Playing by feel

[Hoovedawg]

Today I had someone say they were impressed how much I play golf by feel despite only playing for a year.

So im wondering is it good or bad to "play by feel". Im assuming he said this cause i play different shots with clubs that are not the standard clubs that most people play in a given situation.

For example I play a 9 iron on anything from about 30 yards to 120 yards--I just choke up or down or swing 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4, etc. I also chip with the 9 iron.

Ive had people tell me I need to change clubs more and change my swing less. I would listen to them except that this is by far the strongest part of my game. From 150 or so all the way down to chipping i play like a single digit handicapper.

Another example is that i like my 7 iron so i use it from 130 to 150 or so. There are two 130 ish par 3's at my home course that people with similar skill sets as me would probablly play an 8 or 9 iron (or even a wedge for a longer hitter) but I always do a 3/4 swing 7 iron.

So im wondering if this "playing by feel" is a good thing that will help me as i get better or a problem that i need to work on.

Thanks for the input

[CG031]

No, having good feel on the golf course is a great thing. It means you have good touch, a good sense of what it takes to get the ball in the hole, and good visualization.

There have been some of the greatest Tour player's to be "feel" players. Also many to be "mechanical" players...

Either way, whatever works for ya...

[mhodar13]

My uncle is like that too. Today there was a 216 yard par 3. I hit a full 4 iron, and he hit a weak 3 wood. But, guess who hit the green? Not me lol.

[enduro]

Whatever works for you. However, you can't discount the value of a go-to swing and then using the club for distance. I generally try and use the right club for the situation because I don't have to alter much of the swing. The feels comes in for the 15 yards of space the shot has with the club.

From really short range there really isn't a correct thing to do. Use your 9 if it's working. Although, there will be times when there is a greater advantage to using a more lofted club and you should know what to do then.

I use a 9 for a lot of shot shots really. Often I don't want the loft of a PE, AW or 60* wedge. But I also know I can often play the shot with one of those so I can choose the approach.

As a general rule you want to use as little loft as you need. Some people like to run shots up and others like to loft them and make them stick. It's up to you.

I can't imagine using a 7 for 30 yards of space though in most situations. I mean, I'll use a 4 iron if I'm under trees and only 120 out or something and take a small swing to keep it low and run it. But a typical shot from 120+ out I'm going to use the club for the situation. I will make a choice between a hard 6 or soft 7 sometimes though for sure.

Pros tend to do that too but they go a step further. They change their grip based on distance. They also deloft the club based on the shot. So they really use a lot of both: club and feel. I think we saw Tiger hitting 190 and 160 8 irons last week instead of using a 6 at 190 for instance based on how he wanted to approach. It also has to do with what happens if you miss. Sometimes you want to miss short if you're going to so maybe you use the loftier club.

I don't know, golf is a weird game. Play however you like most. But also don't reject the fact clubs are built for certain distances for a reason.

[Jay-Bird]

Play by feel is a must, but you should have a solid core of fundamentals to base everything on. Creativity with different clubs for different shots is what the game is all about.

Use whatever club you feel is going to get the job done best.

[Saint]

I've started chipping withy my 5 iron, if i have a lot of green, and I'm on the fringe. I love my 60, because i like flying it to the hole, but theres times where the 5 iron works alot better than the 60.

[Hoovedawg]

I dont automatically go to the 9 iron for shots 30-120 but it is most of the time my first option. I use more loft if im hacking out of the rough, or if i have little green to work with, or if the green slopes away.

I do have "go-to" distances for a full swing but not so much with half swings and stuff like that.

Thanks for the input so far.

[clubchamp]

I never understood the whole "feel golf" I think there are shots that require a good amount of touch around the greens. In terms of hitting a 9i from 30 yards to 120 yards isn't feel golf. You hit that club because you are comfortable with it. I mean from 30 yards I usually hit a 56 or a 52 because that what I'm comfortable with hitting. I could take a 9i out and probably hit it inside 10 feet so does that mean I have great feel? When I think of "feel golf" I think of being able to play different kinds of chips and controlling the spin of wedges. I don't know I never really got it but if it works don't stop

[CG031]

I never understood the whole "feel golf" I think there are shots that require a good amount of touch around the greens. In terms of hitting a 9i from 30 yards to 120 yards isn't feel golf. You hit that club because you are comfortable with it. I mean from 30 yards I usually hit a 56 or a 52 because that what I'm comfortable with hitting. I could take a 9i out and probably hit it inside 10 feet so does that mean I have great feel? When I think of "feel golf" I think of being able to play different kinds of chips and controlling the spin of wedges. I don't know I never really got it but if it works don't stop

Being able to control a 9 iron from say a 60 yard shot is feel. That displays great control with a high iron...

Which is basically what feel is all about.

[imtomtomim]

if it works stick with it. I am a feel player, but I basically use my SW for most short game shots. I change the club as I need different trajectories or spin patterns for shortgame. I don't know many people using a 9 for that many shortgame shots, but if it works, go ahead and do it. I pretty much dedicate most of my clubs from GW up to driver for full shots and all my shortgame is sw and lw dominated (not saying there aren't those special times to get creative). If your feel is working, let it work.

[clubchamp]

Being able to control a 9 iron from say a 60 yard shot is feel. That displays great control with a high iron...

Would you hit that shot if you didn't think you could hit it? If you know you can hit that shot its not really feel because you can play that shot. You make it sound like hitting a 9i 60 yards for the sake of doing it is feel golf. Basically I guess feel golf is being able to control your irons? I pictured it to be mainly a short game thing or when you are forced to play a shot with a club you would normally use.

[chriskzoo]

I think it depends on the shot and be vigilant to monitor your game. I had a buddy who used to be an assitant pro and was money around the green with his sand wedge, even if he only had a foot of rough to clear and 15 yards to the hole he could drop it on a dime within 3 feet. As he moved away from the business and started working for a bank, he still kept trying to hit that shot, only now he was routinely leaving himself 7 or 8 feet. I finally convinced him to chip those with an 8 iron or whatever and it's saved him 2 shots a round.