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THE VISUAL SYSTEM
Golf is one of the few games where you don't look directly at the target you are trying to hit so seeing the target in your mind is an important skill. You can improve your visualization by becoming more precise when you actually look at a target like the flagstick or a fairway -- study its characteristics rather than just glancing at it.
The rule of thumb is to glance at the ball and stare at the target. This helps you focus on where you want the ball to go. You want to pick out tire tracks or a mound or some other distinguishing feature that makes the target come alive in your minds eye. Ben Hogan was famous for not only picking out a tree in the distance as a guide but a specific limb on that tree.
Dominant Eye
Your "dominant eye" is the one that focuses on the target while your other eye gathers information to help you determine depth perception by locating other objects as reference points. The brain then takes information from both eyes and fuses it together into a composite of the two images. Basically we guess where things are using our third eye, the "mind's eye."
You can determine your "eye dominance" as follows:
1) With both eyes open, look at an object about 20 feet away.
2) Raise a finger and line it up so that your finger is overlapping the object.
3) Now close one eye. If it looks like your finger "jumped" and it is no
longer in line with the object, then the eye you closed is "dominant."
The majority of the golfers are right eye dominant causing them to stare at the ball with their right eye. Now if you make a good coil somewhere near the top of your swing the bridge of your nose (its worse if you wear glasses) blocks your right eye from seeing the ball. This causes two problems: either you turn you head to see the ball or quit coiling so you can maintain eye contact.
Solution: Turn you head at address so your dominant eye looks at the ball; e.g. if you're right eyed dominant and right handed take your normal address position then cock your head toward the target.
Depth Perception or Deception - Its Your Choice
Accurate depth perception is a key to playing your best golf since to score well you must determine the targets exact location. And DP is not something fixed at birth - its an acquired skill for those who can run their own brain because basically you can teach your brain depth perception by using trial and error in your visual practice.
Instead of riding in the cart, walk. Before you leave the tee pick out several pairs of targets in the same relative area then as .....
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