Focus on Target, Not Ball, to Enhance Feel, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles
Focus on Target, Not Ball, to Enhance Feel, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles

So I imagine that you have just picked up a piece of paper and you roll it up in a ball and you turn to the bin in the side of your office and you are going to throw the paper into the bin.

Now if you are doing this what are you looking at, do you watch the paper in your hand or do you look at the bin, I would think you would be looking at the bin, because that’s your target. You don’t need to look at the paper in your hand, you look at the bin and you throw it in there.

So why when we are playing golf are we looking at the ball and not our target? Now when we are playing golf we do need to focus on the ball because we want a good strike but we can certainly look at our target to get a better judge of the distance, you wouldn’t throw the paper into the bin without looking at the bin at all. So when we setup to the golf ball we should be really setting up carefully, looking at our target and even making a couple of practice strokes looking at the target the whole time, feeling how far I need to hit the shot if my swing is very short and very stubby that feels like it’s not going to go far enough, likewise if my swing is a bit too long and too choppy that feels like it’s going to go too far. So when I look at the paper basket and I have a couple of little throws I get a feel for how far I want to throw it into the bin. Same with my chipping same with my putting, I could look at my target, feel how much I want to hit the put before I setup, eyes down and then make my stroke. So I am not advocating looking away from the ball when you hit it, but I am suggesting is in your practice stroke you look at your target or look at where you want the ball to land or when you are putting you looking at where you want the ball to break. That way you get a little bit more focus on how hard you need to hit this rather than actually the technique that you are going to use to achieve it. If you can try that next time you are out practicing then take that out with you on the golf course I think your judgment of distance will be a lot better.

 2012-07-16

So I imagine that you have just picked up a piece of paper and you roll it up in a ball and you turn to the bin in the side of your office and you are going to throw the paper into the bin.

Now if you are doing this what are you looking at, do you watch the paper in your hand or do you look at the bin, I would think you would be looking at the bin, because that’s your target. You don’t need to look at the paper in your hand, you look at the bin and you throw it in there.

So why when we are playing golf are we looking at the ball and not our target? Now when we are playing golf we do need to focus on the ball because we want a good strike but we can certainly look at our target to get a better judge of the distance, you wouldn’t throw the paper into the bin without looking at the bin at all. So when we setup to the golf ball we should be really setting up carefully, looking at our target and even making a couple of practice strokes looking at the target the whole time, feeling how far I need to hit the shot if my swing is very short and very stubby that feels like it’s not going to go far enough, likewise if my swing is a bit too long and too choppy that feels like it’s going to go too far. So when I look at the paper basket and I have a couple of little throws I get a feel for how far I want to throw it into the bin. Same with my chipping same with my putting, I could look at my target, feel how much I want to hit the put before I setup, eyes down and then make my stroke. So I am not advocating looking away from the ball when you hit it, but I am suggesting is in your practice stroke you look at your target or look at where you want the ball to land or when you are putting you looking at where you want the ball to break. That way you get a little bit more focus on how hard you need to hit this rather than actually the technique that you are going to use to achieve it. If you can try that next time you are out practicing then take that out with you on the golf course I think your judgment of distance will be a lot better.