Trouble looking at the ball

[bunkerputt]

I've noticed that my practice swings are good with a nice, full turn away from the ball, good extension, and full shoulder and hip turns. When I actually hit the ball, I tend to have very little hip-turn, not as much shoulder turn, and a lot of arm turn. I've tracked the differences to the fact that it is just hard to see the ball from my backswing position. My left deltoid pushes my head out of the way and my shoulders are turned between 90 and 100 degrees behind the ball. When I try to look at the ball throughout my swing, I have to go from looking at it squarely, to looking at it through the extreme lower left corner of my left-eye only. It makes it hard to keep my hands and eyes coordinated and I have some trouble finding the ball on the way down. It seems like I either need a more flexible neck, smaller deltoids, less than 90 degrees of shoulder turn, or really super long clubs so that I can put the ball further away from me. I checked my spine angle at address and it's around 35 degrees, which I think is pretty normal. In a good golf swing, do you just have to guess where the ball is, lose sight of it, and track it on the way down? I'm particularly interested in hearing from tall guys who lift weights and have large deltoids how you have managed to overcome these issues.

[squaddie]

This sounds a little simple, but it seems like you are trying to hit _at_ the ball instead of through it, once you know the ball is there. That explains why you don't turn your hips and shoulders further through when the ball present, as you are trying to focus completely on directing force at the ball, so the hips and shoulders try to direct themselves at that spot.

To help fix this issue, I thought this tip I read yesterday is useful, by a Canadian golf professional named Ed Hanczaryk:

"The ball is the wrong thought to get you playing better. The intention should be on the feel and flow of the swing, and/or the target – not the ball. That explains why your practice swing is so nice and relaxed, creating that swish you wish you had when the ball is in front of you.

This takes some discipline and the ability to actually be aware of your thoughts. But look closely next time out. If the ball is seducing you, please don’t be fooled again. The club and the target – those are the places your mind should be. "

Here's the full article link: http://www.awarenessgolf.com/tableOf...ballAddict.htm

[bunkerputt]

This sounds a little simple, but it seems like you are trying to hit _at_ the ball instead of through it, once you know the ball is there. That explains why you don't turn your hips and shoulders further through when the ball present, as you are trying to focus completely on directing force at the ball, so the hips and shoulders try to direct themselves at that spot. ... Here's the full article link: http://www.awarenessgolf.com/tableOf...ballAddict.htm

I've tried that at various points in the past. I've even tried to hit the ball with my eyes closed focusing solely on the swing. The trouble is, I need my eyes to give me the info to make contact, regardless of how great my swing is. Is this how elite golfers play? Without actually looking at the ball, or just having a passing knowledge of where the ball is through the visual periphery?

[hippyboy]

I've tried that at various points in the past. I've even tried to hit the ball with my eyes closed focusing solely on the swing. The trouble is, I need my eyes to give me the info to make contact, regardless of how great my swing is. Is this how elite golfers play? Without actually looking at the ball, or just having a passing knowledge of where the ball is through the visual periphery?

I don't look at the ball during my swing, I focus on it before I start my backswing, but I seem to lose sight of somewhere before impact. I used to think this was a big fault in my swing & tried focussing on the ball thoughout the whole swing but I as my swing has improved with lessons I worry a lot less about it. My scores have improved, my swing & ball striking is loads better so I don't feel it is that important (I do not know if that is right or wrong but it works for me)

[bunkerputt]

I don't look at the ball during my swing, I focus on it before I start my backswing, but I seem to lose sight of somewhere before impact. I used to think this was a big fault in my swing & tried focussing on the ball thoughout the whole swing but I as my swing has improved with lessons I worry a lot less about it. My scores have improved, my swing & ball striking is loads better so I don't feel it is that important (I do not know if that is right or wrong but it works for me)

I was testing myself at Golfsmith today and found that I do in fact lose sight of the ball, particularly on irons. It becomes obscured by my left shoulder. It's going to take some getting used to, but the reason my swing changes have been hampered is that they put me in a position where it is much more difficult to keep my eyes on the ball. So I tend to want to reverse pivot and make a smaller turn to compensate. It's really easy to look to my right when I swing correctly, though

I did find that I could track the ball a bit longer if I stretched my neck out very straight so that I could peek over my shoulder a little. I wonder what Tiger sees during his swing: . That's a similar position to my shoulders when viewed on video, though my hips have turned more, and I'm a bit beefier in the shoulders. It looks like he might lose track of the ball briefly at the top of the backswing.

[iacas]

That's a similar position to my shoulders when viewed on video, though my hips have turned more, and I'm a bit beefier in the shoulders. It looks like he might lose track of the ball briefly at the top of the backswing.

Tiger doesn't lose sight of the ball, no. His shoulders turn under his eyes, not out in the direction of the ball.

[bunkerputt]

Tiger doesn't lose sight of the ball, no. His shoulders turn under his eyes, not out in the direction of the ball.

That's good to know. It seems like you need to at least see it somewhere in your visual field in order to engage your hand-eye coordination. In your swing, can you always see the ball?

[bwillis6]

as a bigger muscular guy i can relate to the deltoid prob....but as someone posted it was that i was actually not swinging the club but hitting the ball when i wasnt taking a practice swing. i was only losing sight of the ball for a millisecond but b/c i was concentrating to much on hitting the ball and not enough on making a good fluid swing. trust that u are already lined up and concentrate more on ur swing and less on the actual hitting of the ball. hope that kinda helps

[bunkerputt]

as a bigger muscular guy i can relate to the deltoid prob....but as someone posted it was that i was actually not swinging the club but hitting the ball when i wasnt taking a practice swing. i was only losing sight of the ball for a millisecond but b/c i was concentrating to much on hitting the ball and not enough on making a good fluid swing. trust that u are already lined up and concentrate more on ur swing and less on the actual hitting of the ball. hope that kinda helps

That seems like pretty good advice. I don't lose sight of it much anyway. I've just noticed that trying to look at it makes me swing differently than if I don't try to look at it.