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Polarized or Non Polarized Golf Sunglasses

I have always worn Polarized sunglasses during golf. But, when I am hitting wedges and putting, they come off. Feel that I see the green better with them off, especially while trying to read putts.
 
I have to agree, I cannot play in Sunglasses, at least not while hitting. I can put them back on after my shot, and while putting....
 
Polarized sunglasses filter horizontally reflected light. It will make your view much more bright and vibrant as well as muting glare or hot spots. Some people simply don't like any perceptual deviation from the norm. Most people love it. The only real disadvantage polarization has for golf is the ability to read the grain on greens will be more difficult because the "silvery" side to the grass blades will be harder to note.
 
I always have to wear sunglasses outside but I don't when I play golf. Reason being is my eyes take a long to to adjust to light. So if for some reason I have to take them off my eyes don't so well.


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I use Maui Jims Polarized and agree, I take them off for putts under 6 feet. Otherwise they are are great and I wouldn't play without them.
 
The only thing that happens with me and my glasses is I lose the ball in the air. Usually on drives to
 
I wear polarized Maui Jim sunglasses all the time - except for playing golf. I'm like the the OP in that they affect my depth perception.
 
I don't know that the polarization matters, but I can't play in sunglasses. I make horrible contact. Can't hit a ball square to save my life. So the sunglasses stay in the cart during a round but go back on as soon as the last putt drops and I always wear them any time I am outside anywhere else for any other reason. I just cannot for the life of me hit a golf ball while wearing them.
 
My depth perception is horrible so I don't think I would know the difference anyway. I usually have to mark my ball on an object or else I'm not finding it unless I play with someone who was watching my ball.
 
I would include the shape of the lens being a factor in your ability to process visual data. Most glasses are designed for a zone to be your optimal viewing area and anything past that zone will be out of your visual tolerance. The light and data your mind sees from the outer ranges of the zone will be slightly bent and your mind struggles to process that data at the same level of accuracy compared to your normal periphery. You dont notice in daily life because you rarely are trying to do detail work from your periphery. As to the polarized affecting depth perception, yes it can affect your ability to process, but the more you wear them and golf in them your mind will start adapting the data it receives and then you will normalize. Our brain does a great job of adapting to visual data. Which is why when you go to the optometrists you are impressed at how great things look after the lens test. Your brain never told you your vision got wonky, it just continued to adapt. The only way you knew you might need a new pair of glasses is that you realized one day that you remembered that you used to be able to see leaves on the trees, rather than seeing a green fuzzy orb on a brown stick.
 
I wear a pair od Bolle' golf sunglasses with 3 sets of interchangeable lenses, 2 pf them are different levels of polarization. I use the for everything but chipping and putting.
 
TripleBogieTim said:
I wear a pair od Bolle' golf sunglasses with 3 sets of interchangeable lenses, 2 pf them are different levels of polarization. I use the for everything but chipping and putting.
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That is very cool, can I ask how much a set of like that set you back?

If so many people have issues with depth perception while wearing polarized sunglasses, what do you guys wear while driving a car? I couldn't survive without my polarized sunglasses when I'm driving.
 
I have played for years with sunglassess so I don't notice a difference unless they are removed mid round or even in the middle of a hole that I am playing. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust once they are off. If the if I have them on fron start to finish, its all consistant. Either consistantly bad or good...hehehe
 
I wish I could say that it was the polarized glasses that are causing mis-hits. I wear sunglasses a lot so my eyes are pretty sensitive. I don't think they affect me one way or the other. However, if i am constantly taking them on and off I think that can throw me off a little.
 
Sunglasses doesn't effect my swing in any way, but I do find it hard to read putts with them on, so usually just take them off to putt or read the green for a chip.
 
I have a pair of smith optics with 5 different lenses. For golf I prefer a rose or brown tint non polarized lense. Smith only offers a brown non polarized and its works very well without screwing up my depth perception. The polarized lenses I keep around for driving and fishing!
 
I can't play with sunglasses on myself, it flattens out the green so that I have no idea where the break is and it messes with my depth perception just looking down at the ball at address. Maybe if I practiced some with them I would get past that but I will hit some ugly shots with them on that I won't normally hit.
 
I shot competive rifle for years at the national level, and learned there is a lot of challenges with protectying and getting your eyes to work well in high demand and stress situations. When in outdoor competition my eyes would change perscription from the strain of aiming. Depending on the amount of glare, bright light, and what direction it came into my eyes.

If each eye has a significently different perscriptions, you will have a problem with that when dealing with depth persception and discernment. That is why it is important to have the correct average perscription so you have a chance of being able to handle the normal changes in your eyes. And even additional perscription lens and glasses to handle the extreme changes that can happen that day.

I wear perscription polaroid lens golfing and find them ok in bright light. But they are too dark when the day is getting darker.

Most people don't realize that their perscription changes sometimes severely from things like being on a computer and working with engineering drawings, speadsheets, and video games. My perscription even changes when my allergies act up. My eyes even react and change perscription differently from the other eye when overworking them.

Also a lot of eye doctors don't want to deal with customers who understand that their eyes normally change from morning to night as well as weekly and monthly. As well as change when using the eyes in high stress such as driving into the sun, or being on water.

And when getting new glasses, they tell you that you will have to get used to the new glasses. Hoping your brain makes the off perscription work so they don't have to get you new glasses with a more accurate average day perscription.

In summary: you need to protect your eyes from over work and extreme strain. Trial and error sometimes is the only way to find what you need.
 
Great stuff neophyte, maybe that is why sometimes under pressure I look down the fairway and it is like I am looking at it through the wrong end of a telescope, everything looks far away and narrow. When there is no pressure it looks like the same fairway is as wide as a Walmart parking lot.
 
RatFink said:
That is very cool, can I ask how much a set of like that set you back?

If so many people have issues with depth perception while wearing polarized sunglasses, what do you guys wear while driving a car? I couldn't survive without my polarized sunglasses when I'm driving.
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They were actually courtesy of THP!! They came in a prize pack I won for one of the Caption This contest...but here is a link where they have the same pair I have on sale for 69 bucks
http://www.opticsplanet.net/bollz-parole-sunglasses-tt-silver-tns-gun.html


By the way....these have a special lens that comes with them to aid with the depth perception problem on the greens

Bolle EagleVision 2 Lens:
High contrast cinnamon lens. Ideal Golf Lens as it highlights the breaks in the green. Best for low light conditions on the golf course. Approximate % visible light transmission: 47%

I love mine.....thanks again :thp:
 
My wife keeps yelling at me since I have blue eyes that I NEED to be wearing shades out at the course. I've tried my current ones but they throw out the depth perception, and won't stay on my hat well when I'm swinging. Sucks to have to puck ur shades off the ground a few times a round, I'd love to find a pair that I could play in, or at the least that would stay on my hat lol
 
InitialDL said:
i prefer cap over sunglasses when i need to hit, but i am sad i'm blinded when i'm looking for the ball.
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Have to wear something with a brim too--bifocal in the prescription sunglasses is in just the wrong spot
 
i loev mine, been draining putts a lot recently with them on
 
WestTex said:
My wife keeps yelling at me since I have blue eyes that I NEED to be wearing shades out at the course. I've tried my current ones but they throw out the depth perception, and won't stay on my hat well when I'm swinging. Sucks to have to puck ur shades off the ground a few times a round, I'd love to find a pair that I could play in, or at the least that would stay on my hat lol
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I have (had) the same problem. Go try on some Oakley Flak Jackets. My first pair of expensive sunglasses and worth every penny!
 
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