Have you ever seen this Parallax Error explained before? Watch More Lessons with Patrick and Ed: Improve Your Consistency 300% With This Lesson - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9dpgdp_1J3ddZs.html

Great Video! I’m an optometrist, vision therapist, and Putt Doctor Associate. These same principles cause people in putting as well. Poor aim will cause a poor stroke as your subconscious tries to correct for what it knows doesn’t make sense. Ensuring a proper setup when putting will help to get your line to feel correct. It’s good to get your eyes close to over the top of the ball to limit parallax and make your aim line and your vision at address see the same.

It may be wrong but when I played i didn't pick a target line that was 15 or 20 feet away !!! I pick spot on the ground or a piece of grass or dirt that was 4 to 6 inches in front of the ball and kept my eye on it and squared the club face to it and unless I lost that spot I never looked at the target again until I finished my swing !! Worked really well for me !!!

This was an excellent explanation of how our eyes play tricks on us when not looking directly at the target. We need to trust the alignment that was determined from the back of the ball. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

this is a real eye open moment , i was just thinking about how on different the course visual makes me swing different !!!

Ed, thank you for another excellent lesson. People like me who watch a lot of golf on youtube, are quickly realizing your likable nature and a phenomenal knowledge that you present in an easy to understand way, is the amongst the best out there. You are gracious to give credit to the great teachers you have met during your career, on behalf of all your fans, you're a great teacher!

Blown Away! This explains so much. EVERY time I watch tour players hit on TV I keep thinking, WHY does the ball always look like it's coming off the club too far right? But then it seems to come back left. Sure there is some draw shaping but this illusion is apparent even when watching televised shots.

I don't even have any clubs yet or even started. I'm just trying to learn. Yesterday was my first day of investigation, and I saw a video of Lee Trevino talking about this. I love that im learning this early. Thanks for backing this up from yesterday's lessons. 🙏😊✌️

Mind BLOWN. Thanks so much for this video

I’m a +3 and have never thought about this once. I’ve done the tee drill in front of the ball and tried to swing over it, forcing the in to out path. I’m gonna have to try it out, but this could be why when I’m hitting Fairway finders, I always hit a fade, but when taking full cuts and not thinking as much about line, I hit a push draw. Which adds up because on Fairway finding shots, I’m definitely trying to force the line and really focus in on a specific area to hit the ball. Thank you for the information.🏌🏼‍♂️💪🏼

I've seen this explained. But I started off with lessons from a former LPGA player so she gave me a very solid pre-shot routine. I wish I had a solid pre-shot routine for all the terrible decisions I've made in life since then but that's the way it goes.

All I can say is wow what a difference you have made in my golf game... I am passing your videos off to the rest of my family..... I am amazed. Thankyou for sharing this. Your the goat! ... I have heard instructors say you can't learn anything watching videos... Apparently they have not watched any of yours. The simple tools..... The tips and common sense you have is top notch. Thanks again!!

I'm really struggling with taking my driver swing from the range to the course. Can't wait to try this. 👍

Intuitively I've thought this might be the case, but haven't had anything in the way of confirmation until now. Thanks!

Thank you VERY MUCH for this video. I've "known" about this for many years now but have forgotten to keep it with me in my head while on the course. Even Tiger talks about picking a spot to align to when hitting a shot. I get so frustrated taking my range shots to the course, only to fail. What a great reminder and also learned more about how to use the alignment rods that I rarely take out of my bag! Love it!!

Coach Ed you content is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing :)

Best wishes for AK and he is on the right track with life and golf.

I would like to suggest it would also be helpful to add a magnetic tool to the club face along with the alignment sticks to enhance the visual effect of clubface with alignment.

This is wild. It makes so much sense and explains why I am struggling so much with alignment with my driver and longer clubs. It's so obvious yet so counterintuitive. Amazing. I'm going to try to use this. It's kind of blowing my mind right now.

I really hit great shots on the golf course if I have a big tree to go over/left/right of, also describing and announcing the shots to myself seems to help.

.. great video, it’s so obvious but so easy to overlook. Now I know why Steve Elkington used to say you have to feel like you are swinging waaaay to the right!!

Great video, i think im guilty of this and often drag my drives left, will try the next time im on the course.

This makes sense, thanks.

I definitely notice this while putting, I’ll align my ball with a marked line, however when I stand to hit the shot the line looks off. You just have to trust your setup is correct.

