GOLF.com: Inside PING's PLD Putting Lab — How Eye Tracking Is Redefining Putting Performance

PING Uses Eye Tracking to Unlock the Science of Putting

At PING's PLD Putting Lab in Phoenix, AZ, the development of the new Scottsdale TEC putter lineup has taken a striking turn toward neuroscience. GOLF.com's Jake Morrow visited the facility and tested the putters while wearing Tobii eye-tracking glasses, revealing insights that go far beyond club mechanics.

Everyone Has a Pre-Putt Routine — Even Without Knowing It

Morrow believed he had no consistent pre-putt routine, but the eye-tracking data told a different story. His gaze followed an identical sequence — hole, putter, toes, ball — before every single stroke, entirely subconsciously. This kind of pattern discovery is exactly why PING began investing in Quiet Eye Theory research.

The Critical 2-Second Window

According to PING's PLD staff, Quiet Eye Theory centers on the 2 seconds immediately before an athlete begins their task. When Morrow used the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset with Eye Q alignment, his gaze locked onto the ball for more than 2 seconds before initiating the stroke — a meaningful threshold. With standard putters, his eyes only settled at the last moment before takeaway.

This sustained focus calms the nervous system and allows the golfer to begin the stroke cleanly, free from distraction or hesitation.

The Mental Side of Putting Is Bigger Than We Think

The overarching takeaway from Morrow's visit: putter selection may be more about what a club does for your mental state than its physical specifications. PING's commitment to researching the psychological dimensions of putting signals a broader shift in how equipment is being designed — not just to optimize mechanics, but to optimize the mind.

Strokeslab Perspective

From a Strokes Gained standpoint, putting consistency is one of the highest-leverage areas for scoring improvement. PING's eye-tracking approach offers a compelling new lens through which to understand and develop SG: Putting — and it's a direction worth watching closely.