Eye Dominance in Golf: A Piece of the Golf Puzzle

Do you know that eye dominance in golf can play an enormous position in swinging constantly nicely? Despite the fact that a golf swing solely takes a second or two, your eyes can have an effect on all the pieces. 

When most individuals begin enjoying golf it’s widespread to listen to, “Are you proper or left-handed?” Whereas that’s a very good first query to ask, the subsequent one ought to be about eye dominance. Generally, most golfers play golf with the identical hand they write with however there are some notable exceptions like Phil Mickeslon. 

However apart out of your major hand, your eyes can impression our goal from behind the ball, setup, and different components of the golf swing. So let me ask, have you learnt in the event you’re left eye dominant or proper eye dominant? 

At present we’ll make it simple to grasp which is your major eye and how one can make delicate changes for giant modifications in golf.

Eye Dominance in Golf 

In the case of the golf swing most concentrate on grip, posture, stance, takeaway, and wrist motion… however what concerning the eyes?

Truthfully, eyes usually are not mentioned very a lot. In reality, after watching golf on TV for many years I infrequently keep in mind an announcer speaking about this topic. Justin Leonard is among the few to speak about this topic within the 2022 US Open. In any other case, it’s hardly a dialog you’ll hear on the vary along with your buddies.

Apart from a participant getting LASIK surgical procedure to assist learn greens higher, eye dominance is sort of a hidden a part of the golf swing. However understanding the position of your dominant and non-dominant eye can impression the way you set as much as the golf ball and what sort of changes you would possibly have to make. 

So, are most golfers dominant with the identical hand? Or not?

In response to Shanborn Eye Specialist, “Sixty-five % of individuals have a dominant eye that’s the similar as their dominant hand. That’s, in the event that they’re right-handed, their dominant eye is their proper eye (or left eye in the event that they’re left-handed).

Eighteen % of individuals are cross dominant, with their dominant eye totally different from their dominant hand. Curiously, 17 % of individuals don’t have any identifiable dominant eye.”

Key Takeaways

• Your eyes can play a giant position within the golf swing even when the subject isn’t mentioned. 
• Eye dominance impacts your visible notion and impacts goal, depth notion, ball place, and different components of your golf swing.
• It’s essential to know your dominant eye so you may attempt to mimic golfers with the identical dominant eye. For instance, in the event you’re a left eye dominant golfer you shouldn’t attempt to arrange and swing like a golfer who is correct eye dominant. 

Preserve studying to study all the pieces you must know concerning the pivotal position your eyes play within the golf swing. 

Golf is a Visible Sport

Golf is a really visible sport and your eyes may cause loads of issues with out even realizing it. Consider your eyes as a cone of imaginative and prescient – the retina makes focus a precedence and peripheral imaginative and prescient on the outer components of the attention.

As Sports activities EdTv stated, “When the attention is static the mind will take info from each a part of the cone (visible area) central and peripheral. Within the drive as an illustration the centre of the cone will likely be targeted on the again floor of the ball, whereas the outer a part of the cone will likely be monitoring the trail of the downswing because the picture of the membership traverses peripheral retina.”

The timing, goal, head motion, and even grip can differ drastically primarily based in your dominant eye.

Begin by Figuring out Your Dominant Eye

Earlier than entering into setup and swing modifications it’s essential to determine your dominant eye initially. For some individuals that is simple to do as you’ve most likely realized what eye runs the present because you had been a child. 

For instance, I can barely see out of my proper eye regardless of being a right-handed golfer. As a result of optic nerve points and a cataract, the imaginative and prescient is blurry and minimal at greatest. This leaves my left eye to do just about all the pieces and as soon as I spotted it, drastically modified my recreation. 

Simply since you’re a right-handed golfer, doesn’t imply you’re a proper eye dominant (or vice versa for left-handed golfers). So it’s essential to first set up that there are two varieties of proper or left-handed individuals – since 90% of people are right-handed we’ll concentrate on them to maintain issues easy.’

Easy methods to Decide Your Dominant and Non-Dominant Eye 

Earlier than entering into why this issues, begin by doing a check to find out which is the dominant eye and which is the non-dominant eye. Right here’s how one can decide which eye is the first (this YouTube video may be very useful too): 

• Begin by making a triangle along with your arms through the use of your thumbs and pointer fingers. 
• Then, concentrate on one thing within the distance like an image on the wall or a clock inside the triangle.
• You need to hold each eyes open. Then, shut your left eye – does the article keep centered or does it transfer? 
• If it stays centered your proper eye is your dominant eye. If it strikes out of middle your left eye is your dominant eye.

You can even use two different assessments talked about on this YouTube video as nicely. Right here’s why that is so essential in relation to hitting golf pictures.

