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So who's going to try putting with their eyes closed?


jordan2240

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After watching Sergio's putting display this weekend, I went down to my basement 'swing lab' and tried putting with my eyes closed, as Sergio was doing.  I was surprised at how well it worked, though I didn't always make good contact with the putter.  Then, I decided that maybe it was similar to looking at the hole instead of the ball, and found that to be more accurate.  I guess the whole idea is that, when you aren't seeing the putter head moving, you are less likely to try to make adjustments as you swing.  So just wondering if anyone else plans to try something different after Sergio's win.

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Been there; done that.

 

When I was the worst putter in the world (early 1980's), I had the yips so bad that if I had a putt hanging on the lip, I could have had a six-footer coming back. No joke.

 

I'm right handed, but ended up putting left-handed, cross-handed, wearing either big fluffy winter cart mitts or sometimes boxing gloves and closed my eyes after a few practice strokes looking at the hole. I hit the ball purely in the center of the face. If I had my eyes open, I hit everything off the heel.

 

I may be one of the only living humans to have cured the yips. And I credit the eyes closed more than anything else.

 

I'm back to right-handed with a traditional grip, but I may go back to closing my eyes again. I always stroke it pure.

 

Don't mock it if you haven't tried it . . .

 

Edited by Soloman1
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I think there is something to this. Whether closing your eyes, looking at the hole, or as I do, just focusing on a small point on the ball, I generally putt better if my attention is focused on something other than the putter head during the stroke. This all seems somewhat similar to Joseph Parent's "Zen Putting" idea.  

 

I have certainly fallen prey to looking at the clubhead during a stroke, and then thinking "man, I took that back way too far..." or whatever, and then trying to correct. Rarely leads to good results.

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I think something important to take into consideration when it comes to pro's and all their weird set ups, tweaks and things like putting with their eyes closed is that these guys play so much golf to the point that they run out of ideas to keep things fresh. 

 

When you play a lot of golf its hard to stay on top of your game and sometimes a little swing thought or fix can make a world of difference in the way you play. Hence putting with your eyes closed, probably something he came up with that worked, do not be surprised if by this time next year he has one eye open instead or something else that's giving him confidence in a odd way. 

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57 minutes ago, ZacR88 said:

I think something important to take into consideration when it comes to pro's and all their weird set ups, tweaks and things like putting with their eyes closed is that these guys play so much golf to the point that they run out of ideas to keep things fresh. 

 

When you play a lot of golf its hard to stay on top of your game and sometimes a little swing thought or fix can make a world of difference in the way you play. Hence putting with your eyes closed, probably something he came up with that worked, do not be surprised if by this time next year he has one eye open instead or something else that's giving him confidence in a odd way. 

Yep, that's the journey for all serious golfers.  Find something, enjoy it till is stops working, then find something else.  If there's one thing I've learned from this game, its that everything you think is the answer will stop working.  It's much the same in pool/billiards.  

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Give it a try. Nothing to lose and clearly shows there's many valid ways to attack this game.


I had a run of about 5 years where I putted looking at the hole on all putts. Last couple of years, I'm back to looking at the ball. Dunno why I switched back. Just felt like doing it, I guess. Results are about the same either way for me.

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5 hours ago, Ferguson said:

Not me.  I'm done copying the tour guys.   

 

I tried to copy Bryson.   After two small heart attacks, I got into a bar fight, drank too many protein shakes and then threw up in my mask.

 

If you had "aspirated" into your mask, and he was alive, Paul Newman could get you big bucks for that in a movie! 

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4 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

If you had "aspirated" into your mask, and he was alive, Paul Newman could get you big bucks for that in a movie! 

 

 

Hawk - 

 

I held you in high regard before today but now you've taken it to a new level. 

 

 

The Verdict is my all-time favorite movie.   

 

 

"I believe there is justice in our hearts." 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

Hawk - 

 

I held you in high regard before today but now you've taken it to a new level. 

 

 

The Verdict is my all-time favorite movie.   

 

 

"I believe there is justice in our hearts." 

 

 

 

Haha, I'll be your friend in low places!  As soon as I read "threw up in my mask" I was transported to James Mason coaching the trembling doctor!

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With all due respect to Sergio and the talent he obviously has, he has consistently been one of the worst putters on tour in terms of strokes gained for the last 7 years, not really keen to take ideas from there. 😅

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I do it as a drill. Have only putted one full round with eyes closed, only on short putts 6' and in. 

