Qualitative Investigation of Eye Movements of Beginners and Experts When Swinging a Golf iron

This study examined the fundamental differences in gaze processing during golf iron swings through qualitative analysis of the differences in gaze processing by swing section between beginners and experts.During the address section, the beginner's gaze was maintained while looking at the back of the ball, and there was a lot of eye movement, such as looking elsewhere to correct posture.On the other hand, experienced people showed little change in their gaze.In the takeaway section, experienced players had less distribution of gaze as they moved the club.However, beginners focused a lot of their attention on posture control.In the backswing-top section, experienced players can keep their eyes on the ball and naturally lead the downswing.At the same time, beginners' gazes are inconsistent, so many changes occur in their gaze.In the downswing section, experts did not lose sight of the ball while rotating, while beginners often had to distribute their gaze due to the burden of maintaining the swing form.In the impact section, the expert's eyes were focused on the ball until the swing began and the ball impacted.In conclusion, while beginners' swings are not automated, and their gaze often diverges, experts can complete a stable swing by distributing more of their gaze to the ball through an automated swing routine.