Geoff Mangum's thoughts on aim; what am I missing?

thejazzmarauder · May 24, 2017

Geoff Mangum teaches that the eyes should gaze straight out of the face (think of looking in a mirror and drawing a horizontal line along a pair of glasses, through both pupils) and "swivel" perfectly along the target line (where the putter is aimed). This makes plenty of sense to me given that the face is parallel to the ground with the eyes situated over the ball. Mangum, however, says that this isn't necessary.

If you gaze straight out, but your eyes are inside the ball, meaning the face isn't parallel to the ground, how does the "ferris wheel" metaphor hold up? Aren't you now on a non-vertical plane (similar to the golf swing)? I'm assuming there's something I'm missing.

How does Mangum claim that "at the end of the head swivel, the straight gaze is geometrically guaranteed to aim at the same location the putter face aims" while also saying that "placing the eyeballs inside the golf ball is still okay so long as the gaze is perpendicular out of the face, and the face is aimed at the ball?"

thejazzmarauder · May 24, 2017

More aim-related quotes from Mangum (Putting Zone):

"Pivot the head like an “apple on a stick” to run the fixed-gaze line of sight in a straight line sideways along the ground, with this line being the same line of aim of the putter face, as far off as the target near the hole. At the end of the head swivel, the straight gaze is geometrically guaranteed to aim at the same location the putter face aims. To simplify further, if the golfer closes the lead-side eye and aims the other eye the same as the face, a point in this eye’s field of vision about 1” laterally in from the bridge of the nose will aim at the exact spot where the putter face aims."

"The key to accurately perceiving the aim of the putter face is realizing how a fixed and straight-out gaze is necessary when the head swivels targetward in order to keep the line of sight running straight and true along the ground… A line of sight straight out of the face, however, works with a head swivel to propel the line of sight straight away sideways."

"Setting the eye line to the putt line while also “facing” the ball and line with a straight gaze allows you to use a side-on head turn that moves the line of sight in a straight line along the ground straight away from the putter face. And this line the sight runs down is the SAME line the putter face aims down."

"For this to be done correctly, you have to know that your gaze is directed straight out of your face, that your eye line is perpendicular to the face of the putter so it runs true to the aim of the face, and that your head turn is accomplished with the axis of rotation steady and the top of your head kept in one point in space as the turn progresses."

"When the eyeballs are inside the ball, the forehead will necessarily be higher than the chin with a straight-out gaze, but the face as a whole must aim at the ball and the eyeballs aim

straight out so that the lines of sight look where the face aims… The frequent claim that positioning the eyeballs inside the ball “causes” golfers to misperceive the target to the outside of its true location is not accurate, as a straight-out gaze with a simple head swivel works fine from this location."

"The old “rule” of the 1950s and 1960s had two parts: 1) set the eyeballs directly above the golf ball, and 2) set the back of the head and face “flat” to the surface, but this “rule” missed the essential element of setting the gaze perpendicular out of the face; although the 2-part rule achieves the perpendicular gaze, it is ONLY the perpendicular gaze that matters."

"Placing the eyeballs inside the golf ball is still okay so long as the gaze is perpendicular out of the face, and the face is aimed at the ball along with the gaze direction of the line of sight."

jbw749 · May 24, 2017

I never quite understood what Geoff was talking about with the skull being aligned. It seems like most good putters today have their gaze outside the ball. Tigers looks outside doesn't it?

oikos1 · May 24, 2017

I never quite understood what Geoff was talking about with the skull being aligned. It seems like most good putters today have their gaze outside the ball. Tigers looks outside doesn't it?

How are you coming to this conclusion?

jbw749 · May 24, 2017

I never quite understood what Geoff was talking about with the skull being aligned. It seems like most good putters today have their gaze outside the ball. Tigers looks outside doesn't it?

How are you coming to this conclusion?

I'm asking people who may know, because it looks like his eyes are rolled down his cheeks. If he were wearing sunglasses the straight part that hooks over the ear looks like it would point 2' outside the ball.

Conclusion? Yes or I'm misunderstanding what GM is talking about.

