I had played golf with this nice gentleman a number of times. He was passionate. Played his whole life, and had amazing stories about caddying and sneaking onto some of the best courses in New York.

On this afternoon, our two other playing partners retired because of the extreme Florida heat. Then the golf gods parted the hackers and made way for a clear back nine.

With the path clear, I started to hop some rides and we began to talk about his game, his lack of consistency, and the money he was pouring into getting better. Then he looked at me and said, “What do you think?”

I started with a question, which caught him off guard, “What’s the prescription in those glasses?”

He explained that he liked to wear his bifocals when playing. He was near-sighted (as are most of us, as we age) and really had issues with his right eye.

On the next tee, I told him to hold on. I rummaged through my bag, which normally contains no less than 80 balls, most of which I found that day, and located what I was looking for: a Srixon Divide, yellow, and red ball. I put the red Divide on the tee, had him take his stance and close his eyes. After a count of 3, I told him to open just his right eye (the bad one). When he did, he basically saw nothing. Closed the eyes. Then again with just the left eye. This time he saw it, but wasn’t great. I told him to put his chin down a little, until the ball came into better view.

Now the thing is that golf is a game of attention. Great course designers use tricks, like removing trees from around the greens, to mess with your depth perception. They also use hazards to draw your attention away from where you want to play. Great players keep their attention on the back of the ball.

In fact there is a body of research by Joan Vickers on the use of attention in sports like golf. Her research is called “the quiet eye” and it demonstrates that extend gaze is necessary for the brain to connect the motor skill with the target. In fact, in general, skilled golfers spend about a half second longer looking at the back of the ball before pulling the trigger compared to their counterparts.

In addition, colors are transmitted through different frequencies of light. The most intense of those is red. The least intense is white.

Based on this science I gave my playing partner 3 instructions:

• Move the ball, so red is always where you want to club to strike the ball.
• Move your head until the ball is in clear vision within your glasses.
• Put your attention on the back of the ball, having a clear view of the color red for at least one second before pulling the trigger.

As Muhammed Ali said: You can’t hit what you can’t see. The fact is, no matter what anyone wants to say about becoming a better player, the game is about attention. Our a priori systems are better than you think when we have clear goals and expectations. If you’re an older guy struggling, make sure your starting point is that you can properly see the ball, and your attention is firmly on the back of it. If you are struggling, then I am a fan of the red and yellow Divides by Srixon.

To get the most out of your glasses on the golf course, it’s crucial to ensure you’re wearing them properly. First and foremost, make sure your glasses are clean and fit snugly against your face. If they’re not sitting flush, even the best prescription lenses won’t help you see clearly.

For those wearing bifocals, it’s essential to use the upper part of the lenses (designed for distance vision) when focusing on the ball. Ideally, consider using single-vision distance contacts or specialized sunglasses for golf to eliminate the bifocal distraction altogether. If you notice the ball appears blurry, it could be because your glasses are slightly tilted away from your nose, causing you to look through the lower, near-vision section of the lenses. Adjust your glasses so they sit properly on your face and ensure you’re looking through the upper part of the lenses when addressing the ball. This small adjustment can significantly improve your visual clarity and overall performance on the course.

Hope this helps! Happy golfing.