Switching from glasses to contact lenses…

[stef92]

I recently decided that I had had enough of wearing my glasses on the course, especially as up here in Aberdeen, it is either raining or very windy 75% of the time.

I was fitted for them yesterday, so I headed out to play today with the contacts in.

For some reason, I could not hit the golf ball! Even my back-up swing wasn't working! I topped my way to a 10 on the 1st for example. Every shot was a consistent top.

Eventually, the carnage stopped on the 9th… roughly about the same time that I heard the football result. It most certainly put a smile on my face

But before that, it was disturbingly bad, beyond funny, beyond belief and in the wind and rain there were moments where if I had been playing on my own, I would have packed it in!

At one point I hit 4 shots in a row… and the balls were never to be seen again!!

Still, by the end I was starting to play ok and hit the ball clean… but has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Dodger]

I ditched the goggles for contacts and love them.

I would rather play blind that play with my goggles on.

The worst thing apart from rain was I always felt the legs got in my way when putting and of course that goes with contacts.

You will be fine after a couple of goes I am sure but I am sure I had no bother at all.

 

[G1BB0]

I wear glasses but find I always lose the flight of the ball, switched to my prescription shades and I can see clear as. Not tried my contacts for playing as always in a rushg in the morning so never have time. It does take time to get used to them though so maybe wear them around the house etc, your eyes are used to focussing through the glasses with the slight distance between the eyes and lens. Add to that the peripheral vision to the sides of the glasses. This is what I found most strange when I 1st started wearing lenses.

I am sure they will feel second nature in no time

 

[philly169]

i'm always wondering whether to change from specs to contacts, i only use glasses for distance so dont need them all the time.

 

[stef92]

PHEW! I was starting to worry!

I think I might nip up quite a bit during the week to get used to them…

Thanks for your help Dodger and G1BB0

 

[bigfoot1985]

i had laser treatment done about 7 weeks ago and WOW!! If you can get it done then i highly recommend it. When i was wearing glasses and even lenses i was always losing flight of my golf ball but now i can see it everytime. It is like living life in HD!!

 

[NWJocko]

Always wear contact lenses (if I've not run out!) when I play and have no problem.

Had to wear my specs a couple of times in the summer and really didn't like it.

Have been thinking of getting them lasered for a while now, need to go and look into it.......

 

[Evesdad]

I usually wear my goggles as said above i dont usually have time to get them in before i set off!! To be honest vision wise i dont see much difference but when its raining its a pain!! mental note to self to make time for lenses when playing in bad weather! My eyes can dry out pretty quick when wearing my lenses so usually carry some eye drops, just find can be a pain in very dry conditions and end up put drops in after every hole, although when its cooler or a bit breezy they dont bother me so much!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My eyes are shocking and trying to put the bottom of a milk bottle in my eyes each time (or the equivalent size in contacts) is a no go. I get frustrated in the wet but live with it. I'd love to get some prescription wrap round type sunglasses but can't find anywhere. Specsavers etc only do the bog standard range of sunglasses frames.

 

[DaveM]

Homer Most of the top end wrap rounds will do them but you have to send them your script. But they are bloody exspensive. Some as much as £500, ouch.

 

[Imurg]

I never seem to suffer in the rain - always got a cap on but I just don't seem to get the spots on the lenses. No problem seeing the ball either - unlike a certain person I play with who's eyesight sometimes leaves a lot to be desired - and he wears glasses too - no names mentioned (F******)!!

 

[G1BB0]

I feel your pain Homer, am +5.75 and +6.25.... Mr Magoo has good eyesight compared to me

just a case of making do as I cant afford uber special specs

 

[stevie_r]

Varifocal wearer so don't think contacts are an option, are they?

 

[MashieNiblick]

I have worn contacts for 20+ years. Can't remember how long it took to get used to golfing in them but it wasn't long. I absolutely love them and can't now play in glasses.

Homer, modern lenses are really comfortable. I have a fairly strong prescription (-6.0 and -4.5) and have no problems at all. You should try some out.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

just a case of making do as I cant afford uber special specs

I don't want anything special per se. I just want a decent pair of lightweight sunglasses, ideally a wrap round style to play in the summer. The one problem I do find is dealign with really bright days and seeing the flight and also reading breaks on greens so looking for something to make that easier

 

[chris661]

You can get oakley's with a prescription lense which were not stupid money. A lot of my mates had them when I was flying.

 

[cheezburga]

In response to original point - your perspective will seem out of kilter for a short while after the swap from bins to lenses - but it won't last long and all will seem fine quiclkly. As to all the wooses who go " I can't wear them cos my eyes are too bad..." Mine are +4.5 and +8.5 - with astigmatism - and the lenses are as thin as a thin thing.. Give them a go and you'll not regret it

 

[G1BB0]

+8.5!!!! I live in hope, thought I was bad.

I cant get prescription lenses cos of my astigmatism as puts me out of the paramiters, just buy standard ones and wear for 5-6 hrs for nights out etc

 

[tigerj]

Varifocal wearer so don't think contacts are an option, are they?

I wear varifocals but wear daily disposable lenses for golf; gives good distance vision and only a little blurred for marking the card

 

[Smiffy]

Varifocal wearer so don't think contacts are an option, are they?

I too wear varifocals and went for a contact lens fitting a year or two ago. You can get varifocal lenses but they are very expensive. One suggestion was to wear a lens of slightly differing power in each eye which gave you a combination of focussing power. It seemed to work in principle as everything was fine in the opticians, he gave me some trial lenses but once one my own I could never get the bloody things in. So I didn't bother in the end and continue to wear my specs. I prefer the look of narrow frames for everyday wear, but have a pair that I keep in the golfbag with deeper lenses. These are much better for golf as I don't get the tramline effect when putting. But I took them out of my bag to clean them once, forgot to put them back in again and had to wear my everyday specs around Cooden one day. Played like a plank and actually had an air shot up the 1st hole, something I hadn't done for about 20 years or so!