Playing Golf with Progressive Focus Glasses

[NuclearMike]

A little background:  I gave up golf for personal reasons about 12 years ago and came back to the game three years back.  When I left I was playing to a 10 and wore single vision glasses.  I got no-line bifocals during my time away and didn't think anything of it when I started playing again.  Ever since my return I've had trouble hitting my irons on the sweet spot, but I hit my longer clubs (Hybrids, 3W, and Driver) really well, especially when compared to the irons.  I had a thought a couple of weeks while at the range ago that maybe since I'm focusing on the back of the ball at address using different parts of the lens for the longer vs. shorter clubs that somehow my perception of ball position using the lower part of the lens might be slightly skewed, causing me to hit a lot of irons toward the toe instead of on the sweet spot.  I pulled out my old single vision glasses (the prescription is still good), went to the range, and found that I continued to hit my longer clubs well but experienced a vast improvement in contact with my irons.  I searched "bifocals" on the forums and didn't find that anyone else had made any comments about playing golf with them.  Has anyone else had any similar experiences?  I'm playing tomorrow morning and can't wait to see what happens!

[boogielicious]

I can't wear mine and play golf.  I just rough it with distance vision glasses.  I can read the score card if I lift my glasses up.

[iacas]

Look at the ball out of the center of your eyes. You should not need to look through the bottom or near the line.

Read this thread for more: .

[NuclearMike]

Look at the ball out of the center of your eyes. You should not need to look through the bottom or near the line.

Read this thread for more: ​ .

I appreciate the posture advice but I think that part of the problem is that I have no-line bifocals and my lenses are relatively narrow from top to bottom, so there isn't an easily positioned demarcation of the two parts of the lenses.

[iacas]

I appreciate the posture advice but I think that part of the problem is that I have no-line bifocals and my lenses are relatively narrow from top to bottom, so there isn't an easily positioned demarcation of the two parts of the lenses.

The point is that the CENTER of your glasses are not where the "line" is or would be, right? So look at the ball out of the CENTER of your glasses, not through the bottom of your glasses.

Whether your bifocals have lines or not, the "change" in prescription is towards the bottom of the lenses, not in the middle. Right?

[WUTiger]

A golf pro I know tells golfers to go with single-vision prescription sunglasses for golf. I had this in mind when I changes glasses last time.

Still, the glasses-fitting guy at my opthalmologist talked me into getting bifocal sunglasses for golf. I tried them, and it just didn't work. From 5-iron and shorter, I could see the ball OK. Any longer clubs, and the ball was on the "split line."

Fortunately, the eye doctor had a "30-day satisfaction guarantee" and switched me to single-vision sunglasses for no extra charge.

Prior to changing glasses, I had read that some golfers with blended lenses (distance high, reading low) sometimes have trouble with constant head position due to the subtle "horizon" line vision shift.

Anyway, with the single-vision, I find it easier and quicker to set up for shots.

[rkim291968]

I can't wear mine and play golf.  I just rough it with distance vision glasses.  I can read the score card if I lift my glasses up.

+1.  It create havoc during address, and swing.

[phan52]

I wouldn't know about playing with bifocals.The reason I've been wearing contacts instead of glasses for 18 years is that I hated playing golf wiith glasses. Switched to contacts the next week after the first time I played golf with my first pair of glasses. I haven't even tried bifocal or multifocal contacts for the same reason.

[teed off]

I appreciate the posture advice but I think that part of the problem is that I have no-line bifocals and my lenses are relatively narrow from top to bottom, so there isn't an easily positioned demarcation of the two parts of the lenses.

+1

I wear transitional lenses (no visible line) and I can't hit the ball period. I discussed this issue with my ophthalmologist (he is a golfer as well) and he said to forget wearing bi-focal lenses when golfing.

So I use single vision lenses and have no problem.

[NuclearMike]

The point is that the CENTER of your glasses are not where the "line" is or would be, right? So look at the ball out of the CENTER of your glasses, not through the bottom of your glasses.

Whether your bifocals have lines or not, the "change" in prescription is towards the bottom of the lenses, not in the middle. Right?

Do you wear bifocals, Erik?  If not I'm not sure where your expertise comes into play.  If so it's likely that your prescription and lenses are different than mine.  Progressive lenses are exactly that.  Progressive.  I have good focus at the top and the bottom third of the lenses but the middle is where the progression is. If I look out the center of the lens I'm not seeing in perfect focus. I'd need a much taller lens or a lined bifocal to have the kind of demarcation that would let me look directly out of the center of the lens.  Regardless, I'm going out tomorrow with single vision glasses and expect to see the same improvement on the course as I did at the range.  That seems to be the general consensus of the respondents who wear bifocals- don't do so on the course.