I always have struggled with this, picking an intermediary target. If you pick a tuff if grass, it's still possible to not line up correctly I've found. So on the tee, I point the arrow, line, triple track on the ball at my target and line up to it. I average 75-80% FH now. For anything off the tee, I hold the club head straight up and line it to the target and then lower the club down until it straight pointing to the target and intersecting the ball. I then imprint a shadow line of the shaft with my mind and line up to it. I don't look up again at the target because the illusion that I'm aiming right will screw up my swing. But yes, this is one of the most underrated skills to learn in this game, and maybe the most important. Thanks guys!

Feel smug for subscribing some time ago as an early adopter. This channel is going to do very well. Teaching style makes sense to me

Makes alot of sense. I have a weak right eye and it causes me to see a slight double at times looking down at address. So, I close the right eye and it helps with aligning shots and putts.

Hey Coach, We played together (with my friend Tim) at Hawk's Landing in Orlando a few weeks ago. Love your videos, very helpful tips.Were heading back to FL next week, I'll use this tip there.

Great tip to try Ed!

About 1/2 +/- through this..was at range other day ,and finally worked out stopping slice …or the snapped hook when trying to counter the slice …from another video of yours i concentrated on keeping elbows in and rolling my extended (or flexed cant remember terminology,so my fingers get closer to inside my wrist during contact)wrist down instead of flipping wrists(moving wrists opposite through contact) to close face …it took a few shots but it was amazing how the feel was the opposite of what happened …i had aim issue but not enough balls left to do much then …will use this type of aiming at next range day ,possibly today ….assuming the new swing has stuck lol… thanks

This is amazing crazy stuff thanks

This is gold.

When I started playing golf 30 years ago, I read a lot of the old school professionals describe the feeling of swinging to right field. It's an odd feeling because you want to swing towards center field. It is very difficult to take to the couse. Especially when water or OB is right. But once your figure it out you'll start hitting tight push-draws.

What fixed my slice was nothing ive ever heard an instructor on youtube or instagam really discuss, and my shots go about 30 yards further and dead ass straight with every single drive. It also helps my long irons and woods but i have to do it less dramatically if that makes sense. When you look at pros you can see that they snap their trail hip hip before their arms come down and that creates lag in your arms, which also because of the force helps keep your left arm straight as its being pulled down and it keeps the club face exactly square when it comes back around for contact. Its like rotating your hips counter clockwise (for righties) first and then your shoulders and arms follow. Basically, i set up square to the ball, the ball is about half way in between my left nip and my sternum, club shaft dead straight down to the ball (no forward lean or anything), i dont dip my shoulder or anything (i also never top it with this position), face is square to the ball, i also tee it down pretty low, the equator of the ball is level with the middle of the club face. When i take my backswing my left arm is straight, right arm a little less bent only slightly wider and angle than 90 degrees between my elbow and bicep, then before i take my downswing i snap my right hip forward to initiate the stroke and it creates lag that drags my arms down and it puts the club face dead ass square on it and sends the ball a mile and perfectly straight. The trick here is the sequence of hips move first, then the rest of everything else follows a millisecond or so later. The most similar feeling i can think of is like skipping a rock.

I love how he still hits hard fades and slices. If you cant swing the club right alignment is only one tiny piece.

There are a couple of comments about not having the camera on the target line. Two reasons it’s not… both Patrick and I needed to be on camera..and with the camera to the right you can see how those stakes and sticks don’t appear to line up. Just like they don’t to most players.

A guy who understand parallax!!! Amazing!

This is called parallax. Great lesson!

Greg Norman wrote about this visual illusion and the need to picture the ball on railway track rail while you are standing on the other.

This is a good video explaining something that will help me. It would have been better if the camera was on the line instead of behind Patrick. I don’t know why you placed the camera where you did.

My thoughts always; stand behind ball, establish target line, position setup around established target line, make normal swing and let ball get in the way. Never ever try to hit the ball of the ball is out of position as that will only be possible w a abnormal bad swing path. Setup and positioning is the key to consistent swing path allowing consistency in contact.

This happens on the putting green as well. When I address the ball it looks like I'm aiming left of the hole 😊

The putter miss to the left got my attention👍

Thank you. That explains why I am constantly going left !

Brilliant advice guys. Thanks very much. Do you plan any bunker tutorials soon. Bunkers are my most troublesome part of my golf.

Nicklaus says in his book to pick an aiming spot 2-3 feet ahead of the ball and align yourself parallel to the imaginay line running between the spot and the ball.

So where are you aiming the club face? where you want the ball to start out or where you want to end up?

two parallel lines will never touch so now all i worry about is that if my feet and body are aimed 2-3 left or right(depending on your shapeshot i have) and try to start the line there. its been working. i stopped focusing on my eyes to the target bc i know im not behind the ball to actually see it that way.

One of the hundred things they don't teach you at a beginner golf lesson - and they should. Amazing video, thank you.

