnatural for you, this could be of benefit to know.
Curt
Sep 14, 2014 at 11:23 am
What a stupid comment. We all want to understand as much as we can about about our swings and why things occur. This is a simple thing to understand and factor in.
MHendon
Sep 13, 2014 at 11:04 am
weather eye dominance matters or not I don’t know but I’m target eye dominant and those swing tendencies pretty much apply to me.
Bethpage Golfer
Sep 21, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Same here………..
Desmond
Sep 13, 2014 at 10:41 am
I am a right handed player but my dominant eye is the left eye … so contrary to your general statement, not all right handed golfers have a backswing eye. So ask your student if he is naturally left handed but plays right handed — the left eye is probably dominant.
Also, once one is a US Open Champion, one is always a US Open Champion — you might try saying 2013 US Open Champion Justin Rose..
You also might try stating the obvious to correct these issues … the golfer with the left hand dominant eye may have overswing issues, and not activating the hips/shoulders sufficiently in the downswing…
M59O
Sep 14, 2014 at 6:13 am
Either I’m not understanding your point, or you mistook the author’s example as applying to all. It does not say all right handed players are right eye dominant, merely if you’re backswing eye is dominant and you are right handed, it will be your right eye. Just trying to explain his terminology. Eye hand dominance is roughly 60-40. Same hand/eye dominant 60%, cross dominant (opposite eye/hand) 40%.
sk33tr
Sep 13, 2014 at 7:31 am
Dufner pins his right arm into his right side early in the backswing. That’s what restricts his left shoulder. It was mentioned in Golf Magazine last year when they were analyzing his swing.
Crespo
Sep 12, 2014 at 4:20 pm
I am target eye dominant (left eye on a right-handed swing). I am quite open at contact and like Sorenstam (?) – my head is turned as well. But I don’t make a conscious effort to keep my eye on the ball until contact. Maybe if I did, it would make a difference in my swing.
handicap-2
Sep 12, 2014 at 3:08 pm
What would you recommend on how I should address my position when I close both my eyes throughout my swing?
Thank you-
Ant Lockyer
Sep 12, 2014 at 1:22 pm
If I turn my head away from the target to bring my target eye looking at the ball I hit a draw and prevent my destructive block/push.
Jafar
Sep 12, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Interesting, I’ll see if I can find a pattern of tendencies with my own game.
George Hanson
Sep 12, 2014 at 12:07 pm
I think this is worth considering.
I’m RH golfer, LEFT eye dominant (TDE). Last year I experimented with a mixed contact prescription, called “mono vision–” instead of bifocals for reading, one of my eyes (I chose my left, dominant eye) to be “under-prescribed” by about 1.5.
this allows me to read easily without reading glasses (thru my left eye) and see distances with my right eye.
However, this has a very negative effect on my golf game!!!!! The lack of clarity in my dominant eye has the same effect as having a hangover.
The solution is easy– I have a fully corrective set of lenses for golfing or any similar activity.
I often wondered if I had “under corrected” my non dominant eye, whether I would’ve had the same issue.
IN the meantime, as a pistol shooter (LH), the mono vision has an enormously positive effect– I can see the pistol sight clearly, AND see the target clearly, with both eyes open.
Brian
Sep 12, 2014 at 11:58 am
You should look up what neuroscience has to say about eye dominance and the two visual systems the body uses. The “parvo cellular” and the “magno cellular”. Geoff mangum the putting coach also writes a lot about the fallacies of eye dominance and proves it does not need to be taken into account as many instructors believe. The modern research in brain science proves this and that eye dominance in an action sport, besides merely sighting a target, does not effect body motions and movements. It also has shown it does not need to be taken into account concerning ball position, stance, etc. like many people think. There is so much more to the visual systems of the body than most people realize. Go to geoff mangums site and their are plenty of links to learn from!
Philip
Sep 12, 2014 at 12:12 pm
Any research can be presented to show pretty much anything. How many times have scientists PROVEN something just to realize years later they were 100% incorrect because of trying to prove assumptions/theories instead of gathering facts.
As this article states, this information may or not be useful or even applicable for each of us. It is just some relevant info that may help some people understand their swing better.
For me it is relevant. I am a lefty who is right-eye dominant who happened to play golf right-handed because I couldn’t get left-handed clubs when I was a kid. What I always found interesting is that when I set up left-handed I play a natural draw and when set up right handed I play a natural fade. Now I acknowledge that this may indeed not even be my eyes, but the natural tendency of my hips and legs that determine my stance. I seem to mirror myself with my stance.
However, being BDE definitely tends to get me to put the ball way too far back in my stance and thus too far away from me. That being said I will check out what you mentioned.
