The eyes are not only for seeing.

[anzac]

About 30 years ago I was introduced to Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement exercises. The exercises or lessons particularly those with the eyes have been extremely helpful in my golf game. The lessons teach how eye movements coordinate the body movements and how they are linked to the movements of the neck muscles. The lessons test these connections of eye and neck muscles separately, which increases control of body movements and makes them easier.
The movement of the eyes in the opposite direction to that of the head and the movement of the head in the opposite direction to that of the body add a dimension of movement of which many are not aware. These movements are part of our golf game so it is reasonable that we should be familiar with them.
The lessons are simple - 30 reps in opposite directions, both sides, eyes and head. Same with head and shoulders including the eyes moving opposite to the head.

[COSTA103]

About 30 years ago I was introduced to Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement exercises. The exercises or lessons particularly those with the eyes have been extremely helpful in my golf game. The lessons teach how eye movements coordinate the body movements and how they are linked to the movements of the neck muscles. The lessons test these connections of eye and neck muscles separately, which increases control of body movements and makes them easier.
The movement of the eyes in the opposite direction to that of the head and the movement of the head in the opposite direction to that of the body add a dimension of movement of which many are not aware. These movements are part of our golf game so it is reasonable that we should be familiar with them.
The lessons are simple - 30 reps in opposite directions, both sides, eyes and head. Same with head and shoulders including the eyes moving opposite to the head.

Hi guys,
I have long advocated that WHERE your EYES are focused during the golf swing DOES matter!

I believe that your eye-focal-point is central to one's BALANCE-system.
In other words that your center-of-gravity tends to gravitate to that focal point.
In golf, your COG is fairly representative of your sternal notch; point of shoulder-rotation and CENTER of the CIRCLE that is the golf-swing!

Said ANOTHER way, the CENTER of the circle (and hence the BOTTOM of the circle) will tend to gravitate to where you are looking...

Consider where the MIDDLE of your DIVOT (hence the BOTTOM of the circle) needs to be for the shot you are attempting?
Perhaps THAT is where you should be focusing your EYES?

dude abides

[anzac]

Hi guys,
I have long advocated that WHERE your EYES are focused during the golf swing DOES matter!

I believe that your eye-focal-point is central to one's BALANCE-system.
In other words that your center-of-gravity tends to gravitate to that focal point.
In golf, your COG is fairly representative of your sternal notch; point of shoulder-rotation and CENTER of the CIRCLE that is the golf-swing!

Said ANOTHER way, the CENTER of the circle (and hence the BOTTOM of the circle) will tend to gravitate to where you are looking...

Consider where the MIDDLE of your DIVOT (hence the BOTTOM of the circle) needs to be for the shot you are attempting?
Perhaps THAT is where you should be focusing your EYES?

dude abides

G'day COSTA,
Maybe, if we are one dimensional in our eye movements. Do we need our eyes to maintain a stable swing hub in keeping it to centre? I would have thought the way we use our pelvis/spine would have more influence on maintaining a centred swing hub than the eyes.
By adding other dimensions in our eye movements, it frees up the neck muscles and it's connections to the shoulder muscles. If our eyes are one demensional and we lose focus because of neck movements, what happens then?

[anzac]

Hey Cally
I wouldn't know where the COG is located in my swing - never think about it. It could be outside my body somewhere between my hands and pelvis for all I know. I do know that our COG when we stand erect is located two inches in front of the sacrum, at the level of the second of the fused vertebrae. This is the midpoint or exact centre of the body when standing. In sport it is called the centre of mass ((COM). In my swing the swing hub is in the centre of the upper sternum where there is no or very little rib movement when the thoracic spine twists.
It is not something that I think too much about, I am just aware of it. Although it was a factor in the days when I was learning to own a spine driven swing.
I enjoyed your post, you have a nice writing style.

[Ken Robie]

You are mistaken if you think that the COG of anything is based strictly on the external dimensions of length, width, and height. COG is only influenced by the balance at rest of the physical mass weight. A golf swing's COG is ever changing based on movement and external force influnces such as rotational movement and lever length changes from the static COG at rest. The dependency on the eyes as a reliable control is fallable. A perfect example is the disorientation that pilots experience even in a bluebird sky condition during barrel rolls and extreme banking manuvers.

[Ken Robie]

No I was refering to the 2" infront of the sacrum statement

[anzac]

Actually the 2"" is an internal measurement not external. Sorry if my wording was misleading.

[alfriday]

Back to the original topic: does changing where you focus your eyes ("eye focus") change the swing, particularly the low point of the swing?

(What follows is my experience. I don't know if it has general application.)

For me, there are three elements that come into play. 1. Intent; 2. mental focus; and 3. eye focus. When I am fully committed to a shot (I have a clear intent) and I am fully, mentally focused on the target, then eye focus has no or minimal effect. This is when I play my best. I swing to the target and the ball just gets in the way of the swing. Looking down at the ground or a spot on the ball doesn't draw my attention "down there", I remain mentally focused on the target. I tend to breathe out as I shift my eyes from the target to the ground, this shift allows the mind to quiet, but to remain focused on the target. My attention is still "at the target." I guess you could say I "rest" my eyes on the ball, but I don't focus down there.

For my game, it is vital that I stay target focused. Here are a couple of drills that have helped me:

1. Putt to a cup while looking at the hole.

2. Hit a ball looking at the target, hit the next one with eyes closed, hit the third looking down at the ball.

3. Throw clubs, first looking at the target, then with eyes closed, then looking down at the ground.

I think eye focus does change the swing, if both my eye focus and mental focus are on the spot where I am looking. This is when bad things tend to happen.