Over the second half of the 2007 season, LPGA star Suzann Pettersen was observed putting with her eyes closed. Yes, with her eyes closed.
This isn't as unusual as you might think - at least as a practice technique. Many of the world's best golfers have used the eyes-closed trick in practice. It is much rarer to see it used in tournament play, although it crops up from time to time.
As does the related trick of looking at the hole while putting, rather than at the ball. I've seen Colin Montgomerie do this. Johnny Miller famously did it during his last PGA Tour victory at the 1994 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
But what exactly are golfers who close their eyes on putts accomplishing? Michael Lamanna, Director of Instruction at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., says, "There are many examples of tour players who have struggled with their stroke and have resorted to these techniques. When a player loses confidence, they sometimes can relieve doubts by focusing on the hole rather than the ball."
Or by closing their eyes completely. The desired effect is a clearing of the mind, a getting away from ball-focus, from being too mechanical, and allowing their well-honed "feel" to take over.
Putting with eyes closed - or with the eyes focused on the hole - is sometimes a last resort for golfers with the yips. Lamanna says:
Research indicates that players with the yips have rapid eye movements during the stroke. The eyes transmit the necessary club information to the brain and the rapid eye movement interferes with the brain/muscle control. With the eyes closed, or focused on the hole, the player receives information about the club head, stroke path and putter momentum through the hands instead.
So can recreational golfers use these techniques in our putting? Well, it's probably not a good idea for a recreational golfer to close his or her eyes during play. Most of us have enough trouble with our eyes open!
But there are ways to incorporate the eyes-closed technique in your practice routines that can help you develop better feel in your putting stroke or in your full swing.
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