Philip
Sep 12, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Also, don’t forget that golf is not really an action sport per say. So it indeed may have a greater effect.
M59O
Sep 14, 2014 at 6:41 am
Parvo cellular, mango cellular has more to do with “focal or ambient”, or you may better relate to the terms “central and peripheral” vision. This has more to do with locking in on a target (focal or central) and then be able to be aware of and move to (track) another target (ambient or peripheral). I think of this as relating more to a dynamic flow to vision and not eye dominance. Eye dominance is more a tendency to align sight. The dominant eye processes information faster than the non-dominant eye, so it is the leader.
Philip
Sep 12, 2014 at 11:23 am
Are you guys dialed in with me or what. Every time I gain a clearer understanding of a part of the golf swing (in relation to me) you release an article on it the next day.
I’m a BDE player and have been going in circles with ball position and stance. Yet when I set up to the ball without thinking I nail it. I’m always aiming right of my target and hitting on the toe because I have the ball too far back and away from me and a cut is often the result. If I only look at the target it is better for mid and short irons, but long irons and woods are still crappy.
I decided to just set up with my right eye closed and all is well. So instead of fighting myself I am going to set up right of my target, close my right eye and set my hips to target, adjust my club face for ball flight, and then let it rip.
This article helps me understand my swing even better. THANKS!
Zak Kozuchowski
Sep 12, 2014 at 11:48 am
Thanks Phillip. We’re so happy that you’re liking our content. We were proud to publish this latest story from Tim Mitchell!
Robin
Sep 12, 2014 at 6:23 pm
I did the same as Philip, non-dominant right eye closed left target eye open. Significant improvement in ball striking. I practised using the Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe eyewear to try and train this into my swing. I believe the reduced field of vision required me to maintain a more constant head position which in turn maintained my torso and pelvic position over the ball. Outcome was much better ball compression with long irons. I think your onto something Philip!!
cb
Sep 12, 2014 at 11:14 am
Like where you are going with this Tim but I feel like you should make a series out of it. I play left handed but am right eye dominant so I know of the frustrations. There is a big difference in “feel” for the two types of players. that is why a player should take caution when they are told to feel a certain thing. we all feel differently but its especially true for cross dominant players. its better to be put in the position and then determine for yourself what the feel is. Also you could have included some players who you know FOR SURE are cross dominant: phil, jack, and the shark. Tiger woods is even left eye dominant. also, some suggest that hogan was a cross dominant player. hogan started out playing left handed and then switched to right to make it easier to find clubs.
Scott
Sep 12, 2014 at 10:57 am
I wonder if there is a correlation with grip? Seems the backswing eye players would (on average) have stronger grips (or play cuts) while the target eye players would have weaker ones (or play draws).
Tim Mitchell
Sep 18, 2014 at 8:25 pm
Those are pretty spot on observations Scott. If you read my other suggested post, you would see that matches up with my research. Although there are always exceptions to those rules!
Jason
Sep 12, 2014 at 10:33 am
Interesting article. Recently, while practicing I had the thought of hitting balls with one eye or the other closed. I’m a right handed player and I’m right eye dominant. For the irons and hybrids/fairway woods, I found that closing my right eye allowed me to have a more downward strike on the ball. Then, for driver, I closed my left eye and hit balls. I tended to have a more sweeping strike.
The reason I had this thought is that I tend to rotate my head through impact which makes me come out of my posture. So, I thought that by closing my right eye, I wouldn’t be able to see the ball with my left eye if my head rotated too much. Seemed to work fairly well. I practice at Golftec and was able to confirm my feeling in video.
Shot
Sep 12, 2014 at 10:16 am
Dufner looks like that because he predominantly hits a cut-based ball, and Rose looks that because he predominantly hits a draw. Their hand positions are based on that, which is also how their grips set according to the way they want to hit the ball, which sets their shoulder plane, which sets their hip rotation, which sets their alignment, which sets their direction. Simples!
Nothing to do with vision.
Philip
Sep 12, 2014 at 11:26 am
Unless it starts with vision … and the rest follows
James
Sep 12, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Great article Tim!
I agree with you Philip–I am a right handed golfer with a BDE and play a strong grip.
Whenever I warm up, I usually work on a drill that helps with feeling weight shift/follow through by taking practice swings left handed. When I switch over to lefty, my grip position is much more neutral to weak versus strong to super strong.
After reading this article I definitely believe there is a correlation between eye dominance and grip, and that maybe it does start with vision and the rest follows. Then again, Tim may come out with another article in an hour and I’ll have another “eureka!” moment.