@Brandon Wall I would suggest a video session for yourself To see how changing focal points changes your swing.
Personally, I change where I am looking depending on the shot I need to hit.
Example:
- stock shot leading edge of ball
- low shot, blade of grass a couple inches past the ball on the in-to-out path
- high shot - inch before the ball (blade of grass to sweep or release through)
I similarly use the different focal points to curve the ball more.
literally, I see a shot shape, height, etc. That shot equates to both a swing path and a club face presentation…for me, my swing isn’t really going to change, but my grip will get stronger or weaker. The ball position moves a couple balls forward or back…and the focal point for my eyes matches up.
Warning: It took some practice to pick a blade of grass on the target side of ball and make sure that the swing path went through ball to that grass on an in-to-out path. It’s super easy to pick the forward spot and chop at it.
This is what I do. Your mileage may vary. I will start with putting. I putt with my eyes closed for most putts. On longish putts that require a longer back swing I will have my eyes open but I’m not really seeing the ball. What I see in my mind is the putter path after ball contact making sure it extends down the line I want the ball to start rolling on. It is true that the ball start line is 92% dependent on putter face angle at impact so I make sure that my setup aim is exactly on my intended start line. Then I trust that my stroke returns the putter to the back of the ball with the face aimed exactly as it was at the start of the backswing. Again, while my eyes are looking at the back of the ball, my mind is seeing the putter face traveling down the line past the ball.
For all other shots, my eyes are looking at the top of the ball but my mind is seeing the flight path that I chose for the shot. If I lose focus of the intended flight path I will “default “ to the ball and hit it instead of swing through it. The brain needs a task to guide the firing sequence of the kinetic chain needed to accomplish the task. If the brain is told to hit the ball, it will make the most efficient motion to hit the ball. This is usually a lift and chop over the top motion. If the brain is given the task of throwing the club head through the ball toward the target then it will perform the most efficient motion to bring the club head into the back of the ball on a shallower angle toward the down range target. This results in a clean and crispy contact.
the key is to make sure your target is a specific, small, but visible target in the distance on the line you visualized during the preshot routine. See the ball flight, the entire ball flight. Then step into the shot and make your task be throwing the club head through the ball with the face angle and swing path necessary to make the ball fly your desired flight path. Using the S&T swing, naturally.
Really good stuff from Russell and Ronald!🙂
@Brandon Wall I would suggest a video session for yourself To see how changing focal points changes your swing.
Personally, I change where I am looking depending on the shot I need to hit.
Example:
- stock shot leading edge of ball
- low shot, blade of grass a couple inches past the ball on the in-to-out path
- high shot - inch before the ball (blade of grass to sweep or release through)
I similarly use the different focal points to curve the ball more.
literally, I see a shot shape, height, etc. That shot equates to both a swing path and a club face presentation…for me, my swing isn’t really going to change, but my grip will get stronger or weaker. The ball position moves a couple balls forward or back…and the focal point for my eyes matches up.
Warning: It took some practice to pick a blade of grass on the target side of ball and make sure that the swing path went through ball to that grass on an in-to-out path. It’s super easy to pick the forward spot and chop at it.
@Brandon Wall - I did post a KFC Club member video on this topic here, but I'm not sure it can compete with @burkholder.ronald's great reply.
This is what I do. Your mileage may vary. I will start with putting. I putt with my eyes closed for most putts. On longish putts that require a longer back swing I will have my eyes open but I’m not really seeing the ball. What I see in my mind is the putter path after ball contact making sure it extends down the line I want the ball to start rolling on. It is true that the ball start line is 92% dependent on putter face angle at impact so I make sure that my setup aim is exactly on my intended start line. Then I trust that my stroke returns the putter to the back of the ball with the face aimed exactly as it was at the start of the backswing. Again, while my eyes are looking at the back of the ball, my mind is seeing the putter face traveling down the line past the ball.
For all other shots, my eyes are looking at the top of the ball but my mind is seeing the flight path that I chose for the shot. If I lose focus of the intended flight path I will “default “ to the ball and hit it instead of swing through it. The brain needs a task to guide the firing sequence of the kinetic chain needed to accomplish the task. If the brain is told to hit the ball, it will make the most efficient motion to hit the ball. This is usually a lift and chop over the top motion. If the brain is given the task of throwing the club head through the ball toward the target then it will perform the most efficient motion to bring the club head into the back of the ball on a shallower angle toward the down range target. This results in a clean and crispy contact.
the key is to make sure your target is a specific, small, but visible target in the distance on the line you visualized during the preshot routine. See the ball flight, the entire ball flight. Then step into the shot and make your task be throwing the club head through the ball with the face angle and swing path necessary to make the ball fly your desired flight path. Using the S&T swing, naturally.