Many times when a golfer is missing putts to the right or to the left it has to do with the alignment of their eyes. This week I would like to share with you how you can determine if your eyes are aligned correctly over your putts and if they are not properly aligned, how to correct them.

To see if your eyes are aligned correctly all you need is some masking tape and a mirror. Place a strip of tape on the ground parallel to your feer and then place the mirror on the ground over the tape. Then take a golf ball and place it on top of the mirror. As you address your putt, your eyes in the mirror should be lined up with the tape. If they are this means you are properly aligned.

It is very important that your eyes are lined up with the tape. If your eyes are past the line, you will tend to align to the left and miss to the left and if your eyes are between your feet and the line you will then misalign to the right. This of course goes for right handed golfers and everything should be reverse if you are left handed.

Last week when I was at the Northern Trust I again noticed many players without sunglasses, and those who did have them on had them flipped over on the top of their hats. Without fail I saw many of those same players hit a shot and squint as they looked into the sky to find their ball.

A big part of my job is helping people best use their visual abilities for success on the playing field. However, in order to best use your visual system you need to have healthy sight. Without proper eye protection from the sun the health of your eyes can be compromised. UV damage from the sun can cause problems like cataracts, macular degeneration and even premature blindness. When outside it is important to consider photochromic lenses like Transitions lenses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

While I hope this blog serves as a way for readers to use their vision for on the field success, I hope more than anything it helps people realize how important eye health is to overall health and wellness.

 

Apparently it does rain in Southern California. Last weekend the final round of the Pebble Beach Championship was rained out on Sunday and Monday, forcing the TOUR to cancel the final round. This week Kenny and I spent some time working out for the Northern Trust Open, unfortunately since the rain stretched into Monday, practice time was delayed too.

When playing in wet and rainy conditions you need to make sure that you have the proper footwear. Making sure your golf shoes and their cleats are in good shape helps you position yourself in a good stance and keeps your feet from slipping. Before you get out on the course next time, check your cleats to make sure they still give your feet a good grip. New cleats are available at most sporting goods stores and pro shops.

Stay dry and please write in with questions about how to improve your own golf swing.

This week I spent some time at The Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. During the practices rounds I got a chance to see Ryo Ishikawa, the 17-year-old phenom from Japan, who is making his PGA TOUR debut this week. Even during his practice rounds he was surrounded by a huge entourage of cameras and reporters.

Riviera is an absolutely beautiful course, the first hole in particular is very unique. The tee box is tiered up very high and players have to walk down a hill just to get to the fairway. Here is a link so you can check out some of the holes at Riviera:

http://www.therivieracountryclub.com/html/Course_Tour.cfm?Hole_ID=1

Next week I'll be sharing some more tips as we get closer to the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight. As always, please feel free to write in with your questions or comments.

Kenny and I are in Los Angeles gearing up for the first round of tournament play at the Northern Trust Open. With golf, even when you are playing well there is a lot of practice and fine tuning you can do to improve and sustain your swing.

This week I’d like to share with you a tip about how to play a shot from a fairway bunker. Playing out of a bunker from the fairway is much different than a shot from a bunker that surrounds the green. You need to be sure you catch the ball a little bit thinner so that you can get your ball out of the sand with a good trajectory for your shot. Start by getting good solid footing and the bunker, so that you can limit your feet sliding in the sand when you begin your shot. Another good hint is to bump your head up just a little bit from where you normally position it. By moving your head about a bit up you are helping to ensure you hit more of the ball and less of the sand. You can see J.B. Holmes demonstrate how to properly hit a bunker shot by clicking here: http://putt.com/killengolf/?cat=6

Use these tips anytime you have a bunker shot that requires you hitting the ball a longer distance.

Last week I had the opportunity to work a little bit with Kenny Perry before his big win out at the FBR Open.  In Kenny’s post, he wrote about the discomfort that he felt in his eyes. It really drives home the importance of keeping your eyes healthy to achieve your best on the golf course.

The same day Kenny was out winning the FBR, another fan of sports vision training from Arizona was in the Super Bowl playing in front of the eyes of the entire world. Larry Fitzgerald, the star wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, who this postseason broke the records for most catches, most yards and most touchdowns by a receiver in single playoffs, has done work with sports vision training.

Larry's grandfather, an optometrist, has worked with him to develop the visual skills he uses when he goes up to catch a ball in the air. To hear more about the sports vision training Larry has done to help him become one of the best players in all of football, click here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=2&t=1&islist=false&id=100049694&m=100049675.