Two Varieties of Golfers 

In response to Richard Hughes Optical there are two varieties of proper handed golfers. As talked about on this article, “Kind 1 People (Proper Eye, Proper Hand, and Proper Foot) or Kind 2 People (Any Left Dominance inside the three). Whereas individuals could argue concerning the uncooked numbers, it’s sufficient to say that Kind 1 people are much more widespread than Kind 2 people and that the variations between the 2 are vital.”

This breakthrough got here after PGA West educating professional Jim Hartnett when he began to grasp the position of the eyes within the swing. He was working with a wide range of professionals and amateurs and understood that the dominant eye performed a giant position within the swing. He mentioned this in dept within the e book, “Golf for the Different 80%” 

Finally, Richard Hughes (with the assistance from others) discovered, “Not solely does Eye Dominance play a big position in a Golfer’s skill to make constant contact, however the golfer probably has no understanding of why they fail to enhance!”

So in the event you’re fighting constant ball hanging, your eyes may be guilty. 

Kind One or Kind Two?

When you’re right-handed with proper eye dominant then you definately’re a kind 1 golfer. When you’re right-handed with left eye dominant then you definately’re a kind 2 golfer.

Understanding your dominant eye is vital however don’t neglect, each play a task in your golf swing. 

As the identical article talked about above, “Simply as every hand performs a task in gripping the membership, the golfer makes use of each eyes to make sure clear contact and pure strikes; optometrists use the time period Binocular Imaginative and prescient to explain this shared relationship. 

Throughout the swing, a golfer makes use of their mixed cones of imaginative and prescient (Bi-Foveal Fixation) to keep up concentrate on the ball and using their peripheries to trace the membership via impression.”

Issues get tough while you transfer your head an excessive amount of within the swing. Extra head motion can intervene with the dominant eye and result in inconsistent contact. So in the event you hit loads of skinny or fats pictures, this may be a contributing purpose. 

Don’t get me mistaken, you continue to want robust fundamentals as nicely. But when it feels such as you’ve tried all the pieces, your eyes may be the problem. 

Kind 1 vs. Kind 2 

After placing this collectively Jim Hartnett discovered one thing very stunning – most Tour gamers had been Kind 2. Which means, they’d their essential eye, hand or foot because the dominant one of their swing. Whereas some execs had been sort 1, they tended to have much less typical swings which we’ll get into within the subsequent part.

How Your Eyes Have an effect on Your Purpose 

Now that you’ve a greater understanding of your dominant eye let’s take into consideration how this could have an effect on your goal. As you realize, aiming in golf is among the most essential issues as incorrect alignment can result in every kind of points.

Let’s say you’re a right-handed sort one golfer – this could make aiming more durable. Since your proper eye is dominant, it’s farther away from the goal and middleman goal. Conversely, in the event you’re a kind two golfer with a stronger left imaginative and prescient, this makes goal simpler as you’re nearer to the goal and your nostril received’t get in the best way.

When you’re a kind one golfer who is correct eye dominant it’s much more essential to choose an middleman goal on each shot. That is one thing that’s proper in entrance of the ball and on the identical path to your lengthy vary goal. 

However there are extra points than simply alignment for the common golfer to face.

Left Eye Dominant Golfer (Kind 2)

Now that you realize the distinction between sort one and two golfers, let’s get into how left eye dominant can thrive in golf. When you’re a right-handed golfer and left eye dominant, you’re much like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. As talked about above, research have discovered that almost all skilled golfers are literally cross dominant!

So, how must you arrange and swing?

When you watch a video of Jack Nicklaus on YouTube you’ll discover he tilts his head again barely proper at deal with place. This permits him for his left eye to be immediately over the ball (Justin Thomas is one other elite ball striker who does this as nicely). 

By rotating the pinnacle barely again, it’s simpler to see the again of the ball. This is the reason sort one golfers are likely to have longer, extra fluid swings. As they take a much bigger backswing they’re nonetheless capable of concentrate on the ball even when it’s nicely previous parallel. Just a few good examples of this transfer embrace John Daly and Phil Mickelson.

It additionally makes it barely simpler to goal and concentrate on the goal as they’re nearer to it and their nostril isn’t getting in the best way. 

Proper Eye Dominant Golfer (Kind 1)

Proper eye dominant (sort one) golfers have to make some changes vs. sort two gamers. 

Maybe the perfect examples of those golfers are Annika Sorrenstam, David Duval, and Henrik Stenson. Every certainly one of these elite golfers get their head up a lot sooner than loads of different gamers. It is because they’re proper eye dominant and need to keep sight and naturally flip sooner.

Since they’re proper handed they should have extra head rotation on the downswing to maintain targeted on the golf ball. Some of these golfers additionally have to spend extra time getting aligned at deal with since their proper eye is additional away from the goal. 

