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Where Is Your Focus Point at Set up?


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Where Do You Focus Your Eyes at Setup?  

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  1. 1. Where Do You Focus Your Eyes at Setup?

    • On a dimple on the back of the ball.
      8
    • On the front of the ball.
      1
    • At a point an inch in front of the ball.
      3
    • I close my eyes and hope for the best.
      2


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This point has come up in several other posts, so I thought I would start another thread. I’ve tried the first three.

Scott

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6 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

This point has come up in several other posts, so I thought I would start another thread. I’ve tried the first three.

The hosel.🤭

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back of the ball, I've never tried the front of the ball, but that's an interesting concept...may tinker with backyard net

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I don't do any of them, though I've tried looking at the ball (just the middle I guess). I still employ a bit of what I call a "fuzzy focus." Down at the ball but not at anything specific.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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2 hours ago, iacas said:

I don't do any of them, though I've tried looking at the ball (just the middle I guess). I still employ a bit of what I call a "fuzzy focus." Down at the ball but not at anything specific.

This is what I do. Clearly I need to do something else.

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Bill

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53 minutes ago, billchao said:

This is what I do.

I'll pile onto this, I look at "the ball", not a specific part of the ball, and not at "not the ball".  

Dave

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1 hour ago, billchao said:

This is what I do. Clearly I need to do something else.

Yes.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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Great question. There has been research on the "quiet eye" concept in Golf and how expert players can lock their eyes on the ball during the stroke. A quote from one article regarding the putting stroke (link below): "Experts compared to novices have longer Quiet Eye duration, so that means they look at the ball for a longer period of time during the preparation for the stroke and during the actual stroke. They don’t move off the back of the ball, and then as they hit the ball, they often keep their gaze there. We find that experts use that technique and novices have a much more scattered eye movement plan."

There are plenty of articles on the web as well as exercises you can do to develop "quiet eye" skills. Juggling being one of them.

From my personal experience my putting suffers when my eye movement strays off the ball and follows the putter head during the stroke. (Internal Focus - see next paragraph)

I think another concept that goes along with this is "attention". Here is a quote from an excellent article that talks about this (link provided at bottom): "Where you put your attention in your golf swing can drastically influence your performance. Attention is defined as the act or power of fixing the mind on something. In golf, we have several options where we put our attention. These options can mostly be categorized as external, internal or neutral. External awareness can be defined as putting your attention to something outside your body. For example, focusing on the target during the swing. Research suggests this is the best awareness for peak performance. Internal awareness is focusing on your body while swinging. Example, focusing on your right arm during the swing. Neutral awareness is simply non-related to the task. This can consist of counting while you swing or playing your favorite song in your head."

When I am practicing - for example Eric's excellent "drill" - Soft, Straight Trail Arm Challenge. I may do 25 of these swings where my attention is Internal as I concentrate on doing the drill. Followed by 25 swings where I repeat the phrase "Tik (back swing) - Tok (downswing)" Neutral attention. Then I will do 25 swings putting my attention on a target - External attention.

putter.jpg

Learn how your eyes influence your body and specifically putting. We’ll walk through what you should be doing with your …
Screen-Shot-2020-12-15-at-11.39.46-1000x

08We spend so much time in golf looking at and thinking about WHAT we put our attention on like the latest swing theories. Yet so little focus is given to WHERE you as a unique individual need to place your attention to...

 

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3 hours ago, iacas said:

I don't do any of them, though I've tried looking at the ball (just the middle I guess). I still employ a bit of what I call a "fuzzy focus." Down at the ball but not at anything specific.

Interesting. From what I understand you are a "good" (may be even great) putter; so I am guessing for the most part you are probably "target" focused also known as external attention. I can remember playing in an interclub match at Aronimink country club; it was spring, so cool temps, and rained the whole time - I was miserable but managed to win my match. I putted lights out that day - the only thing I remembered is walking up to the ball and focusing on the hole - didn't worry about reading the putt or anything - I wanted to get off the course.

