The eyes have it: Improve your sports game in 30 seconds

by Bob Putt

Like many athletes, golfers often reach a plateau and struggle to further improve. But it doesn’t have to be that way, because a perfect game is just a matter of having perfect aim.

The aiming technique that I’ll share with you here can make such a huge difference in your life (not just in sports, but in everything you do). It all has to do with your dominant eye.

Let me explain.

One of our eyes is more dominant than the other, and when closing the non-dominate eye to aim, one can really zoom in on the target properly.

When I was getting fitted for a putter in Florida years ago, my exact aim was determined by a laser, and it was at least 10 inches to the left of the target.

What was happening with my eyesight? When looking at any object and closing one eye or the other, objects will move quite a bit to one side or the other of the object you are looking at while one eye is closed.

For an example, look at a corner of a picture or some other stationary object. Now close one eye and then the other. Unless your eyes are perfect, the object will move a great deal to one side or the other. The eye that moves the object the most is your non-dominate eye.

When firing a rifle, most everyone closes the non-dominate eye to aim. That really helps to focus, and your aim will be very true this way. On the flip side, allowing your non-dominate eye to be a part of aiming will generally make you be anywhere from two to eight inches off the mark of your desired target.

Determine your dominate eye and close your non-dominate eye when looking at any object, no matter the distance. Now watch as you sink more free throws or golf putts, strike the tennis ball more accurately and generally aim with more clarity.

Guest Blogger Bob Putt was the first PGA Master Professional in Texas, named in 1988, and is the author of All You Gotta Do Is Aim.