Your eye-line can be the key to great ball-striking. Here's why.
Image via Kelvin Kelley
While there are lots of elements in a good golf swing, one that shouldn’t be overlooked is the importance of your eyes.
That might sound silly, but think about how much time golfers (especially amateurs) spend trying to correct all sorts of swing flaws and inconsistent movements when it could simply be their eye-line that’s leading to such bad contact.
Your eyes don’t just reveal the ball’s lie and where your aim should be, but also help when it comes to solid ball-striking. For instance, when your eye-line is off, it can lead to tilting your head or getting your arms trapped in the wrong position — both of which lead to inconsistent shots.
So instead of simply working on hitting a bunch of balls on the range to try and improve, GOLF Teacher to Watch Kelvin Kelley says start correcting your eye-line at address to get better feels in your golf swing. He details how to do so below.
Use your eye-line to efficiently turn
“The direction your body moves is the engine of the golf swing. In fact, the direction your body moves is far more important then the amount of turn,” Kelley says. “In my research, the spine and the trail arm are the two most important parts of the golf swing.”
Kelley then describes an easy visual — especially during football season — describing the body movements that a quarterback uses while throwing a football.
“Imagine an NFL quarterback throwing a pass. If their body and spine angle are positioned correctly, they can use their arm to pull back the body and throw a strong, accurate pass. If their body’s contorted or twisted out of position, the motion becomes inefficient and harder to produce,” Kelley says. “A bigger turn or wind-up of the body does not equate to a stronger pass — which also rings true in the golf swing when you start in an efficient position.”
So how does eye-line dictate the spine movement in the golf swing? Kelley provides images and some feedback below, with the eye-line and spine highlighted in green.
Depending on your physical makeup, Kelley says there are some adjustments you can make at address.Kelvin Kelley
If starting efficiently, a player can simply hold their eye-line from the address position to the backswing, helping them maintain their original spine angle. This helps them produce a more efficient direction of turn in order to return to impact.
Kelley says a tilted spine angle is a common flaw he sees with students.Kelvin Kelley
All golfers don’t have the same physiology. So if a player finds that holding the eye-line is too restrictive, they can simply retain their eye-line and spine angle by “looking right” in the backswing. The upper body will follow this type of head movement, which then allows the upper body to go around more in the desired direction.
Kelley says a tilted spine angle is a common flaw he sees with students.Kelvin Kelley
Far too often, I see players with a “tilted” spine angle (which is where the body goes towards the ground), which will also be represented by the tilted eye-line. Although players can still produce shots from here, more recovery from the body is needed — which isn’t the most efficient way to build consistency.
Adds Kelley, “the next time you’re in front of a mirror, look up to watch and manage your eye-line, as it’s a simple way to move more naturally in the golf swing. Remember, It’s called hand-eye coordination for a reason.”
Kelvin is a Class A PGA golf professional in San Francisco, California. He has taught at some of the top golf clubs in the Bay Area, which include The Olympic Club and Sonoma Golf Club. He is TPI certified and certified Callaway and Titleist club fitter. Kelvin has sought advice and learned under several of the top instructors in the game, including Alex Murray and Scott Hamilton.
Kelvin works with his students to develop an efficient golf swing. A swing that is repeatable, powerful and will strive under pressure. He welcomes golfers of all skill levels however is geared towards the more committed golfer. Besides swing and short game instruction, Kelvin is an expert in on and off the course coaching. This includes mental preparation, developing practice routines and course strategizing.