I have a tendency to close the face down especially on short puts. Putting with the eyes closed helps to stop the fast twitch muscles in fingers and hands from reacting and closing the face.  

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3 hours ago, Dr. Block said:

Yep, that's the journey for all serious golfers.  Find something, enjoy it till is stops working, then find something else.  If there's one thing I've learned from this game, its that everything you think is the answer will stop working.  It's much the same in pool/billiards.  

Ain't that the absolute truth.  Seems everything I try, whether with the putter or regular golf swing, works for a couple of rounds, and then mysteriously doesn't.  On the plus side, I've built a huge repertoire of swings to choose from when one goes south.

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LOL, did this get moved to "Putters" as in it's about equipement?  Seemed like it was somewhere appropriate when I first saw it earlier. This sub forum is titled "sound off favorite putter designers & show off your collection" because that's what it has always been for. OP's thread deserves a little more play in a place where folks might look for it. 😉

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My personal take is that there is nothing inherently superior/inferior with any putting techniques, i.e. looking at the ball, looking at the hole, close eyes, etc. If so, anyone will be doing it. There are pros and cons with each technique, so things just even out. 

 

One thing, based on common sense, is the switching cost is high. I tried “looking at the hole” technique for a bit, but simply couldn’t put in the time to make it work. I’d imagine anyone (more so for pros) will need to put in awful amount of time to make the technique to work.  

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21 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

LOL, did this get moved to "Putters" as in it's about equipement?  Seemed like it was somewhere appropriate when I first saw it earlier. 

Yeah, I'd posted it in 'general golf talk', but I guess a mod thought 'putters' was more appropriate.  I'd disagree, but no biggie.

 

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4 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

Hawk - 

 

I held you in high regard before today but now you've taken it to a new level. 

 

 

The Verdict is my all-time favorite movie.   

 

 

"I believe there is justice in our hearts." 

 

 

Cool Hand Luke was he and George Kennedy's best work in my opinion

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I look at the hole, and have that image in my mind. I look back at the ball, but the image in my mind is still the hole.

 

Imagine a "split-screen" tv shot. Two images at once. Actual visual to make sure I put on a good stroke, mental image to have the feel and lag right.

 

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Fred Shoemaker, in his book Extraordinary Putting has a drill where you look at the hole while putting a 4 footer - it is supposed to show your true stroke without the interference that comes from that anti golf thing between your ears ::)  I was playing with that last week and actually did it at the course on Sunday and it worked.

 

The next drill is to look at the hole as if to burn that image in your mind and that is what is in your mind while you putt - that also works for me, but if your monkey brain comes back to thoughts like "Don't pull this one" you are toast.

 

I laughed when I saw Sergio was putting with his eyes closed, since I was doing the similar looking at the hole 🙂  Whatever works...

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With how bad my eyes are it's basically like I'm putting with my eyes closed. 

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I did this drill to help find my gamer putter.  Set-up 6 footers, and used the data (proximity to hole) with eyes closed to see which putter fit my swing. 

 

On course, I aim an inch in front of the ball.  My putting has improved with the practice and "fitting".

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Hope this is not off topic but it's an eye closed drill.  It was a long time ago and I forgot the source of the drill but it was an eye opener. 

 

Don't measure but have about at least a 25 footer to your eye.  Address ball then drop the putter, then close your eyes.  With your eyes closed walk toward the hole and stop when you think the hole is beneath you.   I found a little anxiety somewhere out in the distance. 

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Done it

 it works when my putting goes sour
 I start blaming my putter calling it the ugliest putter I ever own. 
I don’t close my eyes through the whole stroke just when I address my ugly putter to the ball and open immediately after I stroke the ball   Watch the ball roll to the hole. 

 Just reaffirm it’s the ugly putter fault and not the one stroking the ball.  

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4 hours ago, harolease said:

Done it

 it works when my putting goes sour
 I start blaming my putter calling it the ugliest putter I ever own. 
I don’t close my eyes through the whole stroke just when I address my ugly putter to the ball and open immediately after I stroke the ball   Watch the ball roll to the hole. 

 Just reaffirm it’s the ugly putter fault and not the one stroking the ball.  

That's what Sergio was doing - closing his eyes for the stroke but opening them immediately after contact.

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