Putting without looking...

 Has anyone else tried this, or heard of it? I played with a friend-of-a-friend last weekend. He's an 8 handicap, hits the ball very nicely and on the day he hit a 78. But one thing he did amazed me.

When he putted (at the moment of impact), he didn't look at the ball, he looked at the hole. His set-up was much like anyone else's - club down, get feet in position, get body set, look at hole, look at ball etc. However, his last movement before striking the ball, once he was completely set and still, was to move his eyes to the hole (by tilting his head), hold for about 2 seconds, then make the putt.

His reasoning, which I understand, is that once he is set and in position, he doesn't need to look at the ball to make a good contact, and that by focusing on the hole he had a much better feel and gauge of the distance, which he had previously been struggling with. I have seen this done on the practice green before but he is the first player i have seen take this onto the course. Fair play to the bloke though, as I say he hit 78 and putted like a pro, absolutely brilliant.

Anyone tried anything similar?

Match Fit for Golf?

After most bookmakers making Tiger favourite for the US Masters after his hiatus from golf, I was having a ponder about whether it really matters if you haven't played competitively for a while and then come back. Clearly this is assuming there is no physical injury involved.

Surely golf is one of the few sports where you can recreate the same conditions in practise as you would in competition, you are always playing the course rather than somebody else. In Woods' case, surely a month or so is easily enough time to hone a swing when you have swung a club for most of your life anyway.

In football or tennis it would be hard to recreate the intensity that a live opponent would bring, this really is not the case in golf. In fact, you could say he could be gaining an advantage by spending all his time practising shots that will be called upon to use at Augusta rather than spending time playing other courses. But equally he can play as many rounds as he likes between now and the start of the Masters. And he can play them with other top pros to add an element of competition.

Sure we have no idea how he will be mentally, he has admitted as much himself. But purely from a physical and technical point of view I cant see any reason why missing tournaments others have played should make much of a difference.