PHOTO BY ROBERT RUGGIERO ON UNSPLASH , REID DERCO ( 2 ) |
Address Position : Your eyes gather information about the target , lie , and desired shot shape . These details are relayed to your hands , allowing you to adjust grip , posture , and ball placement .
“ The difference between perception and reality in address position varies greatly between golfers on the lesson tee — very few get it right every time ,” Derco said . “ Many golfers are more than 20-30 yards off target without knowing it . Being self-aware of your tendencies at set up , knowing your dominant eye and how it may affect their perception , and making static adjustments before initiating your swing can go a long way .”
Backswing : As you initiate your backswing , your eyes begin to track the club head , making sure it travels on the correct plane and tempo while your hands follow , guiding your club and beginning to generate power .
“ Beginning your swing with your club in its proper position — by feeling vs . seeing — can benefit any golfer ,” Derco said . “ When you move your eyes off the ball , your ability to make great contact is more likely to be compromised .”
Downswing and Impact : This is where the magic happens . Your eyes lock onto the ball , judging its exact position and timing the downswing perfectly . Then , your hands translate that timing into a crisp strike , sending the ball on its intended trajectory .
“ Ben Hogan said golf is a game of great misses ,” Derco said . “ Everyone misses shots , but the golfer with better hand-eye coordination can manufacture impact to make the miss smaller .”
Follow-through : Even after impact , your hand-eye coordination remains
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essential . By watching the ball in flight , your eyes provide valuable feedback that can be used to refine your technique for the next shot .
“ Hand-eye coordination and awareness of where your body is contributes to better balance ,” Derco said . “ You ’ ll get better shots more often when your body is under control and balance .”
One of the biggest benefits of good hand-eye coordination is that you can better judge distance and strike the ball consistently , leading to more predictable yardages and tighter shot dispersion . And although it might seem complicated , the rewards of building better hand-eye coordination are worth it .
“ When facing a short shot that ’ s different than your ordinary impact and shot shape , it ’ s important to have as many tools in your toolbox as possible ,” he said . “ Improving your hand-eye coordination will allow you to manipulate each club better and get the loft , bounce , and impact angle you need .”
Hand-eye improvement helps with distance control , too .
“ It ’ s not on my top-10 golf movie list by any means , but in Seven Days in Utopia , the phrase ‘ see it , feel it , trust it ’ is used repeatedly in the film ,” Derco said . “ To be able to see a distance , create that shot in your mind , and then have the feels to execute the shot is no doubt a result of superior hand-eye coordination .”
Finally , Derco said that when you trust your ability to execute shots effectively , it frees up your mind to focus on strategy and course management , leading to a more confident and composed performance .
Here are three ways to improve hand-eye coordination at home , on the range , or on the course .
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Eyes Closed Putting
This one only requires a putter and a ball , helping you turn simple mechanics into an ability to rely less on what you see and more on what you feel . 1 . Take eight balls to a practice putting green . 2 . Hit the first ball with your eyes open , then the second with your eyes closed . Continue this until you are out of balls .
3 . Change positions on the green and select a different length and break . Repeat for your practice session .
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Tee Impact Drill
This helps golfers of any skill level use the “ aim small , miss small ” mentality , sharpening hand-eye coordination by picking a tiny target . All you need is a tee and a club of your choice . 1 . Place a tee in the ground , with about ¼ inch exposed .
2 . Swing the club and strike the tee . This allows you to make a divot after tee-strike .
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Practice Bunker Drill
All too often , players impact the bunker inconsistently . This exercise will help hone your hand-eye coordination to ensure you ’ re not too steep or shallow in the sand . 1 . Before addressing the ball in the bunker , draw a line about three inches behind the ball .
2 . Add a second line three inches in front of the ball .
3 . Concentrate on having the club enter the sand on the back line and exit on the front line when you strike your ball .
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