Today I'd like to share a testimonial that was sent in regarding wearing bifocals while playing golf. Many of you have heard me say that you absolutely cannot wear bifocals when you play golf. But, for many of you, those are the only type of glasses that you have. If that's the case, you've got to get a different pair for when you tee it up. It's just that simple.
Check out what Richard Wieber had to say:
Don,
Awhile back you talked about never wearing bifocals while golfing. I bought a pair of just my distance perscription to play in. I rarely top the ball or hit behind it anymore. With the clubs made in different lengths at address I bend at slightly different angles which would have me looking thru different "focals". Sure like the new glasses!
Dick Wieber
I love to hear these testimonials because whatever helped you might help other Surgites. In this case, Dick is right. With the different lengths of each club, wearing bifocals makes it way too hard to get any consistent feel over the ball throughout a round since you're typically changing clubs with each shot. The eyes are what should move downward when you look at the ball, not your entire head. That's why you cannot wear bifocals so please get new glasses like Dick!
If any of you have a similar story to share or have had an epiphany on any other part of your game, please share it with us. It might just be the thing that helps another Surgite take his or her game to the next level.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.
Comments
Head position
Hi Surge,
I think we all underestimate the importance of having your head in a good, balanced, neutral position when you swing. I mentioned the other day that I've taken to practicing for a portion of my time on the range with my eyes closed. Once I've set up to the ball and lift the club to be sure it's square in my hands, I close my eyes before accordioning into position and don't open them until the ball is in the air. One of the things I realize about doing this is that I don't dip my head as I have a tendency to do with my eyes open--possibly because I was talked into these smaller, more "stylish" frames that don't go down as far, so to actually see the ball I have to tilt my head. I'd stop wearing them when I swing, but I'm nearsighted. I'd have trouble just finding the ball at my feet. ;-)
Near sighted
I'm near sighted too but maybe not as much. I can see the ball (and even where it goes) on most shots just as well without glasses but not very good at all after about 200 yards.
I guess if I had a good caddy I could play without glasses but most of the time the people I play with either say they can't see my ball or don't care enough to help watch. Ha ha!
Glasses and Golf
I've played with people like that, also. They're the ones who usually want me to help follow their hooks and slices.
I have trouble seeing the ball after 175 yards, but it is not a problem. I pretty well know the long and short for each of my clubs and, as long as I see the line the ball starts on, I can usually find it.
I now have two sets of glasses: one for distances over 10 feet and the other for reading; closer than 2 feet. In between those, I don't wear the glasses. I never could get used to bifocals or trifocals.
Eyes
A couple of years ago I was playing with a young guy that was playing on the Mini-Tours and was a pretty good golfer.
We were on hole 7 at Desoto, a driveable par 4 in the neighborhood of 300 yards with the tee markers back. I hit a good tee shot and knew it was going to be around the right side of the green but that's about all I could see.
This guy said "It almost went in that paper cup under that bench". I looked down there and could see the bench close to the next tee box but that's about it. Certainly couldn't see a paper cup, much less a golf ball.
When we got down there sure enough my ball was against the side of the cup under the bench. I thought Wow! Must be nice to see that well!!!
near sighted
Steve:
Me also -- I see the ball against the sky at any distance --but once it hits the ground and starts to roll, it is gone from my view. True for even the bright yellow or orange balls. As long as they don't "hide in shadows" they are usually easy to find in the fairway or on the green.
Since my cataract surgery, about a year ago, I no longer play golf in glasses. Don't really need them -even for score cards. But with or without glasses, once on the ground it becomes an exercise in "logic and guessing" to locate the ball.
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Vision Statement.....
Also near sighted, and can't really see my target without my eye glasses.
I've opted to wear very low profile lenses/glasses that rest high on the bridge of my nose. This, in part, explains why I am NAB- Nose Above Ball.
So this is how it breaks down:
I look THROUGH my glasses at my distance target.
I look just UNDER the lenses (at address) at the ball.
Finally, I look OVER the top of the eyeglasses in exasperation, with an imploring, prayerful look to heaven, as random ball flight takes over.
My bigger issue is actually that the ball Appears to be moving at the takeaway. The ball 'jumps' just a bit, and wow, is it distractive.
Perhaps starting the takeaway further back from the ball would be helpful.
