O'Malley putts with eyes shut to

combat the yips

FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALASIA WEBSITE
By ADAM LUCIUS
The innovative Peter O'Malley will continue with his 'eyes wide shut' approach to putting at this week's Australian Open, convinced shutting off his vision is helping cure career-threatening yips.
The Australian golfing veteran began putting with his eyes closed during practice and enjoyed so much success he started using the method in tournament play.
Blessed with a strong game off the tee, O'Malley has battled on the greens for the best part of 20 years but believes his unique solution to the problem is turning his game around.
It helped him secure a breakthrough win in the NSW Open last weekend – his first win in five years – and will now be adopted at the Australian open, starting Thursday at the rain-soaked Lakes.
"I've tried different grips and all sorts of different things but I started practising with my eyes closed to get some good feel and then I thought I'd just try it on the short putts just to take away a bit of the visual anxiety," O'Malley revealed on Wednesday.
"I can still miss putts but it feels a little bit better."
"Long-range (putts) have never been an issue for me. I've always putted pretty well from a distance."
"But just the short-range sort of stuff from probably five foot in I just close my eyes and just try and keep my head still and listen for it to go in."
O'Malley will persist with the tactic at the Australian Open despite the risk of it unravelling before a wider audience.
"I started (closing my eyes) probably a couple of months ago but I haven't really played a lot of tournaments," he said.
"I've only probably played half a dozen tournaments doing it, so the first time committing to it was pretty tough but then you just say 'ok it can't be any worse so I'll just keep persevering with it'."
"I made a couple of good putts (on Sunday at the NSW Open), I missed one at 16 but at 15 I made a good putt for par which really kept me going."
"It's just something I'm trying so I'll keep it going this week hopefully."
"I'd say most guys out here have practised doing it at some stage. (As to) how many guys have actually done it in tournament play? It probably wouldn't be that many."
O'Malley, who finished 192nd on the European Tour money list this season, is right at home at the revamped Lakes course.
As a member, he has played the course countless times and is confident of taming a lay-out that has come in for heavy criticism since its re-design.
"You do need a lot of local knowledge on these greens," O'Malley said.
"I've probably played this course more than anyone else in the field which for me is a great advantage."
"I would have liked to have seen some better weather but I still feel pretty confident."