Looking in front of the ball

[horsegoer]

I have no idea what's causing this but when I look an inch or two in front of the ball I make great impact and divot but when I look right at the ball no good. Why is that? Thanks.

[Shilgy]

Moves your low point forward.

[horsegoer]

1 minute ago, Shilgy said:

Moves your low point forward.

Geez. So how do I fix that so that I can look at the ball and still make great impact? 

[Shilgy]

5 minutes ago, horsegoer said:

Geez. So how do I fix that so that I can look at the ball and still make great impact? 

Why?  I do the same when chipping….sometimes look at the front of the ball with irons.

 

If you’re making great contact why look elsewhere?

[horsegoer]

5 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Why?  I do the same when chipping….sometimes look at the front of the ball with irons.

 

If you’re making great contact why look elsewhere?

Thanks. Assumed you should always look at the ball and if your looking in front of it then something is out of alignment etc.

[nikos74]

20 minutes ago, horsegoer said:

I have no idea what's causing this but when I look an inch or two in front of the ball I make great impact and divot but when I look right at the ball no good. Why is that? Thanks.

Probably swaying a tiny bit on the backswing, thus moving your low point backwards.

 

The quick fix is what you are doing.

[Shilgy]

1 hour ago, horsegoer said:

Thanks. Assumed you should always look at the ball and if your looking in front of it then something is out of alignment etc.

“Looking at the ball” does give you a lot of leeway in where you look.  If that is what makes you most comfortable pick out a dimple on the very front of the ball…not the back.

That said is you hit it most solidly looking just in front of the ball I would continue doing that.👍

[DaveLeeNC]

1 hour ago, Shilgy said:

Why?  I do the same when chipping….sometimes look at the front of the ball with irons.

 

If you’re making great contact why look elsewhere?

I also find that looking at (roughly) the front of the ball on chip/pitch shots to be helpful.

 

dave

[Santiago Golf]

its a cheat code for alot people I teach for short game. If you are right eye dominant and you try to look at the ball ... your head will through your COG backwards and low point will move backwards

 

 

[stryper]

3 hours ago, horsegoer said:

Geez. So how do I fix that so that I can look at the ball and still make great impact? 

I’ll join the choruses of why?  Why would you want to overthink something that works?  Nowhere is it written that looking at the ball is an absolute, and nowhere is it written that focusing your attention elsewhere (in this case a bit forward) is any kind of flaw.  
 

For further reference, I would suggest you take a look at Bobby Clampett’s Impact Zone book, and his idea of low point control.  
 

Bottom line is, being “ball bound” is no recipe for success.  

[iacas]

The Golfing Machine calls it the "aiming point" IIRC and suggests that you look 4" or so in front o the ball (which is where Bobby Clampett got it).

[rchang72]

1 hour ago, Santiago Golf said:

its a cheat code for alot people I teach for short game. If you are right eye dominant and you try to look at the ball ... your head will through your COG backwards and low point will move backwards

 

 

What if you’re left eye dominant 

[Chunkitgood]

I thought the Golfing Machine aiming point is behind the ball.

[iacas]

22 minutes ago, Chunkitgood said:

I thought the Golfing Machine aiming point is behind the ball.

 

For a driver it could be. Forward of it for irons.

[stryper]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

 

For a driver it could be. Forward of it for irons.

Not a Golfing Machine guy myself, but this sounds about right, especially keeping in mind current thinking about angle of attack and hitting up on driver.

[Jackal]

I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out.

At address , I was pushing the club into the ground .

Most of my shots were slightly fat.

During the takeaway the club would drag on sprigs of grass, etc .

After doing a " light rest" but not really a hover, my shots have turned out a lot better.

The club doesn't hit the dirt and open the face, and without hitting the dirt first, my distance has increased.

I tried the ( front of the ball)  concept and it didn't solve all of my problems.

Edited April 15 by Jackal

[Albatross Dreamer]

On 4/14/2024 at 8:01 PM, iacas said:

The Golfing Machine calls it the "aiming point" IIRC and suggests that you look 4" or so in front o the ball (which is where Bobby Clampett got it).

Have you found this to work well for any of your students? And do you know if any pros do such a thing?

[iacas]

2 hours ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

Have you found this to work well for any of your students? And do you know if any pros do such a thing?

 

I don't use it with all or even most.

 

Occasionally it's helpful. I've never really had it not help at least a little.

[Nicknomates]

One possible consequence of looking directly at the ball is that you can become ball bound. Probably ok for someone who has a hitting intent but not so much for someone who is a swinger with the intention/feeling the ball just gets in the way as it were.

Interestingly, Alex Morrison said you should point your chin at a point behind the ball, which seems to make you look at the ball out of the corner of your lead side eye. Percy Boomer suggested people should peek at the ball from the corner or the right (lead side) eye and didn't Jack Nicklaus tilt his head and look at the ball this way.

I have found doing this also helps the sequence of the downswing.

Perhaps, looking in front also makes you less ball bound.

Edited April 22 by Nicknomates
Typed Bloomer instead of Boomer

[Robert L.]

I do this when putting. When I'm ready to pull the trigger I let my eyes move up along the line a few inches, then make my stroke. The ball MUST pass over this point on its way to the cup. Spot putting works well especially on those short putts when you don't want to miss.