Eyeline Trick With Your Driver 

I struggle with a slew of fundamentals that create inconsistent ball flights. Recently, i tried something radical; i opened my shoulders to the target. I didnt know what i was doing. I was desperate. I loosely swung for my target in my backyard. My practice waffle golf ball went left as a pull hook. Ultimately, I stopped focusing at the ball and locked on the target to swing to. Now i needed a professional to backup this guess. Your video fortified my claim. The journey now begins to break the bad habits in my golf swing and replace them with quality fundamentals that would lower my score. Thank You!

Hey Eric! Wow - fascinating! Two big takeaways for me. One - just how much the aim line can change from standing behind the ball to how it "looks" at address. As you were surprised - I would bet many/most of us are seeing it incorrectly as well. And two - that we, consciously or subconsciously, do adjust the shape of our golf swing to how it "looks". It makes you stop and wonder how many "swing faults" are actually not faults at all - but the body's natural reaction to what the eyes are "seeing".

I feel the need to say this is possibly the single most underated and overlooked part of the swing. Fantastic video guys !!!! thanks

Golf Digest (2008) and other golf magazines published articles "Men align to much to the right of their target" for decades. Their solution has always been to use alignment rods to fix the issue. This is the first that someone has explained why we keep on setting up to the right. Thank you Eric and Lou.

One of the best instruction video's I have watched all year. Lou and yourself take all the brain thoughts out and really simplify the swing. Nice Job

Bravo to you Eric. You have/discuss subjects no other instructors mention.

Finding the intuitive nature in golf is the key and you bring that home to us Eric thank you

This is a brilliant lesson. Thanks.

Fantastic lesson. Lou Guzzi is a very good teacher couple that with Eric and you have a super lesson. And what an important lesson it is! Your aim impacts your swing is so insightful!

LOU!!!! Was at Talamore for a few years. Great dude....well done.

This information is gold. I can’t wait to share this with my friends. They will freak out whine they see how far left they’ve been swing due to the sight line illusion. I have always felt that a major challenge in golf involves an optical illusion of some kind. You guys just fleshed all that out beautifully.

Awesome, this tip is really going to help my golf swing and my aim,thanks.

I can't wait to give this a shot, never even thought about thinking in this manner!

Excellent video and concept! Makes sense. Well explained and well demonstrated!

Eric great video. I have been struggling with this topic and can’t wait to practice this idea. Thanks

Nice Eric,, amazing how that works!! Love it!!!

This is brilliant! I will be trying this soon.

Great topic clearly explained. Thanks for posting.

I appreciate the info. I will try it next time I'm at the range.

Very cool concept. I normally find my landing area and use an intermediate target that I can see in my peripheral vision when I set up. I like the idea though of shifting that into the scope area of vision to the start line. Makes sense.

This makes sense for me, I been struggling with by alignment to where I am hitting a fade 20 to 30 right with my driver and a 30 to 40 yards left draw with my irons. I have a tendency to swing out to in and when I set up alignment stick the ball will start straight at my target but then fade or draw. The last time at the driving range I started to try and hit it to the right of my target line stick to swing more in to out and everything was working right back to might target. This is a video that I will be saving Thank you.

Cant wait to try will let u know... thank u

I like it to me your explaining set up for success to be successful the more you can do right before you swing the better your chances to hitting the shot you want great mental aspect I like it

Everything makes sense !

Great lesson!

Wow! A light just came on TY.

Thank you Eric this is one of those things that you know is happening (visually) but you haven't quite put a tag on it yet.... thank you

Well done! I'll give it a go.

Eric, seems from the comments, a lot of viewers have got this straight off. Some have got confused. Like me. Would you say that you are aiming parallel left, but your subconscious knows your target is right, therefore on the downswing, you feel you have to swing out more to the right. Thereby eliminating the over the top? More video’s on this subject would be most welcome and interesting to watch. Thank you.

