Dominant Eye and Putting
Also known as: dominant eye putting, dominant eye and putting, eye dominance in golf, eye dominance putting, which eye is dominant for putting
Your dominant eye can affect how you see the line when putting. Most people rely on one eye more for aim, so the line can look different depending on where that eye sits. Find your dominant eye, then check your aim with a mirror or alignment line instead of trusting the view alone.
Everyone has one eye the brain relies on more for aiming. In putting, that eye shapes how the line from the ball to the hole looks. If it sits far inside or outside the ball, the line can look shifted.
To find your dominant eye, make a small circle with your hands. Look through it at a distant object with both eyes open. Close one eye at a time. The eye that still sees the object in the circle is dominant.
There is no single correct position for everyone. Use a putting mirror to see where your eyes sit at address. Then check whether putts start on your intended line. If they miss the same way often, test moving your eyes or using an alignment aid.
Tips by skill level
Do the hands-circle test at home. It takes ten seconds and tells you which eye leads.
Set up a gate a few feet ahead of the ball. Try small changes in eye position and keep the one that starts the most putts through the gate.
Example
He keeps aiming putts left. He finds his left eye is dominant and sits well inside the ball. He adjusts his setup with a mirror, and his putts start on line.
Why it matters
Aim errors feel like misreads. Knowing your dominant eye helps you trust your aim or correct it.
Common mistakes
- Assuming your dominant eye matches your dominant hand
- Changing eye position without testing start lines
- Trusting how the line looks over what the ball does
- Closing one eye at address without practicing it
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my dominant eye for putting?
Make a small circle with your hands and look through it at a distant object with both eyes. Close one eye, then the other. The eye that keeps the object in the circle is dominant.
Should my dominant eye be over the ball?
Many coaches like the dominant eye over or just inside the ball line, but there is no single rule. Use a putting mirror and check whether your putts start on line.
Related terms
- Eyes Over the Ball (Putting)Many coaches suggest setting your eyes directly over the ball or just inside it, on or slightly closer to you than the target line. Eyes well outside or well inside the line can make the line look bent and pull your aim off. Check it by holding a ball at the bridge of your nose and letting it drop.
- Aiming a PuttTo aim a putt, pick a spot on your start line a few inches ahead of the ball. Set the putterface square to that spot before you set your feet. Many golfers use a line on the ball, pointed along the start line rather than at the hole, then match the putter's sight line to it.
- Plumb BobbingPlumb bobbing hangs the putter straight down, one eye closed, to judge which way a putt breaks. It is now considered less reliable than modern methods.
- Putting FundamentalsSet up with your eyes over or just inside the ball, the ball a little forward of center and a light grip. Rock your shoulders to move the putter back and through with quiet wrists. Aim the face first, then focus most of your practice on speed.
- Reading BreakReading break is predicting how much, and which way, a putt will curve based on slope. It is a separate skill from the putting stroke: a well-struck putt on a misread line still misses.
Related guides & benchmarks
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