I’m a confident putter. I seldom lose my concentration. But when I do, I could swear that my eyes are following my putter head rather than staying fixed on the ball. For those who wish to eliminate this problem, or just make sure they’re keeping their eyes on the ball while putting, the Putting Cyclops aims to help. What a name, Putting Cyclops! Their logo is entertaining too, a golf ball with one eye and legs which are golf clubs.
Putting Cyclops Concept
The Putting Cyclops concept is simple: Hide the putter and only show the player the ball in its at-rest position. This way the player focuses on the ball and not the club.
The Cyclops is configurable for left or right handed players.
The unit can also serve as a bit of a side rail to tell the player if his putter is going off line away from the body.
Portable
The unit is a super tough plastic which easily breaks down and can be stored via an included carrying case.
The case is light and the unit can be used at home or easily taken to the practice green at your local course.
Different Strokes
Knowing that players may have different paths which their putters travel upon, the side walls of the Cyclops can be adjusted. Players whose stroke is a “straight back, straight through” style would set the side wall straight. Players who use a Ben Crenshaw style of putting and have a “swinging gate” stroke can be set the side walls to an arc shape (right image). Variations of the two can also be created by, say, having a straight back stroke with swinging gate follow through.
In Action
I used the unit a bunch of times in my living room (damn snow this winter) and I believe it can help the player to focus on the ball. The opening can also be used to insure your putter face is square.
I let my local PGA pro borrow the Cyclops and he too enjoyed using it. He felt a benefit from focusing on the ball. He told me the unit helped him keep his head and upper body more still in during his putting stroke.
Conclusion
The Putting Cyclops is a good option for helping players keep their upper body quiet and their eyes on the ball during their putting stroke.
Related Links
More images of the Putting Cyclops can be found in the Hooked On Golf Blog Putting Cyclops Gallery.