Where do you look while swinging?

[ajw426]

So, I got a new hitting mat and net, and I was actually trying to hit just up and over the net with a flop shot. One of my frequent misses with the flop shot on the course is to hit behind the ball and bounce the club into the ball. It doesn't result in a blade, but definitely not the type of trajectory I'm looking for. So, I decided to try to hit the ground just in front of the ball. I hit a few thin, but a higher percentage were struck well. I adjusted again and looked at the anterior most part of the ball. After doing so, my shots with ideal contact and trajectory went from about 6/10 to 9/10. After now finally noticing where I actually look throughout my normal swings (right at the point where my club and ball meet at address, or the most posterior portion of the ball), I attempted "looking" and focusing on different points. I struggle with fading the ball and coming over the top at times, as well as occasionally hitting fat. When I focused on striking the anterior portion of the ball, versus the posterior portion, my ball striking just became so much better. I know this probably won't be a fix to all of my problems, but it is very interesting to me, and possibly a step in the right direction to my inside out path. So, this was the first time in my 20 years of golfing that I remember paying any attention to this particular detail. I have also never heard of anyone else (not that I am a guru of swing thoughts by any means) hitting on this type of swing thought (other than maybe sand shots). Is this something that anyone else focuses on or has changed about their swing in the past? Where, exactly, do you all look when swinging/striking? Curious to hear if others pay attention to this detail or not.

[pstvev]

I have never deliberately looked at any part of the ball, so I suppose I just look at the center of the ball. The exception might be bunker shots, where I look at the point in the sand or on the ball that I want to strike first.

It doesn't seem out of line that merely by focusing on a specific part of the ball you started to strike it better. Visualizing how you want to hit a shot is good technique to allow your muscle memory to execute your intentions (as opposed to thinking "don't hit it in the water on the left; don't hit it in the water on the left; don't hit it ..." ... *splash*). Forcing your brain to think about one portion of the ball seems to be in the same vein, and could be leading you to more consistent good shots.

Another theory is that by focusing on some portion of the ball, you are inadvertently keeping your head more still through the swing and contact.

[GolfLug]

I keep a soft focus on the ball and target line while swinging.

I look at the heavens for divine intervention BEFORE swinging though.