Just as a practice drill here. BUT… very, very immensely useful to help develop a feel for distance control!
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That is an excellent visual tool, and a valuable tip for working on distance control I’d picked up in a clinic - ie. imagine holding a golf ball in your throwing hand and tossing it underhanded towards the hole.
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Not while playing. Its a great drill to turn off the left side of your brain and work on pace and feel. Similar to putting with the eyes closed.
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Finally remembered I was going to do this on the back nine today. Mid and short range putts it seemed good, sank a couple that were no gimmies, so definitely didn’t hurt at all. Didn’t give me any miracles on long distance, but in general I’d say I was probably making a more consistent stroke and impact because I wasn’t looking at it and trying to make adjustments mid-putt.
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I found looking at the hole was hard for me but I’ve tried with some success to look at a spot 12-18" away from the ball. I feel like that’s a good compromise (for me) to have a consistent head position without it effecting other mechanics and I just try to roll the ball over the spot.
Lately though, I’ve been intrigued by the “quiet eye” technique which I’m committing to for a few weeks. You can read about it here (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00008/full).
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Took the “looking at the hole putting” to the course today. I felt really comfortable with distance control, slightly off on line (but did rush a bit in my set up at times). 35 putts total…only one 1putt, but ZERO 3 putts…I’ll try it again tomorrow.
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I think the biggest success I’ve had on the putting green is a hybrid approach of this when I’m close enough to the hole to keep the ball in my eyesight… focus on the hole but see the ball… I tend to hit those putts straight.
I need to give it another run on the course and see if I can do it well from 30 feet.
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When I was doing it on the course, 10-15 feet was my limit. Outside of that I felt like I was contorting my head/neck in a position to look where I was going that threw off the shoulder swing of the putt
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33 putts today…Zero 3 putts again, lots of tap ins on the 2nd. I’m liking the look at the hole technique so far. I do agree however that longer lag putts - 20 ft+ - are uncomfortable. I don’t feel like I can take the putter back far enough smoothly while looking at the hole. Adjusted the really long ones today to looking at/near the ball…with success.
I love the speed control using this technique!
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The no three putts is the key to me… Just eliminating those means you are getting the ball close to the hole… hopefully as the technique improves and you “get a hot hand” it means you start sinking some of those…
Honestly, one of the things I’m really trying to work on next season is focusing on having different goals for different ranges… With some exceptions for break, expecting to make everything inside 6 feet, hoping to get to easy tap in from 6-15 feet and then consistently two putting from 15+ feet… If I can get that down, my putting will be significantly improved.
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Instinct putting is a technique that’s long proven. I’ve been using it for years. It’s nice to have 2nd putts of less than a foot. There’s a book, Instinct Putting, but I’ve forgotten the author’s name. No golfer should ignore the technique without trying it. How many free throws can you make without looking at the basket?
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Yeah, I do wonder if going on feel is a better process for weekend Warriors who don’t have the time to develop perfect mechanics (what Bryson has done)… it’s definitely on my list for this season to try!
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Here’s what Frank Thomas had to say when I asked him: https://youtu.be/BPev-UE2jBQ
The book is still available (used prices are better) from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592403530/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=3521828707&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3r3doo7n2a_e
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Background: 71 and 10 handicap. I started looking at the hole as a cure to the yips on long putts. It worked and it worked well. It was incredible. I had never putted so well. My buddies couldn’t believe it. Of course, you’re more apt to get distracted with movement in and around the green if you’re looking at the hole and not the ball. It worked so well that I started using for all my putts. I took that approach for last 2-3 years. It continued to worked well UNTIL, I started scuffing my putter and that started happening far too often. I tried to cure that problem–reminding myself before I putted not to scuff it–but I haven’t been very successful and my putting has suffered. I just recently went back to the traditional method. Good luck!
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Very interesting article. I’m definitely going to work on this.
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Assume your stance and align the club so the gaze is on the back of the ball.
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After setting up over the ball, fix your gaze on the hole. Fixations toward the hole should be made no more than 3 times.
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The final fixation should be a QE on the back of the ball. The onset of the QE should occur before the stroke begins and last for 2 to 3 seconds.
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No gaze should be directed to the clubhead during the backswing or foreswing.
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The QE should remain on the green for 200 to 300 ms after the club contacts the ball.
Next, the QE-trained group were asked to improve aspects of their gaze control based on these feedback points and what they had learned from viewing the elite prototype. Both groups then performed a further 15 putts, during which performance and gaze control measures were recorded.
Seems interesting and doable… I just finished unconscious putting and really want to build a better overall putting routine… my basic thought for myself is read the line from behind, verify from below the line, pick where the ball is going to fall into the hole, pick my target, address the ball and putt… I think the quiet eye can be incorporated as I move from the target to over the ball… we will see!
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FYI - I’ve kept up with putting while looking at the hole. Not claiming any miracles, but I am putting relatively well, especially the 6-12’ zone, and it’s gotten really comfortable to do so.
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I’m still on the bandwagon as well! Though I’m not playing much due to weather. I feel like I’m very unlikely to three putt now that I’ve been using this technique…I just need to make more one putts.
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When I was at the peak of my worst putting, I decided to start practicing with my eyes closed… Sadly, it improved my putting… I had a very jabby stroke, and having my eyes closed forced me into a more tempo driven stroke, as I couldn’t see the ball…
I’d wager part of the reason looking at the hole helps is it forces you to trust your stroke and make a more consistent, tempo based putt… I’m sure looking directly at your target line helps too!
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The book says it all 
…it’s just so logical.
“Instinct Putting: Putt Your Best Using the Breakthrough, Science-based Target Vision Putting Technique”
Book by Eric Alpenfels
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