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4 hours ago, MiuraMan said:

nteresting. From what I understand you are a "good" (may be even great) putter; so I am guessing for the most part you are probably "target" focused also known as external attention

I assumed this topic was excluding putting.

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I focus on a point a foot or two in front of the ball on the target line. A blade of grass, a leaf, some color anomaly in the turf... I actually then visualize a line between my ball and this point. That is how I align my feet, hips, the shoulders parallel to this line.

 

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During my exquisitely wonderful (sarcasm) practice session today I was wondering about asking this very question.

With my wedges thru 6 iron I look at the top of the ball, steeper angle of attack, hit ball first ground second.

With my 5 iron, 2 & 3 Utility irons, 5 Wood and Driver I look at the back of the ball, this for sweeping. 

When all things work in perfect unison and coordination it seams to turn out pretty good.  Today nothing turned out good so I read this topic and super excitted about what I can learn and crap.  I read fuzzy, a foot before the ball, see target hit target, mind zen type stuff.  OK all fine and good but now I have no idea, no idea at all how to look at a golf ball.

Take this with a grain of salt, very frustrating day of practice followed by the most frustrating year of golf I have had, ever.  

At least in baseball it was easy, see ball hit ball.  In football it was even easier, see ball destroy who has ball, get ball. 

In practice I think a lot, mechanics and such

When I play I do not think at all, just focus

- Dean

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6 hours ago, MiuraMan said:

Interesting. From what I understand you are a "good" (may be even great) putter; so I am guessing for the most part you are probably "target" focused also known as external attention. I can remember playing in an interclub match at Aronimink country club; it was spring, so cool temps, and rained the whole time - I was miserable but managed to win my match. I putted lights out that day - the only thing I remembered is walking up to the ball and focusing on the hole - didn't worry about reading the putt or anything - I wanted to get off the course.

I'm a great putter, yeah, and… I do the same thing with putts. I am not really target focused, no. I line up to the putt, and then I'm entirely focused on speed. On some shorter putts, my focus will be a spot about six inches in front of the ball that I want to roll it over, because I'm not really worried about the speed on those.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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My son actually looks at a spot about an inch in front of the ball at address.

His line of line is determined by a blade of grass about two feet in front of

the ball towards his target. He originally stared at various points on the ball

and experimented some time ago by moving his attention to one inch in

front of the ball. 

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15 minutes ago, iacas said:

I'm a great putter, yeah, and… I do the same thing with putts. I am not really target focused, no. I line up to the putt, and then I'm entirely focused on speed. On some shorter putts, my focus will be a spot about six inches in front of the ball that I want to roll it over, because I'm not really worried about the speed on those.

THANK YOU!!!!  No crap, really!!

If you recall I asked about putting with trifocals and you as well as others gave me some great advice.  But this, this one putting statement supported what actually made all the difference for me in putting.   

I started to do this, what you stated and it makes me feel good that I am actually doing something right with this crazy game.  Been frustrating day/week of practice

- Dean

Driver: PXG GEN3 Proto X Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange
Fairway wood: 5 Wood PXG 0341 GEN2 hzrdus smoke yellow

2 Iron PXG XP Evenflow Blue

3 Utility Iron Srixon 3 20*
Irons:  5 thru PW PXG GEN3 XP Steelfiber 95 -  Wedges: Mizuno T7 48, 52, 56 and 60 Recoil 110 shafts 6
Putter: In search of the Holy Grail Ball: Snell MTBx

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19 minutes ago, djake said:

I started to do this

Can you clarify what "this" is?

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
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13 hours ago, iacas said:

I don't do any of them, though I've tried looking at the ball (just the middle I guess). I still employ a bit of what I call a "fuzzy focus." Down at the ball but not at anything specific.

This is what I do as well. When I focus just on the ball, or a dimple on the ball, or a blade of grass, my takeaway gets funky, or more so than usual, and my swing gets all out of sync. 

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Note: This thread is 1158 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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