Terry Gold · May 24, 2017

blah, blah, blah.

golf insurance for rubes.

Etzwane · May 24, 2017

There are two points in Mangum's arguments.

The first is aiming: if your face is straight at the ball (or you look straight out at the ball, in central vision) AND your body is correctly aligned AND you just rotate the head to look at the hole (no eye movement) THEN your gaze will "trace" your aim line. It is essential that the eye sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis (neck) for this to make sense. This is intended as final validation of your setup in front of the ball, no as the way to read putt, choose an aim point or setup.

Second, with the same conditions the amount of head turn you need to look at the hole gives a sensory feedback to the length of the putt so it can be used as a validation of your planned stoke.

thejazzmarauder · May 24, 2017

There are two points in Mangum's arguments.

The first is aiming: if your face is straight at the ball (or you look straight out at the ball, in central vision) AND your body is correctly aligned AND you just rotate the head to look at the hole (no eye movement) THEN your gaze will "trace" your aim line. It is essential that the eye sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis (neck) for this to make sense. This is intended as final validation of your setup in front of the ball, no as the way to read putt, choose an aim point or setup.

Second, with the same conditions the amount of head turn you need to look at the hole gives a sensory feedback to the length of the putt so it can be used as a validation of your planned stoke.

It's the "then your gaze will trace your aimline" part that i was having some trouble with. I may have reasoned it out, though:

Imaginr your eyes are on the bottom of a ferris wheel. If eyes are over the ball and wheel rotates, eyes will trace the line. If the entire wheel shifts so that it lies flat and the eyes now point straight out at the horizon, and the wheel then rotates, eyes will trace the horizon. There are many different lines between the horizon and straight-down aimline where this must also be true. Not sure that makes sense, but I think I get it.

Millbrook · May 24, 2017

There are two points in Mangum's arguments.

The first is aiming: if your face is straight at the ball (or you look straight out at the ball, in central vision) AND your body is correctly aligned AND you just rotate the head to look at the hole (no eye movement) THEN your gaze will "trace" your aim line. It is essential that the eye sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis (neck) for this to make sense. This is intended as final validation of your setup in front of the ball, no as the way to read putt, choose an aim point or setup.

Second, with the same conditions the amount of head turn you need to look at the hole gives a sensory feedback to the length of the putt so it can be used as a validation of your planned stoke.

It's the "then your gaze will trace your aimline" part that i was having some trouble with. I may have reasoned it out, though:

Imaginr your eyes are on the bottom of a ferris wheel. If eyes are over the ball and wheel rotates, eyes will trace the line. If the entire wheel shifts so that it lies flat and the eyes now point straight out at the horizon, and the wheel then rotates, eyes will trace the horizon. There are many different lines between the horizon and straight-down aimline where this must also be true. Not sure that makes sense, but I think I get it.

This was all new to me but I think this explanation makes sense.

Etzwane · May 24, 2017

There are two points in Mangum's arguments.

The first is aiming: if your face is straight at the ball (or you look straight out at the ball, in central vision) AND your body is correctly aligned AND you just rotate the head to look at the hole (no eye movement) THEN your gaze will "trace" your aim line. It is essential that the eye sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis (neck) for this to make sense. This is intended as final validation of your setup in front of the ball, no as the way to read putt, choose an aim point or setup.

Second, with the same conditions the amount of head turn you need to look at the hole gives a sensory feedback to the length of the putt so it can be used as a validation of your planned stoke.

It's the "then your gaze will trace your aimline" part that i was having some trouble with. I may have reasoned it out, though:

Imaginr your eyes are on the bottom of a ferris wheel. If eyes are over the ball and wheel rotates, eyes will trace the line. If the entire wheel shifts so that it lies flat and the eyes now point straight out at the horizon, and the wheel then rotates, eyes will trace the horizon. There are many different lines between the horizon and straight-down aimline where this must also be true. Not sure that makes sense, but I think I get it.

You can convince yourserf with two pens at right angle to each other, one is the neck and the other the eye sight. Point the "eye sight" at the edge of a table and the "neck" square to it then rotate the "neck".