Professional Putting Aid User Instructions
Perfect SightRight Putting with Darren Clarke
Accuracy is everything on the putting greens, yet how does a golfer know they are sighting and setting up accurately in their putts?
Even though these are basic technical skills, most golfers unknowingly sight and set up off line which leads to bad habits and many missed putts on the Greens.
SightRight’s patented sighting tests and practice methods show golfers how to sight a line of aim accurately (regardless of eye dominance), set up with a perfectly aligned stance and square putter face, and develop a consistently accurate putting stroke.
SightRight’s fool proof routines will help you achieve amazing accuracy in your putting.
Professional Sighting Aid User Instructions
Now take your normal standing (and crouching) position behind the putt (Diagrams 2 and 3) and look down at the SightRight – what do you see?
• If the lines cross, even slightly, you are sighting across the line of aim.
• To correct your sighting error, position yourself behind the shot with your weight evenly balanced on both feet so you can see the SightRight lines perfectly joined.
• This is your ‘sighting line’ position for accurate aiming / vision of a straight line of aim.
Pro Tip – Perfect sighting is crucial for aiming, reading putts, setting up perfectly and delivering an accurate stroke. ALWAYS stand (or crouch) squarely and evenly balanced when sighting a line of aim.
• If the SightRight lines are crossing, even slightly, you are sighting across the line of aim of the putt (Diagram 4).
• To correct this sighting error, simply lean forwards (or backwards) until the SightRight lines are perfectly joined and you can see perfectly along the line of the putt to the SightRight (Diagram 5).
• This ‘view’ may feel strange at first if you have been sighting outwards (or inwards) across the putt. Regular practice with your SightRight on the putting greens (or indoors) will soon help you get your stance right every time.
• Now play the putt, keeping your stroke low and on the line of aim in the follow through as this helps to keep the putter and ball on line for an accurate putt.
Pro-Tip: Most golfers stand too far away from the ball at address which gives an offline view. If you need to lean forward a long way in your test, stand closer to the putt. You may need to grip down the putter or change to a shorter putter.
This amazing SightRight test and routine helps you set the putter face square to the line of aim and determine the exact ball position in your stance in relation to your ‘eye-dominance / sighting line’.• Face the SightRight at 90 degrees (Diagram 6) and set up a ball with the back of the ball just in front of the SightRight Lines.
• Set up to the ball and look down at your putter face and the SightRight Lines – what do you see?
• If the SightRight lines are not perfectly joined and in line with your putter face, this means your putter face is either Open or Closed in your stance (Diagram 6).
• To correct this, move your entire stance (body) to the left or right until the putter face is perfectly in line with the SightRight lines (Diagram 7).
Pro-Tip: Learn to sight correctly across your putter face as this enables you to:i) set the putter perfectly square to the line of aim
ii) establish the perfect ball position in your stance for your eye dominance / sighting line
(Diagram 7).
Very few putts are dead straight as most putts have some kind of break. However, every putt has to travel a certain distance on an initial straight line of aim before the break comes in to play. So mastering the ability to sight perfectly on your sighting line and putt dead straight is vital. With this simple principle in mind it is important when sighting a putt with a break (e.g. left or right edge, 2 cups to the left or right etc.) that you always:• Stand evenly balanced, in your SightRight’ed position (Diagram 8) to sight the line of aim you require for the break of the putt.
• Make practice strokes behind the line of aim as you ‘visualise’ and ‘feel’ the pace and break of the putt (Diagram 9).
• Walk in on the line of aim with your eyes fixed on this line, NOT on the hole
• Set up to the ball ensuring your putter face is perfectly square to this line of aim (Diagram 10).
Pro-Tip: Keep your putter head low and on your line of aim during the stroke and hold the finish at the end for feedback as to the quality and accuracy of the stroke. When you are happy holing straight 6 foot putts, practice straight putts from longer distances i.e. 9, 12 and 15 feet.
Practising with a SightRight is like having a gun with sights in your golf bag to help keep you sighting perfectly in your whole game.
Iron Play and Driving
• To use your SightRight at the driving range, place it directly in front of the driving mat / tee (Diagram 11).
• Follow Step 1 overleaf to ensure you always sight your line of aim perfectly over any distance. Remember – always stand square and evenly balanced on your ‘sighting line’.
• Sighting 5 or 10 degrees across the line of aim over a 200 / 300 yard drive can result in unwanted technical compensations in your swing.
Pro-Tip: Learn your ‘sighting line’ position directly behind the golf ball for distance aiming and walk into the shot keeping your eyes on your chosen target / line of aim as you set up to the ball (Diagram 12).
• Place your SightRight approx 1foot in front of the ball on the line of aim you choose and then follow Steps 1 and 2 overleaf.
• See your chipping accuracy improve quickly and naturally as you practice with SightRight.
Pro-Tip: When chipping from just off the green use the same approach as your putting, sighting the line of aim and keeping the club face square to the line of aim (Diagrams 13 and 14).
Putting Myths Addressed by SightRight
Myth 1: Eyes must be directly over the ball – This is not specific enough because both eyes, regardless of dominance, work together to see one picture and only your perfect sighting line shows exactly where your eyes need to be. As the eyes over the ball method does not account for eye-dominance this is not right for every player.
Myth 2: Ball forward in the stance – This is not right for every player as the correct ball position for every individual player is determined by a stance position which ensures the player’s sighting line has perfect vision along the putter face. For example, with the ball forward, a typically even-sighted or right-handed right eye dominant player would be prone to sighting and setting up inside the line with a slightly closed putter face, resulting in pulled strokes, especially over distance or when under pressure. SightRight proves each player has to square the putter face to the line of aim in relation to their eye dominance, and not a preconceived ball position.
Myth 3: Topspin and an upward stroke keeps the ball on line – Topspin and an upward stroke are not guaranteed to keep the ball on the ‘true’ line of aim. If you have not sighted the line of aim perfectly, and set up with a perfectly square putter face (Diagram 7 overleaf) then accuracy will not be achieved. By setting up your putter face perfectly square to the line of aim then delivering a low straight follow through, you achieve a more accurate stroke as the ball and putter stay online longer during the follow through.
Myth 4: Drawing a line on your ball for perfect aim – If a player sets up a putt using a line on their ball without accounting for their correct sighting line they may unknowingly be looking across the line on the ball. If you learn to sight perfectly on your sighting line when standing or crouching you do not need to use a line on the ball.
Myth 5: Belly Putters are better than short putters – Whilst good for stability, belly putters tend to push the players vision back off their perfect sighting line and assumes the same ball position for every player. This causes accuracy issues, especially over distance and one size does not fit all.