1 min 50 seconds in I'm sure you are going to say what I learned after about 2 weeks of learning without a coach. Best tip ever.

I think you are right! Your vision deceives you. I aim normally to the right of target now, commit to it and hit the pin WAY more often!

That's genius 👍🏻❤

All you have to do is to start to learn to use the phenomena of aiming parallel left. Vision, body (path), club (face) and ball (initial direction) have their own references. To keep things clear do not mash up these principles but match their specifics. Real hard on complex golf courses.

you need the grip to path to change the direction also/

Does your dominant eye affect this parallax! For example, I’m right eye dominant but play left handed. Better or worse??

For longer clubs it’s worse if you tilt spine back and drop your trail foot back to promote a inside to out path, this opens club face and thus it’s necessary to regrip the club and ensure club face is down the target line. IMO.

The part with swing a wedge right and a driver left is not an illusion. The golf swing is round so the further back the ball is in your stance the more right path will be

This is interesting, but I've been told to aim out to the right to get the in to out swing path. I don't know. Maybe this is two different ways of thinking about the same thing.

I think this is the piece of the puzzle I've been missing for so long!

Interesting. I noticed an open club face appeared square to me so I would block right with driver. What you perceive to be happening is often not what is actually happening.

I'd put two alignment sticks about 1' apart and try to split them like football goal posts.

NOT CRAZY! I didn’t learn this in the same manner but was taught what “square” actually IS in the golf swing. Getting the toe of my club in the correct 3 o’clock position in follow through changed my swing DEFINITIVELY. I went from an 8 to a 2 after months of work (it took time to groove it). It’s just CRITICAL information. Hands down. Should be the first lesson for any beginner.

Coach you’re like Norman Schwarzkopf nobody knew who Norman Schwarzkopf was until he came out and kicked butt and every message that he made was consistent. You are in the same category. Love your content you’re not trying to sell anything but good Golf keep it up. Please a video on pace Would be great!

Mike Malaska did this in a video a few years ago. Check it out if you're interested in comparing. I think he touched on some other aspects of the illusion.

The intermediate target should be much closer to the ball, something discernible in the grass about 12 inches in front of the ball Which you then align your face and body to. This then gives you a repeatable process for making sure your start line is correct on the course.

Why a beautiful lush green golf course.

I'm a right handed golfer that is right eye dominant, bad combo. If I feel like I'm aiming my left shoulder at my target, I hit it well.

This is literally going to take me from a 9 handicap to low single digits, I'm almost willing to bet anything on it

Kudos🙏🙏

So how to you fix this or play better with this

Nice video! Could you tell me how close the yellow alignment stick was from Patrick? 10 yards or so? Thanks!

Felt like this was somewhat obvious because your feet line runs parallel to the target line and your eyes are closer to your feet. Only on putts are your eyes right above the ball. Always easier to pick a target a foot or 2 ahead of the ball, line up the face to that, and then square your stance to the face. Much harder to try and aim at a target 100+ yards away and a side angle

Explain alinement on a black board .

Aim the club face where you want the ball to go. Aim a straight line through your right shoulder and your left shoulder at the target slide your left foot slightly back 1/2inch let your hips follow the line to the right that your feet are aimed at then swing the club hit the ball and it will go right to left. For a right handed person. If you are still swinging out to in Find a little hummock place a ball up the side of the hummock about two three inches up the hummock then hit the ball 4 or 5 times you will find that you have to come from the inside to attack the ball. Then step up to the flat and hit the shot the way i described above it works every time. You do the the reverse to fade the ball so if you get stuck behind trees and you have enough room before the you can bend the ball round the obstacle. It works alright and when with a bit of practice you can do it at ease watch your scores plummet. I made scratch at Carnoustie when in my fifties.

I don’t know I’ve been playing this game for over 60 years at a low single digit index and most guys I play with consistently aim too far right with their shoulders closed and then come over the top to hit it on the line they want resulting in pulls and slices

Somehow I had the exact opposite effect happen to me. I normally play a draw. When I use this alignment technique, I feel like I’m aimed a good 20 yards left of target, which caused me to start swinging over the top because if I’m aimed left and hit a draw, then my ball will go even further left. What doesn’t make sense to me if that someone felt the alignment was aimed to the right, wouldn’t that mentally trick them into hitting (or at least trying to hit) a draw, to put their ball back on target?

