Brian’s Brain

Excuse the title dyslexia, but we need to power our motor skills…don’t we? Have you ever asked yourself if you are right- or left-brain dominant, and how that might affect your putting?

I know what you are thinking: who cares! Well, consider the following: A left-brain dominant student sees lines in a linear fashion. On the other hand, the right-brain dominant player sees the shape of the putt and focuses on the curve.

Good news, bad news – you are born that way and you can’t choose. You must adapt as needed, and the teaching professional must be able to recognize what kind of student they have! Now, lets apply this to green reading. Approx-imately 65% of golfers are left-brain dominant. Every putt is straight and breaks at the inflection point due to gravity. These players like to use lines on their ball to help them with alignment.

In addition, they prefer putting equipment that assists with visualization. The right-brain dominant player is just the converse to the left-brain dominant player. These students don’t like structure and don’t want to focus on mechanics.

As a teaching professional, you are now faced with some new information that can assist you with green reading and putter fitting. One last thing: The brain is approximately three pounds and is comprised of 73% water. So drink up, or dehydration will cause a loss of focus. Gulp!

By Bert Jones, USGTF contributing writer