Golf Magazine had a feature article in this month's edition about putting while looking at the hole. They did an experiment with two groups...an experimental group and a control group. What they found is that on average if the experimental group looked at the hole while they putted they were over 25% closer to the hole on average for both long and medium distance putts.
I tried this just for fun yesterday and I think it would be something that would take some getting used to since I am so used to staring at the ball while putting.
I wanted to know if anyone has tried this or endorses this? I think that at a bottom line there is merit in the idea that you put into your pre-putting routine a last look at the hole and then you go within a second or two since your brain will react to the distance it sees naturally...I have always putted best when I don't think about distance control but just look at the hole, determine the break, and putt with no "thoughts".
Gene "Dirt Road" Moore was the first guy to give me a chipping lesson when I was a kid. I was about 8 and he told me to have the handle ahead of the head and hit down on it so hard the head could get stuck in the ground. You can imagine how by the time I was ten I could take a 56 degree and make it run like a 7 iron.
Anyway, Dirt Road looked at the hole. As he grew older he tried to convert everyone at the club but there were few takers. Around this same time, Johnny Miller won Pebble (I think it was there) looking at the hole. That only added fuel to his fire.
So I have tried it years ago but didn't feel comfortable with it. I think it is great for the "analytical" type that keeps the "computer" running over the putt. I really do! And I really like your advice about looking back to the ball and quickly hitting it. There is something to that Image Retention Time Period.
I have looked at the hole while putting for about 6 weeks (prior to seeing the article). I tried it after I realized that when playing pool, one looks not at the cue ball, but at the point on the object ball you want the cue ball to contact. I reasoned that putting might be conceptually similar.
The way I implement it is to pick the point on the hole where I expect the ball to fall (to the left of center for a "slice" putt, to the right of center for a "draw" putt). Or more often a point across the cup from this point (a visual equivalent?). The more focused on that point I am, the better I putt.
I have experienced instant and dramatic improvement. Specifically, I lag putt far more consistently and I feel I will make anything up to 8 or so feet.
I think VJ is right. I am pretty analytical when putting and I find looking at the hole gives me one thing on which to focus.
VJ, interesting...I didn't realize that Johnny Miller putted this way (never seen anyone do it that I can think of). It definitely makes sense with using your built in "computer's" depth perception rather trying to control it manually...usually when I try to do that I de-accelerate and leave putts well short.
The other advantage that the article mentioned was it helps to keep a stationary head since most people pop their head up anyway to see where the putt is going and this sometimes happens well before the ball has left the putter. I take it a stationary head in TGM terms is just as important with putting as it is in the full stroke?
I've been doing it for over a year. I actually look at the spot I'm trying to roll the ball to. For a downhill breaker, that spot might be 2 feet left and 4 feet shot. Seems to have improved my lag putting alot.
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I tried it after reading that article, but it didn't work very well for me - just a comfort thing I believe. I can look at the spot where I'm aiming, but have trouble looking at the hole unless it's close enough that I can easily see both the ball and the hole at once.
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