This is a big part of the reason golf is so difficult. However, this golfer has swing problems, not alignment problems. Pause the video around 11.27 exactly when he is about to begin his swing. Put your mouse pointer right over the middle of his hands and leave it there. Use your SPACEBAR key to begin the swing and then press the SPACEBAR key as close as you can to the moment of impact and that will PAUSE the video. Press the PERIOD KEY to step forward a bit and the COMMA KEY to go backwards a bit. Try to get his hands to pause at the MOMENT OF IMPACT and notice how far away from your MOUSE POINTER his hands are. You can also see the club is coming from the OUTSIDE TO IN or OVER THE TOP. and also early extension of the spine. His hands should be just about over the MOUSE POINTER at IMPACT. His hips should be cleared and his spine angle retained close to the way it was at address. His hands are also too far from his body when he's in the ADDRESS POSITION. At impact if his clubface remains square, he will pull the shot. If he opens the CLUBFACE just a little bit he will impart sidespin and the ball will slice. The presenter is correct with the illusion part but even is golfers understand this, the swing is the culprit in this video.

I immediately thought this was nuts. I watched it all to make sure I understood his points. If this helps you, great. I do not hit over the top, I have plenty of my own issues just not this one. I did like the window concept for shaping shots. As for the visual “eye to target line” vs visualizing the straight target line along the ground……I don’t believe over ever run across anyone who is confused by that.

This is why when you watch pro golfers on TV, when they initially strike the ball, it looks like it's going WAY RIGHT. (If they are right handed.)

I'm the opposite, on the correct line I feel like I'm aiming too far left. I don't suffer with a slice I draw the ball.

Same thing with putting. Get your eyes in the right position!

Sorry I live in Hawaii where it’s more tropical and green and have never seen a surface like where they are practicing. Is that dormant grass or something else? Apologize for my ignorance.

This would make sense if i was always 10 yards left of my target?

I do this when I play, but for me the target line looks left of where my mind wants me to swing and I'm right handed. Go figure.......

Why not put either orange, red or white plastic golfballs on the top of the two alignment sticks for better vision.

When will PGA Hope come to Kansas City?!!

To make things worse, your brain has a reference to the target line at the ball so when you’re steep and left you subconsciously open the face through impact

How far away from the ball should your reference be? Obviously, there won't be an alignment stick out twenty feet on every hole. So, should you pick out something three feet away or twenty feet away?

why didn't you line the camera directly behind it would of made it so much better to see the difference

I only look at the target so i dont suffer this , i dont have a lot of time for train tracks either , sometimes im hitting a little left sometimes a little right , dont overthink it . I cannot even remember how many short putts ive slid past the hole as far again after overthinking then just back tapped them in without breaking stride . Your aiming function is primitive its not fooled by your rational brain its there to keep you alive its part of the same system that closes your eyelid to protect you from that incoming bullet ( its that quick ) your aim and spacial awareness work better when you let them tell you .

well if I push fade it I still end up 20 yards right 8(

If you're diligent about progressing, you know filming oneself is the most beneficial way to do so! I immediately saw this when I was first starting to film myself. Really made me feel dumb, because I was in my 3rd year. However, I do not feel dumb in my 5th year simply because of that failure early on. I get a lot of random players who join me for a round; end up asking me to go to the range afterwards for tips. I never try to help on the course during play, but outside of it and at the range, I use my analyzation of them to assist them. Not everyone is the same in learning something YOU know. That's the challenge of teaching. I always ask to film them too, and the ones that allow it...have lightbulb moments 9/10 times. SO please, for those out there with SERIOUS intentions of being a better player overall...film yourself and digest as much youtube content based off what you find through filming yourself.

So what's the trick? Aim closer?

Doesn’t matter if you hit a draw or fade where you’re aiming ?

How are you starting the ball to the left or right?? You just say it like we should know what you mean, swing path? Allignment?

The illusion is still there for me, Why would you not put the camera directly in line with the target, so at address he will look square to the target too. at the moment he looks like his setting up right not parallel.

I'm going to tell a secret that Arnold Palmer never disclosed and may not even know. Do you remember how Arnie approached the set up? After looking at the ball from behind, he would step in from the side, like we all do, but he would be a whole body postion away and look down range at the target then step in to address the ball, this let's the mind know it's target is somewhere to the left for a righthand golfer. The illusion is now over. The mind now knows how to target, Jack used the local target method it's much harder to trick the mind is requires a ton of discipline.

Paaaaart of me wanting him to take a swing when he was in the way. Haha

consider camera angles next time when talking alignment

This one resonates with me. I always, every shot, driver through putting... pick a target far away (with putting not so far but more towards the apex), once I've picked that far target, I pick a line by holding the club up between the ball and target. Then I pick a spot (divot, grass blade, etc) on that line, within easy peripheral view when I'm lined up parallel to the ball. I usually use that line and mark as my club path as sometimes I'll open or close the club face to get a fade or draw. But I've always got that target line and that's what I align my feet and body to... forget the optical illusion that says to align more left, it's a lie!