Head Position
Robert,
I found while still in China, that closing my eyes was a very effective way of stopping me trying to take the skin off the ball. Once my set up was complete, even before I lifted anything, I closed my eyes. It stopped me hitting at the ball. It is a great way to tune in to parts of your body and your other senses. It gave me better feed back. Sound of the clubhead, 'burning the turf', by feel and sound. I have, on occasion done this on the course, with good results. Try this when you are next at the range. Once set up at the ball and ready to go, focus on a spot no more than 1" to 2"inches in front of the ball and make your swing. It may surprise you! Good Luck.DH
Good vision for golf
Dear Surge - I listened carefully today to your recommendations about the importance of good eyesight/vision for a golfer. I had glasses for many years but 20-30 years ago I acquired a big improvement in my vision by wearing contact lenses -- but definitely not with bifocals!! (yes, it's possible to get contacts with bifocals.) Here are two huge advantages of wearing contact lenses when golfing: a) you can move your eyes to focus on the golf ball WITHOUT moving your head, and b) no matter what the weather is, your contacts stay clean and clear. Perspiration on even the hottest days does not affect your vision. So, I recommend that anyone who can wear contacts should do so. They make a huge difference in a golfer's vision -- and his/her golf game!!
Eye Glasses
I agree with your comments about bifocals but there is an alternative solution. I used sunglasses with no prescription and could see the ball perfectly but had difficulty reading scorecards, rulebook etc. Had sunglasses made for golf that has the reading prescription at the top of the lens. I still see the ball perfectly and with a little adjustment can read anything I need.
Keep up the great work!
John Keating
eye glasses
as an optometrist I have fit thousands of golfers with the progressive multifocal
including myself. Certain visual conditions make the ball blurry as well at virtually all distances and glasses are necessary for just plain walking. The old bifocal with the line makes golf difficult because the image jumps as the
visual axis passes through the line as well as be out of focus at ball-stance distance. Same with pistol shooting. Progressives work well.Ralph H Schneider OD
eye glasses
as an optometrist I have fit thousands of golfers with the progressive multifocal
including myself. Certain visual conditions make the ball blurry as well at virtually all distances and glasses are necessary for just plain walking. The old bifocal with the line makes golf difficult because the image jumps as the
visual axis passes through the line as well as be out of focus at ball-stance distance. Same with pistol shooting. Progressives work well.Ralph H Schneider OD
Eye glasses
My glasses are progressives, which Ralph H Schneider OD says work well. The lenses may be OK, but they kept slipping down my nose,which was a distraction.With my head more erect to free up my neck and shoulder muscles I was looking through the reading part of the lense or beneath it. As Robert Fleck said, smaller stylish lenses. I have always been long sighted.
After reading earlier comments by Surge on glasses, I decided to not wear glasses at all on the course. I jokingly say my 'caddy' and 'golden retriever' is my eyes. In reality, I don't have any problem with the ball at address or once it is airborne. Like Kevin McGarrahan I have a good read on direction and can usually find the ball without any problems at all.
With sunglasses, they too were of the 'stylish' lense type, or a larger pair interfered with my ability to 'look down my nose' with my head more erect. I bought a pair with larger lenses [Australian ones]. They are brilliant. No part of the frame around the eyes impinges on the view at all. In my case it is these small things which Surge and Surgites comment on that have helped my ball striking, compared to what it used to be.
It is strange that since discarding my glasses that, my accuracy on putting, chipping and pitching have all noticeably improved. So for me,
"The Eyes have it"!
Now for a swing on the front yard driving range.
Corrected vision for golfers.
I learned this fact when I was struggling with my game after I got my first progressive lenses a few years ago and couldn't figure it out. Then one day on the driving range I noticed on the driving range that the ball almost completely disappeared from my field of vision in the backswing. I dug out my older non-progressive lens from the drawer and my ball striking immediately improved. Since then I've been to two different optomistrits and have made some special bifocal lenses made to my updated prescriptions with the reading line very low in the lens. It's just enough to allow me to read and mark score cards, and the upper distance lens work fine to address and see the ball during the swing and see the ball flight on my shots. Now my biggest challenge is to remember to changes glasses before I hit the first tee or the range. I usually keep both my clear and sunglass version in a hard case in my golf bag to insure that I have them when I need them.
Keep it vertical.
Dave W.
bifocals and golf
Since I need bifocals just to function, I had my optometrist make me a pair of traditional lined bifocals and had the corrective bifocal part lowered as far as possible on the lens. When I am striking the ball, I am looking over the lined bifocal and have no issues. Never liked the no line or progressive type lenses anyway.
Recent post on Eye glasses
I guess I am the exception to those posted comments. I wear progressive trifocal glasses. The exception is I don't need a correction for reading. I am 76 years old and have shot my age or better 54 times in the last 6 years. I have used the PPG swing for the last 3 years. I can understand the problem with bifocals if you need a correction to read. Fortunately, I do not and there are many like me out there. Keep up the good work. I enjoy the daily videos. Keep them coming. Oh, if I have a weakness in my game, it is sand play. I know it would be hard to have a video on that area but any suggestion would be welcome.
Dave Z
SAND PLAY
Dave, Their is a video on sand play. Look up the Kenny Knox video under the Surge's shop and buy it. their is and excellent section in their on bunker play as well as short game.