Excellent this is interesting I've always aimed my feet to right of target because that naturally looks straight to target but like you a d my coach told me I'm pulling ball which is my straight on target shot

I'd add IMHO figuring out if you are left or right eye dominant is very important. Determine which eye is your dominant and you'll see why: 1. Extend your arms out in front of you and create a triangular opening between your thumbs and forefingers by placing your hands together at a 45-degree angle. 2.With both eyes open, center this triangular opening on a distant object - such as a wall clock or door knob. 3. Close your left eye. 4. If the object stays centered, your right eye (the one that’s open) is your dominant eye. If the object is no longer framed by your hands, your left eye is your dominant eye.

This is awesome, I never looked at aiming like this. I hate I didn't see this video yesterday before playing a round, maybe I would not have sucked hitting my driver.

Wow, I'm truly an amateur and that's being generous. But this instruction made since to me, I see how my my sight line and my aim line are different. Allowing to develop a swing that is built for the end result or landing. Hope that made since?. Thanks very much.

In my fitting I was hitting into a net, so no target. Hitting much straighter shots and more draws on the trackman. I guess because my eyes weren’t throwing me off!

Brilliant

I closed my eyes for a moment and I thought you were getting a lesson from Fred Couples.

Wow, interesting way to see the set up. I struggle with alignment. Can you use graphics to better show or point out where you were try to hit to, where your “scope” was looking at? I understood what Lou was saying though it would help more if I knew what you were looking at. I play a draw (r to L) just like you were playing. Thanks a million for bringing other coaches to your channel and letting us see their unique pointers.

Great concept, but understanding the scope is a bit difficult, can you re-visit this issue? This situation on the range, not knowing the "tree", other flags etc. doesn't help the viewer see the target line and aim etc.

Hey Eric love your work. Love this idea too. However I think it will confuse some folks. Two questions .... am i right in saying there are three separate "targets" 1. The line I start the ball on. 2. The landing area. 3. Where the ball should finish up.??? If so, I think the problem for most golfers is they assume the line they start the ball on (their aiming line) is the same as where the ball should finish up. Second question... how does this set up look if you want to hit a fade?

How about getting rid of the noodle entirely and use the scope of eyes to determine your landing field. How? Simply do as the pros do. Once you are in your golf posture and the club head is square to your ball simply turn your head comfortably to the scope of your eyes line to view your landing field, then; still in your golf posture; turn your head back and swing the handle. This way you head is the noodle that sets your swing on the right path. Cheers

Great video Eric. Regarding alignment (i.e. feet, shoulders,etc.) - do you align yourself to the target line (ie intended finishing spot) or to the aim line/ scope point)? Or perhaps I’ve misunderstood

Great video, one question though. How do you use this if your ball flight is normal a 10 yard cut?

Count me among the confuse Eric. Are the tees and noodle in line with the array of flags ? Does the noodle look like it is displaced to the left ? What is the scope ?......... I tend to have a hook as my miss. I set up the same , but after watching the video, I look to the right for my aiming line to start my ball on. This has really helped me with more of a baby draw. ..... Love your videos, any help is appreciated.

Interesting video. I was just curious as to whether your dominant eye might affect this.

Really good insight... ha

Hi Eric, the video is a bit confusing for me. Are you saying we line up from behind and when we get to our address position, we should be aiming to the RIGHT of our target? I usually pick an intermediate point between the ball and the target - and I align myself to that intermediate point (maybe 6 inches from the ball). I can't see the merits of the video unless you are a person who does not aim from behind the ball and simply walks up to it and addresses it.

Eric, I’ve watched your videos forever and think you’re one of the best instructors out there. But I have to say this was the most confusing video you have ever done. What’s frustrating is that the “parralax” concept is very interesting to me and I would very much like to understand how it relates to setup and alignment in the full swing, especially with the driver. Any chance you could re-do this video or at least clarify the concept here?