Just a few different examples of Tour gamers who’re same-eye dominant golfers are Tony Finau and Jon Rahm. Each of them have very quick backswings however generate a ton of energy and mainly get in the identical place on the high of their swing. However they’re very totally different from somebody like John Daly who’s cross dominant and might observe the ball with an enormous shoulder flip.

FAQs About Dominant Eye in Golf Swing

Do you may have extra questions concerning the position of your eyes on this extremely visible sport? If that’s the case, hold studying to study extra now. 

How does eye dominance have an effect on golf swing?

Your eyes play a giant position in your goal, shoulder flip, and head motion. To not point out a huge impact on studying greens too. Use the three assessments above to determine your dominant eye so you may make any essential changes.

Is Tiger Woods left or proper eye dominant? 

Tiger is a left eye dominant golfer. 

Was Jack Nicklaus right-eye dominant? 

Jack Nicklaus, like Tiger, can also be a left eye dominant golfer. When you watch footage of Jack you may see how he tilts his head again to the precise barely at deal with. This permits him to see the again of the ball extra with this left eye and make an extended, fluid swing.

Is Phil Mickelson proper or left aspect dominant?

Phil is sort two participant as he’s truly right-handed however chooses to play golf as a lefty (one of many few cross dominant gamers). He additionally has a fluid, longer swing than most golfers.

Some attribute this as one of many causes he’s such an amazing quick recreation participant. Since his proper hand controls the swing he’s capable of hit all varieties of unbelievable quick recreation pictures by manipulating the membership head higher than most.

Are you able to play golf with just one eye? 

Sure, as somebody who doesn’t have hardly any imaginative and prescient in my proper eye for a number of causes I’ve turn into a +2 handicap. This statistically places me within the high 1% of beginner golfers so sure, it’s attainable. No matter your eyes, changing into a scratch golfer takes loads of work on all facets of your recreation. 

Do sort one or sort two golfers hit it longer?

In response to optician Richard Hughes sort two golfers are likely to hit it longer as a result of they don’t lose sight of the ball with a giant backswing. Whereas sort one golfers can lose sight of the ball with a giant backswing and have to generate energy elsewhere within the swing.

As he stated on his web site, “Kind 2 golfers, however, doesn’t must make this compromise as they can keep sight of the golf ball all through all attainable positions. This permits the person to make a big shoulder flip with out shedding sight of the ball of their dominant eye.”

Some golfers who’ve discovered success in skilled golf regardless of being a kind one embrace Jim Furyk, David Duval, and Annika Sorrenstam. All of them have a novel head motion of their swing and it’s probably from their proper eye dominance. 

Must you have a look at the ball or putter when placing? 

You need to hold your head as nonetheless as attainable when placing – no matter which eye is dominant. When you watch the putter on the backstroke you’ll probably transfer an excessive amount of and negatively have an effect on your stroke.

The very best instance of that is Tiger; his head stays unbelievable nonetheless all through this stroke. It’s no shock that he’s probably the greatest putters of all time. 

Whereas beginner golfers do the precise reverse and transfer their head an excessive amount of. This will change the putter path and loft considerably which ends up in loads of mishit places. 

My Expertise

I’ve realized that I’m a kind two golfer and it has helped my recreation. Regardless of being right-handed, my left eye is my dominant eye as I can hardly see out of my proper eye. I do suppose this has impacted my ball hanging to an extent however with loads of laborious work and apply I’ve been capable of overcome it.

However this goes to point out that it’s an essential a part of golf instruction. Nevertheless, most lecturers (as I’ve labored with tons over 20+ years of enjoying golf) hardly ever, if ever deal with this concern. When you don’t although, it might probably result in loads of points in ball hanging.

Whereas it’s essential to swing your swing, don’t neglect to know your physique and tendencies too. 

Ultimate Ideas on Figuring out Your “Aiming Eye”

Let’s hold issues easy – sort one gamers (similar aspect dominant) have all the pieces dominant on the identical aspect (hand, ft, and eye). Whereas sort two gamers (cross dominant) have one facet (hand, ft or eye) dominant aka cross dominant. 

The vast majority of Tour gamers are cross dominant and make it simpler to swing with a giant shoulder flip. However there are many notable exceptions to similar aspect dominant golfers who’ve discovered loads of success in skilled golf.

Jim Hartnett and Richard Hughes have introduced an essential matter to the golf world and that impacts extra golfers than you would possibly suppose. Right here’s the factor, if you wish to change your golf swing, you sometimes want to alter your setup place. A lot occurs earlier than you ever take the membership again to begin your swing.

However as an alternative of simply specializing in grip, goal, posture, takeaway, and so forth. it’s essential to grasp your physique. This contains any bodily limitations which may occur from accidents and your dominant eye. These are two essential items of the puzzle that may assist you swing extra constantly and share with a golf teacher.