Hal
Sight and golf
Guess I shouldn't be surprised that there has already been a lot of posts on the subject of eyes. Seems most of us are dealing with some kind of progressive sight reduction (reads: going blind lol!) As for my eyes, it's getting where I can't see close and I can't see far but at least my hearing is failing! Huh?
I currently have very spendy progressives. A sun glass version and a clear version. Frankly I really don't like either very much. Seems for reading the cheap 4 pair for $20.00 at Sam's club as readers are the best for me while reading. The progressives are fine for driving but I often don't wear them otherwise. Did try them for golf last year when I got them and was immediately disappointed for all the reasons Surge has covered several times.
Actually I even stopped using sun glasses as i found my putting improved without any glasses. With brighter hot sunny days coming I may go back to sun glasses again this summer. The most important thing out here is a good hat and lots of sun block.
I'll bet Terry, R2 and all others in the snow covered parts of the country are looking forward to the warmer summer days.
I'll be playing the next two days. Low 80's for the next three days :)
Hang on kids, summer is on the way!
Sight and Golf
Robert,
If you go back to the sunglasses in the bright conditions, make sure that the frames do not interfere with your view when at address. My previous sunglasses did. The pair I have now have large lenses which allow me to have my head elevated to free up the neck and shoulder muscles while keeping my probiscus on the ball with my eyes on the ball. No part of them impedes my un-restricted view of the ball and the surrounding area.
Funny you should mention a good hat etc. My golfnut mate from the south island here was up for a conference on Mon/Tues and his 'hooter' is still red and shiny looking after playing. I even practiced today with a hat covering my ears on top of a peaked golf hat. All to protect the bits that stick out hahaha! Here it is only in the low 70degF range, but due to the angle of the sun down here, it will still burn you to a crisp in no time!
I sympathise with the guys in snowbound places. UK is undergoing the coldest weather and most snow since 1963~! Global warming hahaha!
Have a great time. DH
Aviator
Good advice on the large sun glasses. Surge has given similar advice too. I normally use the larger aviator style almost like goggles. The other challenge is getting the right lens color tone and quality. Finding ones that allow me too see the greens and putts for break is equally important. I will be experimenting to see what works best.
If anyone out there has any sunglasses that they absolutely love while playing golf I am open for suggestions.
As for the hats. I have lots to choose from as I am a bit of a cap collector. Of course my favorite is the one I don't use, the white Titlest cap signed by DJ a couple years back at the PPGS tournament held in Las Vegas.
The hat I frequently wear is perhaps identical to Surges floppy full brimmed white hat we see him wear doing dailies occasionally. It protects the earsa and neck fairlyis well. I tan easily but now I wisely put on lots of sun block almost year round.
Hoping to SEE some putts drop this week:)
Aviator
Deleted double
Aviator
Robert, you a cap collector? hahaha Me too! My favourite is a Ryder Cup one from Celtic Manor, signed by Luke Donald : - ] Haven't worn it yet hahaha.
The NZ army are getting a new "J" hat and so I will at last be able to acquire one when the old model are up for disposal. To the thieving oik in China who 'tea leafed' mine, I hope it tightens every time you wear it. I keep catching the brim of my sun hat, or the next in line leaves me with a burnt nose! Ho hum, life is fun. DH
sunglasses
Robert:
As part of my cataract surgery, I got a flyer from Bausch and Lomb for 2 pair of polarized sunglasses. One pair is a gray-black "normal" sunglass - the other pair has amber lenses - advertised for "cloudy days" -supposed to improve contrast (aide in reading greens ?). Both pair have large lenses and wrap around frames a la Ray Charles. I LOVE them!! Not so sure about the amber ones though - the "improved contrast" bit.
As far hats, I normally wear a standard golf cap in the winter months, but it is about time to change back to the straw hat, similar to one Surge wears.
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Warmer weather
RM: Sounds like you've got some GREAT weather there! It's finally starting to warm up around here and it looks like we'll get to start playing this Friday. Last year at this time i'd already played 37 rounds. So far this year i've played 0. Winter be gone!!! Hit 'em straight! R2
Where's Spring?
I am supposed to be on Spring Break right now (what a joke). I think it's at least supposed to be good enough to play this weekend.
I've taken so many practice swings in the house and on the porch the last few days that my club head speed feels like it's gone up about 25mph. I think I'm taking my weather aggression out on my practice swings.
The last time I played I told Mike after the round that I didn't think I was in golfing shape. Pretty sure I am now. If not I never will be. LOL
I was bored today and decided to look back through some old scorecards from different courses I've played and try to decide what was the best round I ever played.
