Putting with eyes closed

[Dormie1360]

Was on the putting green today practicing.  I usually, at some point, make sure I can make 10 3 footers in a row before leaving.  Isn't as easy as it sounds.  I usually get to 7,8,9 and miss one....have to start over.  Anyway, lined up my stroke, and said to myself, "I wonder what putting with your eyes closed does when you take your sight out of the equation,  just concentrate on the stroke and feel of the putt."

Made my first 13 in a row with my eyes closed.  Not sure what this proves, if anything,....but I was surprised.

[Ernest Jones]

Check out Fred Shoemaker's book "Extraordinary Putting", he has all kinds of strange putting exercises that are quite "eye opening". My personnal favorite is this one:  Line up a putt of about 30-40 feet and take a few practice strokes to get a feel for the speed then flip the putter upside down so the handle hangs down and with your eyes closed, walk to the hole and attempt to put the putter grip into the hole. It sounds wierd but this drill/exercise did amazing things for my sense of speed and distance control, I used to leave one putt short 5' and the next one would blow past the whole by 15'. Now my distance control is usually very good (within 18"-24" on a long one), too bad my green reading is abysmal