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- A Putting Game-Changer

Eye_Dominance_ImageThe development and use of your visual system has an impact on every aspect of your golf game.  How you can read a putt, how you align your body, how you maintain your balance, and how well you see the target and visualize your shot are all dependent on your vision or are influenced by vision.  Today’s golfer relies heavily on the use of rangefinders or GPS, unless you are playing highly competitive golf and can’t use one.  However, around the green is one place on the course where your vision can have a major impact.  We could write an entire book on all the aspects of vision and golf, but let’s focus on eye dominance today. 

Do you know which eye is your dominant eye?  There is an easy test to figure it out.  Make a circle with your thumb and index finger with both hands and It is imperative that the knees and pelvis stay still and point forward during the test. place both circles on top of one another.  Look straight ahead at an object about 10 feet in front of you.  Raise your hands so that the circles are about 6 inches in front of your face and center the object in the circles.  Which eye are you using?  That is your dominant eye!  To confirm, just close one eye.  Can you still see the object through the circles?  Whichever eye is open and you can still see the object then that is your dominant eye.

About 64% of golfers are same-side dominant (right handed golfer = right eye dominant).  35% are cross-dominant, and 1% are bilateral dominant.  Why is knowing eye dominance important?  If you are standing over a putt and you are same-side dominant you have to look past your nose to see the hole which is going to cause you to alter your stance or have head movement. 

   Same-Side Dominant

    Like to have ball in the middle or slightly back in stance

    Like to open their stance

   Cross Dominant

    Like to have ball forward in stance

    Like to have a square stance

 There is a slight advantage to being cross dominant.  However, if you don’t know which eye is your dominant eye then you are definitely at a disadvantage.  Try out this simple test and start sinking more putts!

Dr. Nick Curry is a chiropractor that is also certified through the highly esteemed Titleist Performance Institute as a medical, fitness, and junior golf wellness professional.  He is the owner of Integrative Health and Sports Performance in Bellbrook and serves at the Team Chiropractor to Wright State and Miami Universities.  To Visit their Website 
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