When you drive a car, do you look at the steering wheel or the road ahead?  When you pass a baseball or a football to a friend do you look at your hand, the ball or your arm as you throw?  Of course you don’t - you look at the target that you are throwing to or in the direction you are driving and the motion follows.  Take this concept and use it in developing a fluid, consistent putting stroke by practice putting while looking at the hole. By practicing this drill you will improve target awareness and hand eye coordination resulting in a fluid swing that improves distance and directional control. 

After spending some time on the putting green with this drill go to the second stage of the drill and look at the hole only while you make practice strokes, then bring your optical focus back to the ball and roll your putt.  Now you will find that even though you are looking at the ball your mind’s eye is fully aware of the target and what feel will produce a fluid and consistent putt.

 If you watch Davis Love III putt you will notice that he spends more time staring at the target than at the ball.  He focuses his attention where the ball is going before tracing the line of putt back to the ball, by which time the putter is already reacting to the target and in the process of swinging, he is simply reacting to his target rather than trying to go through a checklist of “how to” items. 

 Billy Mayfair looks into the hole for 4 seconds to help him become more aware of his target and not over analytical in his putting.
 For a brief period while playing on tour, Johnny Miller putted while looking at the hole to help him with some putting woes.
 Try this drill and start to become more aware of the target in your mind’s eye, the feedback you will get will help improve your putting.

 John King is the Director of Instruction for Ken Venturi Golf Academy at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC.  To contact John King for golf schools or lessons call 336-834-4896.