Saw a segment yesterday on the GC on putting alignment. Dude seemed to say that eye dominance should affect which foot you use to step into your stance.

Anyone ever hear of this? I'm right handed, but left eye dominant.

I always set the line (mainly mental) of my putter head, then step up to it with my stance.

Eye dominance does make a difference in the way you need to line up to hit a shot or a putt. The ideal dominance is the opposite of what hand you are playing (so like you are Chipotle). I've had the physics of why explained to me before but it's hard to explain in words. It basically boils down to the angle at which you see your line. When the dominant eye is the farther forward it allows that vision to be in plane with your swing and as a result avoids a paralax problems. Think of it as seeing something underwater and how the lights bends differently. Yes I know it is a bad analogy but it's all I can think of right now.

Phil Mickelson is right eye dominant which some believe may have been another reason he was taught to play left handed. Tiger is left eye dominant as well as several other right handed players on tour.

This obviously doesn't mean you will be a great golfer if you have the optimum eye dominance setup (my dad's golf game proves that) but it doesn't hurt.

Right handed, left eye dominant and I suck. Theory blown.

I hear you.

Although I feel that I am a better than average putter, so maybe it helps some in that part of my game.

How do you check eye dominance? Although I'm not sure I need any more mental clutter on the golf course!

quote:

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How do you check eye dominance? Although I'm not sure I need any more mental clutter on the golf course!

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hold your arm out and make a circle with your thumb and index finger.

pick an object across the room and, with both eyes open, center that object in the hole.

now close your right eye, if the object is still centered, you are left-eye dominant. if the object is not centered, open your right eye and close your left eye. if it is centered, you are right-eye dominant.

at least i think that's what they're talking about...did that for baseball but never thought about it for golf.

It's a non golf thing too, so it won't add to your clutter on the golf course. My original post was just sorta because I am a golf junkie. I don't actively have my eye dominance in the forefront of my mind.

Here's a better explanation than one I could give:

http://vision.about.com/od/contactlenses/ht/Eye_Dominance.htm

"1. Extend your arms in front of you with your palms facing away.

2. Bring your hands together, forming a small hole by crossing the thumbs and fore fingers.

3. Choose a small object about 15-20 feet away from you. With both eyes open, focus on the object as you look through the small hole.

4. Close one eye and then the other. When you close one eye, the object will be stationary. When you close the other eye, the object
should disappear from the hole or jump to one side.

5. If the object does not move when you cover one eye, then that eye is dominant. The eye that sees the object and does not move is
the dominant eye."

Right handed and right eye dominant.

Does this mean I should play lefty?

Right handed and right eye dominant. Always had a bunch this was the case, but never knew how to test. Maybe this is the reason I struggle so much with something as simple as alignment. Also explains why I could switch hit and drag bunt so well playing baseball as a kid.