By Stan Utley

I’m always amazed at how fundamentals remain the key to success in golf. Ball position, good posture and proper alignment of your feet, knees, hips and shoulders—when properly combined—make your putting stroke and your golf swing far more efficient in general.

Like positions mentioned above, another fundamental that is often misunderstood is the positioning of your eyes as they relate to the ball and the target line. Many players view golf as a linear game, and therefore think their eyes should be positioned directly over the ball when they putt. I have been using the drill shown in the images on the opposite page for a long time to keep my setup consistent. As you will see in these images, my eyes are inside the target line and the ball, like most of the Tour players I teach.

I am not alone in this approach. Having the good fortune of being on the Titleist staff and working on my stroke with Scotty Cameron—he has shared with me that the majority of Tour players he has seen in his putter studio (which is hundreds of players) also see the line best by positioning their eyes slightly inside the ball.

I believe keeping your eyes inside the target line is consistent with the rest of golf, because when I putt, I stand to the side of the ball and my putter shaft still hangs at a tilt—not vertical. I still view my putting stroke as a side-on swing, which has some curve to the putter-head path versus a straight-line stroke. Therefore I see the line of my putt best when
my eyes are slightly inside the ball-target line, and I believe you will too.

Here is how you check your position. First take your normal setup position to the ball with your putter. Then take a spare ball out of your pocket and drop it straight down from your left eye, maintaining your original head position. Pay attention to where this ball lands on the ground as it will give you a good sense of where your left eye is in relation to the ball you are putting. I personally know that my tendency is to get too far away from the ball, so I strive for the ball I drop to land 1" inside the ball I’m putting, and about 1" behind it, as shown in the pictures on the opposite page. These measurements are generally good for most players, but if you find yourself having a great putting day, check your position and establish your baseline for your personal head position.

Good luck applying this tip to your short game and I hope you see positive results in lower scores. To see this lesson on video please visit imiliving.com, click on IMI TV, and then click IMI Golf: it is the second thumbnail from the top; Tip #19, “Eye Position over the Putt”.