"See the club hit the ball"

[One Planer]

Simple question:










Why?

 

[JustOne]

No need, lots of golfers don't look at the ball... I think Annika Sorenstam was a prime example.

It can actually make your swing worse by looking at the ball... seeing as your head is supposed to be BEHIND it.

I'm pretty sure I have my eyes closed at impact...

 

[One Planer]

No need, lots of golfers don't look at the ball... I think Annika Sorenstam was a prime example.

It can actually make your swing worse by looking at the ball... seeing as your head is supposed to be BEHIND it.

I'm pretty sure I have my eyes closed at impact...

So why is it advocated to keep your eyes on the ball through impact?

I don't actually mean see the club hit the ball, that's impossible. What I suppose I'm asking is, is there a reason, if as you say, it's not a neccesity, why tell folk to do it?

 

[Snelly]

You must try and watch the club hit the ball. It is the same with any sport that involves brain / hand (or foot) co-ordination coming together to strike an object. See the strike. If you do this, you maximise the chances of ensuring that the connection between the two is optimum. It is simple and logical. Blindingly obvious in fact as your brain is co-ordinating the action and a key input to this process comes visually.

Nor is it impossible to see the club hit the ball. I see it every time I hit a golf ball be it with a driver or a putter.

 

[virtuocity]

So why is it advocated to keep your eyes on the ball through impact?

I don't actually mean see the club hit the ball, that's impossible. What I suppose I'm asking is, is there a reason, if as you say, it's not a neccesity, why tell folk to do it?

Quite a good bit of advice for the 10 year old who goes to the range once a year and tries to hit the ball as far as his dad- looks like a hammer throw. So the dad saying "keep your head down" isn't a bad thing.

As for seeing the club hit the ball, I suppose this is an extension of the same idea but I don't see the merits in it- just as I don't believe that keeping the head perfectly still throughout is actually good advice. Just my opinions.

 

[Twire]

I try to watch the club hit the ball, it tends to keep me down on the shot at impact. All to often I try to see where the balls going before I've hit it so to speak and lift my head, this thought helps immensely.

 

[ger147]

You must try and watch the club hit the ball. It is the same with any sport that involves brain / hand (or foot) co-ordination coming together to strike an object. See the strike. If you do this, you maximise the chances of ensuring that the connection between the two is optimum. It is simple and logical. Blindingly obvious in fact as your brain is co-ordinating the action and a key input to this process comes visually.

Nor is it impossible to see the club hit the ball. I see it every time I hit a golf ball be it with a driver or a putter.

It's not the same with all sports. The prime example that comes to mind is Snooker as I play that to a decent level, better than my Golf at the moment!!

At the moment of delivery when the tip of your cue strikes the cue ball, all of the top coaches/players teach that your eyes should be on the OBJECT ball, not the cue ball that you are actually hitting i.e. you should be looking at where you want the cue ball to go, not the cue ball itself.

I know it's different for Golf as it would be pretty much physically impossible to be looking at the pin while striking a golf ball that was on the ground at your feet but just wanted to point out that not ALL sports advocate looking at what you're hitting when you're hitting it.

 

[Jimbooo]

It's not the same with all sports. The prime example that comes to mind is Snooker as I play that to a decent level, better than my Golf at the moment!!

At the moment of delivery when the tip of your cue strikes the cue ball, all of the top coaches/players teach that your eyes should be on the OBJECT ball, not the cue ball that you are actually hitting i.e. you should be looking at where you want the cue ball to go, not the cue ball itself.

I know it's different for Golf as it would be pretty much physically impossible to be looking at the pin while striking a golf ball that was on the ground at your feet but just wanted to point out that not ALL sports advocate looking at what you're hitting when you're hitting it.

Agree - you try playing snooker looking at the cue ball... won't pot a ball

 

[JustOne]

You must try and watch the club hit the ball.

I agree with this one line,...... the rest is poppycock.

You should TRY to keep your eye on the ball until you no longer can. You don't have to see the strike but you wouldn't teach someone by saying "Don't look at the ball"..... although there are putting gurus who'll get you to make 6ft putts by looking at the hole and not at the ball (there's always some quirk to this game!!)

 

[Robobum]

I can't say what I'm looking at during impact, its all a bit of a blur.

Although chipping & pitching - I definitely see contact.

I hope this isn't in my head this weekend, it'll be a bit like the "do you breathe in or out?"

 

[bluewolf]

I remember reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. In it, he related an anecdote about a "Hall of Fame" Baseballer who, when questioned about his unerring ability to make good contact, stated "I just watch the ball on to the bat". It was proven that it's impossible for this to happen at the speeds generated by the Pitcher and Batter.

Gladwell's theory was that the unconscious thought was more powerful than conscious thought when in these types of situation. With enough practice it's possible that the brain can work faster unconsciously and can make all the split second calculations necessary to make good contact. The conscious brain then "sees" this contact. It may be that good players "see" the clubhead hit the ball only as a conscious brains interpretation of something that is actually happening too fast.

Or, this could just be my interpretation of a fantastic book.... Either way, it's as good a swing thought as any...

By the way, it's a great book....

 

[SocketRocket]

You often hear "You were looking up before you hit that ball". I have never seen a video where anyone actually does this and would be interested to see if anyone else has. (No contrived vides please )

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Pretty sure I never see the club contact the ball. When I try it feels I am constricted and the arms feel trapped and would rather have the feeling of more room and the hands in front doing what I am doing

 

[Foxholer]

To my mind, this is really simply another way of getting the 'keep the head under control' message across.

The head is fairly weighty and at the end of the fulcrum, so if it moves about without control it has a significant effect!

Th snooker analogy isn't quite correct. It's virtually essential that the head is kept still during a shot - and yes, it's the object ball that the main focus - but it's the elbow of the cue-ing arm that needs to be kept 'under control' even though moving, as any deviation from its intended line will have a marked effect on contact.

I try to focus eyes on the ball and watch the divot appear.

 

[John_R7]

My Opinion:-
Along the lines of the old 'Keep your head down' which is not strictly true and can cause shoulder turn issues.
I do chin up, eyes down, 'see the ground' (after impact) as my swing thought.
Chin up allows shoulder turn under your head. Seeing the ground ensures the club is delivered and through the ball on line. If you turn / lift your head to target before the strike there is a chance your shoulders will move and promote a pull, slice or thin.
This is only my opinion. There are pro's who start moving there head before impact (can't remember who - Couples? Furyk?)
Each to there own and whatever works for you, I am by no means a swing guru.

I do this for EVERY shot, full, feel, sand, putt, whatever.
On a putt of under 6 foot I often won't see the ball drop as I am still staring at the ground where the ball was. Mind you a lot of the time they probably haven't dropped anyway .