Great video Eric. Mike Malaska does a similar idea of this concept on his channel. Aim is theeeee most important skill to master in golf, as without good aim, the best grip, stance and swing are of no use to anyone and in my opinion, incorrect aim is the most prevalent reason for poor shots as it causes a golfers swing to adapt and compensate in order to get the ball on target. That leads to flawed muscle memory and makes teaching pros a lot of money undoing the resulting swing faults. BUT I've never had or seen a club/range pro teaching this ! I''m not sure it's something they know rather than do automatically without thinking. Whenever I explain it to golfers, they have a hard time 'getting it' but when they do, it's a revalation to them. I got a 19 handicapoer playing single figure golf over 9 holes purely by sorting their aim and some ideas around putting. Keep the ideas coming John M UK.

“Scope” - is Lou saying Scope is when you look at 1 o’clock from the “Aim Line”? Also, does eye dominance affect this Scope concept? Thank you Eric!

Didn't come away clear on the "scope" he talks about. I'll watch the video again to see if I can understand it better with a second look. I'm right handed but left eye dominant. As another person commented, I would think right/left eye dominance would affect this. Very interesting stuff here.

Im a little confused, is the scope my starting line, then my swing path to the right of that, to hit the draw, or is the swing path the scope

Eric can you do a swing analysis for Wilco Nienaber?

👍👍

Very important video Eric. However I agree with a few of the comments as confusing. There was no way for us the viewer to determine the target line and site line as you referred to the tree as target etc. I hope you redo with proper site lines etc. So we can actually tell the difference between the scope and target.

Do you set up square to the pool or do you set up to your scope point out there to the right? (Feet/shoulders)

So, the only question I have is: Are your shoulders, hips, knees and feet still parallel with the original target line? And the eye line or "scope" is dictating swing path? Or do you adjust your alignment to the scope?

Clear as mud

I don't have a shot shape yet. I also don't like hitting balls before a round. Guess this won't help me

I understand the principle you presented but I didn't get the mechanics.

Aiming is so important. Almost all amateurs aim to far right and never using aiming sticks or clubs. Go to a tour event and almost all of them are using an aiming aid EVERYDAY!!!

Confusing

I think more amatuers work the ball the other way. Maybe a demo for a fade would assist more followers. Thanks

Eric. This whole concept is fascinating, bc ave golfers get it so wrong. Then add in tee boxes that line up wrong to the fairway. 🤪 How many times with ur foursome of friends that your stop ur $$ partner and ask “Where the f-- r u aiming? It’s comedy act. Sugg: have 4 ave golfers that r friends do this drill. 😎

I've tried this as seen on Malaska's video. Doesn't work for me but I only use my right eye so that may be why. Also, i rarely hit the ball the same shape on the course that i do in warm up so this wasn't much help for me. Just sayin'...

Huh?

what tree are you talking about, ? nothing but trees in the background

Anyone else is bothered that they never hit the ball? Did i miss it?

Not explained well at all. Very confusing!

Money. This is not a Trick, this is real. This is know as the Parallax Effect. Fancy word for a set a rail road tracks. For a right handed player we stand on the inside left track. The problem is that the Ball is on the outside, or Right track. We as humans instinctively want to satisfy where we are in space but the ball is not where we're standing. But wait, there's more! Unless you have experienced this, the likelihood is that you grip the club with the face pointed left. Again, satisfying where your standing. Some years ago I made a 3 ft long magnetic pointer with a whiffleball at the end. I would ask the player to Grip and Aim the Club. I would I grab the club and have the player go back and look for themselves in disbelief. There is still more. We go thru life seeing the world on a horizontal axis. The Game is played on a Vertical Axis. Eric, because he is the real deal, did a good job of seeing thru his Scope on a Tilted Axis as if he was IN the Shot. Many want to stand up to see the Shot on their comfy Horizontal Axis. No bueno. People put Aim sticks at their toe line and reach into the ball with their right arm, and never get their Left side in. Left Shoulder wide Open, Face Pointed Left and you can't release the Club...See the Shot for what it is, Right of where your Standing. That's all for now, but digest what Lou and Eric just demonstrated and know that it's Real....