Great question! I've always looked at the ball but I've started toying around with looking at the grass just in front of the ball. Seems to help me smooth out the stroke and get the ball on line a bit better out of the gate. We'll see if it sticks!

- Mike

great question......hitting with a good follow thru 

My ball is marked with an equator line all around the ball. When I set up my putter, the alignment line on the putter and the ball are as one. When I make the put, I am looking at the contact point where the two lines meet. This helps me get the sweet spot of the putter all the time. I would say my mishits are usually towards the toe, so this help me to avoid that.

I play with a Doctor who is a developmental optometrist who specializes on sport vision, he has worked with several tour players.  He had me put a red dot on my ball to focus on during putting, the color red draws  the eyes better than any other color.  Recently he had me focus on the Ti with the read the label method with putts inside 8 feet.  It eliminates the peripheral view of the hole on short putts and lets you focus on the ball rather than the hole.

Great question... especially given what we've learned about Jordan Speith's "sometimes look at the hole / sometimes at the ball / depends how I feel" approach.

Last year I attended a putting clinic at the Malone Golf and CC in upstate NY, which was included in our "buddies" getaway.  The PGA Pro there recommended concentrating at spot or a blade of grass about 6 inches in front of the ball, on the line that you intend to hit the putt.  I played around with that tip for a while last year.

This year, though I tried the "look at the hole" technique on the practice green, and I found that it actually works pretty well for short range putts... but maybe it is my brand new Scotty that is sinking everything by itself :)  Maybe I should try left hand low too.  Seems to work for Jordan.

Regards,

--
Kevin

I read something a long time ago about the importance of focusing on the result or destination instead of the object at hand and as a result started putting while looking at the hole long before it was "in vogue" or acceptable.  Age, however, has now caught up with me and I am tending to wear my bifocals while playing golf.  Wow, this has caused a ton of issues for chipping/pitching as well as regular shots.  I am just not sure whether to look through the distance part of the lens or the reading part of the lens??  It is so frustrating I am tempted to stop wearing them but when I do that, I have no clue where the ball lands ..... any advice or suggestions from people who wear bifocals?? 

David, 

I've been wearing Bifocals/Progressive lens now for approximately 9 years now, it took me about a month or so to get used to wearing them.. Mind you I can't see a lick without my glasses. That being said I found that when I went to the progressive lens I didn't have near the problems I had with the traditional bifocals with the lines... Another improvement happened when I started wearing Oakley Half Jacket 2.0 XL's with their G30 Lens Tint, which is their golf specific tint. I have found that how Oakley designed the viewing areas for their progressive lenses has all but eliminated the problem you mentioned in you post for me.. The other benefit of this lens is the tint, it makes reading the greens a lot easier, as the tint makes the various shades of greens stand out against other colors such as browns or yellows... Also I'm able to pick the ball out down the fairway much better as it stands out against the other colors especially during the morning when it can be difficult the spot a ball.. When I purchased mine I had Oakley grind/set the lens to my prescription for  my lens as well.. All in all I have been very pleased with these glasses.. I hope this helps.

Nickolas.

I look at the ball when I putt, usually the half nearest the hole.  Years ago, I found that I was watching the putter, and that does not work for me.

I place the ProV1 arrow facing up and then i line up the line mark on my putter right behind so i know i'm hitting the center of the face...   I then take a quick look at my line/target and i pick a spot on the green that i want to aim for..  Then I look down and focus on the arrow and line and putt away...  Seems to work for me...

But it's interesting to hear other thoughts out there..  Good question

I just set up and then count my tempo in my head, and follow the clubhead from address to backswing and through the ball

I use a alignment dot that I put on the ball to keep my focus on the ball.But before I putt I take my practice strokes looking at the hole,this this helps me get a good feel for the distance and helps me achieve a smooth stroke.

Great topic, though I struggled with the question.  "While you putt" can be interpreted as throughout the putting process or that moment in time when the putter is moving back and to impact.

I've personally gone through quite a process to becoming a very good amateur putter.

I noted a Pelz study that showed that during the time between taking your putting stance and striking the ball pros spend most of their time looking at the hole, while most amateurs spend most of their time looking at the ball.  That helped me.

I also remember another study that showed some players have more success putting to a spot on their starting line, while others do better visualizing the line the ball will take from its spot on the green to the hole.  I found I'm in the latter group.

Many other tips and green reading skills I've picked up along the way.

I ended up answering the question as if you meant that moment in time when the putter head is moving.  So for me I'm looking at the ball, primarily to keep my head in place, so there are no distortions at the moment of impact.  My FOCUS though is not on the ball, but rather the movement of the putter head itself so that I make solid contact with proper pace (distance control) and start the ball on the intended line.

If you interpret the question as beginning as you setup to the time of stroking the putt, I spend most of my time looking down line and getting everything square to the starting line as I visualize the entire path from ball to hole.

I always pick a spot that I want ball to roll over when putting. Myself I spend most time reading the green then make one practice stroke while looking at the spot. Step into the putt look at the ball then make my stroke. It works for me.

seems like my putting is Stinks no matter what I look at or how I stand or how much I change my stroke.....UGH!!!!!

I voted that I look at the ball, but on short puts I have tried to look at the hole and I have made most of them. But like other posts, it's not just were you look but your swing too. Slow and steady swing seems to be key and keeping your head still. Shorter back swing and follow through to get past hole seems to be working. I just need to remember to do it all the time lol.

i have gone sub 30 puts per round and this is when I do this process more often. Great putting equates to a great round.

Chris,

I try to look at a particular dimple on the ball and keep my eyes focused on what is underneath that spot. I used to put a dime under the ball and keep my eyes focused on that while putting. This keeps my head from moving during the putting stroke and then I try and listen for the ball to fall in the cup.