[rkim291968]

Do you wear bifocals, Erik?  If not I'm not sure where your expertise comes into play.  If so it's likely that your prescription and lenses are different than mine.  Progressive lenses are exactly that.  Progressive.  I have good focus at the top and the bottom third of the lenses but the middle is where the progression is. If I look out the center of the lens I'm not seeing in perfect focus. I'd need a much taller lens or a lined bifocal to have the kind of demarcation that would let me look directly out of the center of the lens.  Regardless, I'm going out tomorrow with single vision glasses and expect to see the same improvement on the course as I did at the range.  That seems to be the general consensus of the respondents who wear bifocals- don't do so on the course.

I sometime forget and take my progressive to the field.   And I have hard time focusing from address to swing.   At some point, I don't see the ball clearly and it bothers me.  Theoretically, it should be ok or even help keep my head down and keep my eye focused on ball until I finish my swing.

( Vantersteen 5 + MacCormack DNA 1 + California Audio, not so sure what your avatar image is)

[Artimas]

I can't wear mine and play golf.  I just rough it with distance vision glasses.  I can read the score card if I lift my glasses up.

I also got mine as transition lenses. They darken in sunlight, and are clear when it's overcast.

They work well.

[iacas]

I have good focus at the top and the bottom third of the lenses but the middle is where the progression is. If I look out the center of the lens I'm not seeing in perfect focus.

That's why I asked. And in my defense, the progressive lenses I've seen follow the same pattern - normal vision at the top and towards the center, with the "bifocal" (close-range) corrections gradually coming in towards the bottom.

Given your answer, my advice is the same as the others: get a pair of non-progressive glasses for golf and other outdoor activities that don't require close-range reading or vision.

I've renamed the thread. "Bifocals" is not really the best title as that implies bottom-corrective vision for near focus.

[MS256]

I was surprised to see the advice on TST about looking through the center of the eyes. I've always done it that way because I figured out early on that I simply hit the ball better that way. I can't imagine hitting a baseball or driving a nail or doing much of anything else that requires accuracy out of the lower part of my vision.

My head (and eyes) are in the same position in golf whether I am wearing my glasses for near sightedness or not wearing glasses at all. I've gotten some unsolicited advice over the years to hold my head up and look through the bottom of my glasses but I was (fortunately) much too stubborn to follow that advice.

[RandallT]

I have used progressive lenses this year, but my gut tells me that I should just go without. When I first started wearing them, there was an adjustment period- especially on the greens. I swore that everything was uphill, and I slowly learned to adjust. It was the oddest feeling for a few days. Kitchen countertops were all sloped up too, not just greens.  In retrospect, maybe I got a bad prescription, but it definitely took a few days to adjust.

I have golfed many rounds without glasses this season too, and I hit about the same. My problem is that I can't see the tiny ball past about 100 yards, so I spend more time looking for my ball. Since my distance vision suffers without glasses, so I have to rely on my phone GPS more to get yardages, and I can't see some of the details around the green that are sometimes helpful.

Thanks for changing the title! I saw bifocals and thought that didn't apply to me. I almost wrote that I don't use bifocals, but I do use progressives :)

[RayG]

I play with progressives and have no issues. I look thru the center middle distance portion and play fine. I will say that I play with what is probably the narrowest available progressive friendly frames.It makes a sweetspot in my vision for keeping the eye on the ball and I can maintain my head position in relation to the ball. But I think it also helps that I've played for 40+ years now and a certain amount of muscle memory comes into play. On particularly bright days I have prescription distance sunglasses that only give me problems when reading the card.

[NuclearMike]

That's why I asked. And in my defense, the progressive lenses I've seen follow the same pattern - normal vision at the top and towards the center, with the "bifocal" (close-range) corrections gradually coming in towards the bottom.

Given your answer, my advice is the same as the others: get a pair of non-progressive glasses for golf and other outdoor activities that don't require close-range reading or vision.

I've renamed the thread. "Bifocals" is not really the best title as that implies bottom-corrective vision for near focus.

Thanks for renaming the thread, but lenses with two different focus points are "bifocals", whether the lenses are progressive or lined.  My lenses are corrective for both near vision and distance vision.  They aren't "normal" at the top of the lens.  That would imply no correction at all.  And as I stated in my original post, I already have single-vision glasses and have used them on the range and will do so on the course again tomorrow with the hope of regaining some of the game that time and sight have taken away.  Getting old isn't for pussies.

( Vantersteen 5 + MacCormack DNA 1 + California Audio, not so sure what your avatar image is)

My avatar is one of my McIntosh monoblock tube amps.  Just love the look, and even more the performance.

[iacas]

Thanks for renaming the thread, but lenses with two different focus points are "bifocals", whether the lenses are progressive or lined.  My lenses are corrective for both near vision and distance vision.  They aren't "normal" at the top of the lens.  That would imply no correction at all.  And as I stated in my original post, I already have single-vision glasses and have used them on the range and will do so on the course again tomorrow with the hope of regaining some of the game that time and sight have taken away.  Getting old isn't for pussies.

I think most people assume "bifocal" means that the change in focus is in the bottom 1/3rd. "Progressive" will make them read a bit more to understand that you have an unusual or rarer (it seems) pair of bifocal glasses.