Despite the Cardinals losing to the Steelers in one of the most exciting Super Bowl’s ever played, Super Bowl Sunday was a banner day for healthy sight and quality vision for Arizona.

It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to participate in this blog and share some additional perspective about vision and sports performance, particularly as my relationship with Transitions Optical has just been announced. However, recent events leading up the FBR Open provide a relevant and very personal account of how much my vision means to me and how my experience may help to help educate others about the importance of protecting and maintaining healthy sight.

I flew to Phoenix on Thursday (the week before the FBR Open) to work with a couple guys from Titleist on testing the new Pro V series golf ball and also to get in some extra practice before the tournament week got started.

Late Monday afternoon my eyes started hurting, it felt kind of like I had an eye lash in both eyes. By late that night it got so bad it felt like someone had just poured sand into both my eyes. The pain was so incredible I was really afraid I was going to have to withdraw from the tournament. I had to pull out of the PGA Championship last year because of an infection caused by my contact lenses. Needless to say, I got very little sleep that night.

I kept my contacts out all day on Tuesday and was able to meet with Dr. Lampert that afternoon. After examining my eyes, Dr. Lampert figured out why I was experiencing so much pain and gave me some antibiotic drops. By Wednesday morning my eyes were starting to feel better, but still not good enough to wear my contacts.

Fortunately, my pain was pretty much gone by Wednesday night. I finally got a good night's sleep, was able to wear my contacts the rest of the week, and ultimately picked up my 13th career victory on the PGA TOUR! Healthy sight is an easy thing to take for granted, even when you play golf for a living, but a simple eye infection almost cost me a win. I've definitely learned that when it comes to healthy sight, protecting your eyes can make a world of difference.

Right now I am at the FBR Open working with Kenny Perry and spending some time with my blog co-author Dr. Lampert, we have been talking a little sports vision training and taking in some of the action. Kenny is gearing up for the tournament and excited about the chance to play at the TPC Scottsdale, site of the FBR Open.

The TPC Scottsdale is home to one of the most exciting golf holes on the PGA TOUR. This year for the first time, the 16^th Hole is set up “Stadium Style” with the entire hole being enclosed by stands.  http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tournaments/r003/01/29/no16/   It is the only hole on the PGA TOUR that is completely enclosed and has long been known as “the loudest hole in golf.” Enclosing the hole with extra stands will only pump up the volume and excitement of the hole.

As cool of an experience playing the 16^th Hole is, it can also be quite the challenge. Players really have to be able to put the crowd out of their mind and do their best to just focus on their shot. A great example of this focus is one of the most famous shots in Tiger Woods’ career. It came on the 16^th hole when he made a hole-in-one and the entire crowd went absolutely crazy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufscYVbYLQQ&feature=related

Stay tuned for another special posting from the FBR Open.

This week I had the opportunity to spend some time with both Matt Killen and Kenny Perry at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I took a look at Kenny’s eyes and talked to him about some of the exercises he can do to help him use his vision to his advantage. To follow Kenny’s play this week live click here. http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard/.

Spending time with Kenny allowed me the chance to be able to talk to several other players and I was really excited to see how many had a genuine interest in learning more about their vision. I talked about some eye muscle strengthening exercises and tests for eye dominance to a couple players. To see so many world class athletes gaining appreciation about the effect improved vision can have on performance was really terrific.

On a side note, the FBR Open is known for its wild atmosphere and it was totally confirmed for me when I saw rock-star – and huge golf fan – Alice Cooper taking in some of the action.

Getting a behind-the-scenes look at a PGA TOUR event gave me a completely new perspective on a golfer’s routine. Hearing about how Matt works with Kenny really reinforced for me that golf truly isn’t just an individual sport, coaches play a huge role in the success of their players. It was incredible to see things Matt was able to notice with Kenny’s swing.

We will have a special post for you this week, so be sure to check back soon.

 

 

Coming back from an injury is difficult in any sport, but with the many muscles and body parts that comprise a golf swing returning from an injury can be really tough in golf. Last week, I began working with Shaun Micheel to get him back from his shoulder surgery. Working to get your swing back after being hurt begins from the ground up – starting with the proper stance, alignment of your body, grip, positioning and finally the swing.

Luckily, Shaun is working hard and making great progress. I know he will back and playing his best very soon.

This week I will be at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Several of my clients will be playing in the event, so this is a great chance for me to observe them in tournament action and get a first-hand evaluation of their performance.

Make sure you check back next week, because I will have a special posting about the FBR Open.