Earl's Recent Past Golf Blog's
March 4, 2026Left eye or Right eye dominant for Golf
This is an interesting subject where the facts generally support a certain conclusion, though not in every case. First, consider the facts. Among the general population, studies show that a right-handed person will also be right-eye dominant about 70 percent of the time. Approximately 20 percent of right-handed individuals are left-eye dominant, while the remaining group shows no clear eye dominance. In reviewing various studies, the exact percentages varied somewhat, but the consistent finding was that if you are right-handed, the odds strongly favor you also being right-eye dominant.
Eye dominance can be determined with a simple test. Extend your arms and create a small triangular opening with your hands. With both eyes open, center a distant object—such as a doorknob—inside the triangle. Then close one eye at a time. The eye that continues to see the object centered in the triangle is your dominant eye.
In the general population, most people are right-handed and right-eye dominant. Yet a recent study found that approximately 85% of professionals on the PGA Tour are left-eye dominant. This raises an interesting question: are left-eye dominant golfers inherently better, or have they simply learned to rely more heavily on their left eye over years of practice? It seems unlikely that great players deliberately set out to change their eye dominance. More plausibly, through thousands of hours hitting balls and putting, they may naturally gravitate toward using the left eye to better see the line to the target, rather than rotating the entire head to look down the line. The foremost expert on putting and ophthalmology, Dr. Craig Farnsworth, who reads this blog, will undoubtedly have an opinion on this phenomenon.
Consider putting first. For a left-eye dominant golfer, the left eye can see clearly over the ball and also maintain peripheral vision down the target line toward the hole. A right-eye dominant player often must tilt or turn their the head to see that line, and then shift back into position, potentially losing that visual reference. The same principle may apply during the full swing. At the top of the backswing, when the shoulders complete a full turn, the right eye can momentarily lose sight of the ball. The left eye, however, remains more centered and can maintain visual contact with the ball, helping the player keep a steadier head position. This may offer a subtle advantage to left-eye dominant players.
Still, left-eye dominance is not a mystical secret to great golf. Some of the game's legends—including Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus—are left-eye dominant, but many outstanding players have been right-eye dominant as well. Examples include Scottie Scheffler, Jim Furyk, David Duval, Annika Sörenstam, and Lee Trevino. Some players even adapted their technique to accommodate their visual preference. Trevino often played the ball slightly forward and cocked his head so his right eye could better see both the ball and the target line. Duval and Sörenstam were known to turn their heads well past the ball through impact so that the right eye maintained clear vision of the strike. Ultimately, visualization and imagination remain the keys. Whether a player primarily uses the right eye or the left to look toward the target, the critical element is locking in the image of the shot and carrying that visual into the setup and starting position.
In the end, eye dominance may provide certain visual advantages, but it is only one small part of a much larger equation. Great golfers succeed because they develop a consistent way to see the shot, visualize the target, and repeat their motion with confidence. Whether the left eye or the right eye plays the leading role, the real key is learning how your own vision works and building a setup that allows you to clearly see the ball, the line, and the target. When that visual picture is clear in the mind, the body has a far better chance of delivering the club where it needs to go.
February 5, 2026Observations from the 1st round of the WM Phoenix Open
I usually spend one day down in the Valley at the WM Phoenix Open, and this year was no exception—especially with the chance to watch the number one player in the world, Scottie Scheffler. He was paired with Jordan Spieth and Chris Gotterup. You would expect Gotterup to be a bit intimidated playing alongside two players of that stature, but he wasn't at all. In fact, he easily outplayed both of them, firing a tournament-leading 8-under-par 63. What impressed me most was not just the score, but the qualities in his game and his composure. He showed poise, confidence, and control that suggest he could rightly be a major tournament contender in the near future.
Scottie, on the other hand, had a very un-Scottie-like round. The mistakes appeared to be mental—something he rarely allows to creep into his game. He made five birdies, but they were offset by five bogeys and a double. I don't know what was going on in his mind, but his body language and temperament never gave anything away. Even on an off day, he remained impressive.
Jordan fought hard the entire round. He was three under par standing on the 18th tee, only to make double bogey. As I mentioned in last month's blog, he often plays 15 very good holes and then makes a mistake when you least expect it. The reality is that he doesn't strike the ball nearly as well or as consistently as the top 20 players in the world. His putting and wedge play will always keep him in the game, but to win another major, he will need an exceptional ball-striking week.
After finishing with Scottie's group, I headed over to watch the afternoon players warming up on the range. I don't usually do that, but I was tired and figured maybe something would jump out at me. Something did.
First, these are extremely fit athletes—much stronger and more toned than players even 10 years ago. Compared to my generation, it would be a mismatch if golf were a boxing match. Distance has increased significantly over the last decade, and it isn't just equipment or golf balls. Training and conditioning now maximize the full athletic potential of these players.
I've watched numerous YouTube videos of PGA Tour professionals during their workouts. Along with traditional strength and leg exercises, there is a strong emphasis on speed drills—explosive movements that include jumping, lunges, and rotational exercises designed to increase swing speed.
Watching these players warm up, I was struck by how fast their hips rotated through the hitting area. Clubhead speed has clearly increased over the last 10 years, and I believe greater body rotational speed is a major reason for this added distance.
Without getting too deep into mechanics, here's what I believe has changed in recent years: First, there is more explosion in and through the hitting area. Second, because the hips are moving faster, they are also rotating further through impact. I would estimate an increase of roughly 10 degrees, meaning the hips are more open at the moment of contact. This allows the club to swing more freely for a longer time on its path, which is very positive for consistency because there is less need for the hands to manipulate the clubface. Lastly, the follow-through has changed to accommodate the increased speed.
Traditionally, the belt buckle would finish pointing at the target—and many still do—but now we often see players rotating another 10 degrees or more beyond that point. The shoulders on many of the newer players complete their swing well past 135 degrees or over 45 degrees more rotation than the hips if the hips finish at 90 degrees, especially on full wood swings.
For the average golfer, the message is clear: exercise matters if you want to improve your golf game. But more specifically, incorporating speed and flexibility drills can help increase clubhead speed and, ultimately, distance.