Settled on a 76 from the tips at Birch Creek. Normally I wouldn't think much of a 76 but this was on vacation to Missouri and after driving from Paducah, Kentucky to Union Missouri we saw a golf course sign from the road and decided to stop and play. Got out of the car, paid our money and started playing on a course I had never seen before with no warmup shots.
I doubt seriously if I could ever do that again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxKxY-4tabQ
Sometimes the less we know......
Sometimes the less we know the better. My best start a month ago was at Silverstone. A course I previously knew little about. started out par par birdie birdie par before starting to 'think' about my score and falling off from there.
It seems when we just swing away and do less contemplating we often play much freer and get better results. the trick is keeping our brains from taking over when we are hitting it well.
Winter begone
We are going the other way R2! Should be able to play through the winter with luck. Good luck and keep on hitting them straight and long, consistently when you do. DH
Bifocals
Bifocals or distance glasses. Results are unfortunately equally poor.
Bifocals
Bifocals or distance glasses. Results are unfortunately equally poor.
Bifocals
Bifocals or distance glasses. Results are unfortunately equally poor.
Playing with bifocals
Don, You are absolutely right about playing with bifocals causing one to lower their head too much. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH BIFOCALS FOR YEARS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. I call them my golfing glasses. The bifocal lens has been reduced in size which allows the bifocal line to be lowered to about 1/4 instead of 1/2 on the glass. This still gives enough bifocal to read and still not require one to lower their head too much. Keep up the good instruction. Al Walkup
Everybody Was Kung (King?) Fu Fighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cFKBM5adMo
Don't mess with these guys. Ha ha!
Reminds me of something I haven't thought of in years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiSzFp4arg
love'n it
Ahhhh 1974..... Good year indeed. Like many kids I was taking a Kung Fu class at the time and in the best shape of my youth. Our 200 pound teacher use to stand on our stomachs as we did our sit ups. That was one among many of the torturous training routines. I was 'fast as lightning' but only 'a little bit frightening'. 17 years old and living on the beach in the Bahamas. What were you Steve? 18/19? Yes the main thing I miss about the 70's is everything.
That one with Arnie and Tiger with Lee was cool too. Funny stuff.
1974
Yeah 18 turning 19 and playing baseball in college. Notice I didn't say anything about doing anything else in college (that had anything to do with school). Ha ha ha ha!
My three jobs were chasing girls, playing baseball, and working as a fire fighter part time for the National Park Service. (In just about that order).
I wish now I had added being a student somewhere on that list or at least put baseball at number one.
My educational strategy was to try to take every easy course I could take. Ballroom dancing at 9 o'clock on Tuesdays and Thursdays was my best course. There were 25 girls and 3 boys in that class.
BTW Mike and I took Tae Kwon Do together for a few years and really enjoyed it.
Funny story: Our first day we were supposed to fight one of the black belts and the instructor was telling us the rules. He was describing the "legal" targets and he included the face. I leaned over to another one of the black belts and whispered "He doesn't really want me to hit him in the face does he?" The guy said "Well you shouldn't be able to", so I said reluctantly OK.
Well when it was my turn within about one second I saw that I had an opening and popped him in the nose as hard as I could and got him going backwards and kept on hitting him until his head hit the wall and knocked him out.
About that time all of the instructors jumped in and said that was unnecessary roughness. I just told them that was the only way I knew how to fight. I thought I might be in trouble but they all laughed and said "you really jumped all over him didn't you?"
Having a certain color belt is fine and dandy and it means you know a lot and have put in your time. It doesn't mean much at all in a real fight if the other person is bigger, stronger, faster, and more coordinated.
Sort of like a golf swing. I know some people that have beautiful golf swings that can't play a lick.
Reminds me of the old saying "Son, you can't teach coordination".
Intermediate glasses?
I had the same trouble with head posture and a shift of my perspective if my head moved while wearing bifocals. Good side was that I had a feedback from that effect to tell me my head was not as steady as I thought it was. Bad side was to lose my sense of the ball and make repeated bad mistakes.
So I started playing with progressives. Actually helps, but still problems.
I looked at my prescription before writing this. I have a minor standard prescription given and an adjustment of +200 for the reading piece. What I think I am going to do is go to the reading glasses display at the store and try glasses on until I can see the ground in front of my feet well -- and just play with those.
My distance prescription is very little, but I wear the bifocals all the time because it keeps me from losing my reading glasses. Maybe what I would end up with is golf glasses with enough power to read my scorecard and little enough power to see down the fairway.
Monovision?
I've read many of the comments here about bifocals. I am wondering if I might have a similar issue with my monovision contacts. I wear one contact for distance and another for reading. I don't have any trouble with anything else. But I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of correction and how it does or doesn't impact one's golf game.
I appreciate the daily information. Just signed up for my first league starting next week. Can't wait!