How many see the club make contact with the ball.

[pherg]

It might sound dumb but I was reading an article that was talking about seeing the club make contact with the ball. I started thinking about it and realised I don't think I do this. I think my head or my eyes have already moved to see where the ball will go. Or perhaps I'm swinging too hard to control that moment. Should you be able to see the contact? Could this be a key to consistent, smooth tempo - only going as fast as allows you to see the moment?

[Comeback City]

A link would be helpful...I actually do this sometimes, but not always. I don't try/focus on doing it. But I've noticed whenever I see the club hit the ball, I usually make crisp contact and it goes straight...

so yeah, I'm down to try it some more...

[Gioguy21]

on iron shots i focus on the back 1/4 of the ball to make sure where i swing puts the divot directly under the ball and not behind it...imagine there's a dime under your ball and you want to see a shiny face before lifting your head to see the ball after you swing...keeping your head still is also key. It allows your body to turn on an axis if you will around your spine...allowing a hip clear, shoulders to be square at impact, and proper balance through the swing...try it slow for a few, guaranteed it helps your swing...

[Zeph]

I don't focus on the ball as it throws my focus off the swing. I look in the direction of the golf ball, but not directly at it on the downswing. On the downswing I just look unfocused ahead and think of a swing thought I'm working on.

[anthonykim3]

to be honest with don't you think if you have proper hip rotation you would be moving you head to much to watch the ball hit the club face i mean you have to look down at the ball but i am sure you clear your hips and head before you actually see it hit the club face

[Marinemike]

Usually my head is too far up my butt to be able to see the club hit the ball.

Seriously though, I look at the ball, and I often concentrate on making sure the sight picture doesn't change as I swing, but I'm too busy to see the contact in a Matrix-esque moment of conciousness. I'm waiting to be on my deathbed to receive that level of total conciousness.

[Leftygolfer]

I don't see how this is possible. I do want to see the divot before my eyes follow the ball but to actually see impact, that seems impossible because of physics and the speed of impact.

[Zeph]

to be honest with don't you think if you have proper hip rotation you would be moving you head to much to watch the ball hit the club face i mean you have to look down at the ball but i am sure you clear your hips and head before you actually see it hit the club face

The hips clear, but the hips and torso separate, so your head is still looking down during impact. The problem is that the club is moving too fast to see. I've read a lot of discussions about how fast the eye can see. A fact is that with a fluorecent tube that blinks at a frequency of 50Hz it is impossible to see it blinking with your eyes, it looks like constant light. If you record it with a camera and play it in slow motion you will see it blinking. This has been discussed a lot when it comes to gaming and frames per second.

I read some tips from some old hero, I think it was Nicklaus. Anyways, he said that he sort of took a mental picture during impact of every swing and used it as reference for how he was playing. If that is true I don't know. Try moving a hand fast in front of your eyes. First with the palm flat against your eyes, then from the side. You won't be able to see when it is flat and when you watch it sideways. So being able to see the clubhead at impact is something I would consider impossible, at least very close to so.

[cirem22]

i see it hit with my wedges but nothing else really

[DavidFehertysBike]

I never see it with full swings with any club.

[David in FL]

Heck, I'm lucky if I see the club hit the ball when I'm putting !

[nevets88]

I personally don't think I see the point of impact.

I'd think it's more important if you can see something, to be able to see someone else's hands at impact and I think that's pretty much impossible without a camera.

[MPforthewin]

I think I remember Hogan saying to try to watch the club hit the ball, even though you will never accomplish it it forces you to keep your head still.

I have played for 27 years and can't ever recall actually seeing impact of club and ball, I don't think it is possible.

[TheNatural]

Not at my swing speed

ludicrous speed that is

i just see the sonic boom waves when the ball is in flight, or is that the ripples in the water hazard

[RCF]

It might sound dumb but I was reading an article that was talking about seeing the club make contact with the ball.......?

Certainly not dumb. It's a great question I never thought about.

[TheNatural]

In all seriousness

It is very hard to see the ball at impact, maybe Ted WIlliams could.

anything small moving 80-120 mph then hitting a fixed object is going to be a blur. IMO but maybe a glimpse of a logo might be seen.

[JackLee]

Do you drive a nail with a hammer without looking at the head of the nail?

Actually, I look a bit under the back of the ball.

It seems reasonable to me that precise contact would require precise eye focus.

No, you cannot see the impact in a full swing, but you will know when it happens. Duh!

[b_lcky]

I don't focus on trying to see impact because that seems impossible. Instead, I pay attention to where my divot starts. It helps me to visualize the type of contact I made with the ball.