If you dont play golf by "feel," how do you play?

[svchiefs19]

people say (myself included) that they play golf by "feel." especially it seems when it comes to putting. my question is, what is the opposite of playing by feel? if you dont play by feel, then how do you play?

[schigara]

I am just a 17 hdcp but I think the only "feel" part for me is any shot with an iron which is shorter than my full shot. Like a sand wedge that I normally hit 85-90 yards and I use that club for a 50 yard shot and any other short pitch or chip.

Putting, for me, has become very robotic and consistent. I line the ball up to the line I have picked out, take one practice putt while looking at the hole then one looking at the imaginary ball and then step into the ball and take the stroke. I guess the distance part of the putt is part feel and experience but still feels very robotic and I have become a very good putter. I just wish I could get a robotic driver and long iron swing without my typical overswing resulting in a hard fade/slice. I think the only shots that can be mostly "feel" are pitch and chip shots. This opinion is purely based on my limited experience(5 years) and crummy handicap.

  svchiefs19 said:

people say (myself included) that they play golf by "feel." especially it seems when it comes to putting. my question is, what is the opposite of playing by feel? if you dont play by feel, then how do you play?

[shankapotamus]

  svchiefs19 said:

people say (myself included) that they play golf by "feel." especially it seems when it comes to putting. my question is, what is the opposite of playing by feel? if you dont play by feel, then how do you play?

Technical. Instead of getting up there and putting it, they get up there and know how far to take it back for what distance and so on and so forth.

[mgresh]

Pelz vs. Utley maybe

[McGolf-Doggie]

By mind memory ( I swing this club like this, and the ball tends to do this and go over there), and letting the subconscious do the sorting out of all the vectors. Plus a good bit of feel, too.

This past weekend, I tried putting a "Dr. Bob Rotella" observation into practice and it was so effective it was scary.

His advice -- like some pros -- pick the smallest target, aim for it, and execute your routine.

I picked a bird on the beginning part of the green 150 yards away straight ahead, as it was sitting in a spot I thought would be a good yardage for the 7 iron into a stiff breeze. I had a swing thought that this might be contrived to be a little against nature, but we'll aim a little away from the bird.

Now bear in mind these are golf-hardened New York starlings.

The ball landed two feet away and the bird flew off. One of his three feathered buddies moved over a couple of feet to take his place.

Next hole, I put my first 3-wood on a tiny green down the narrowest of fairways from 207. It's a club I'd been a bit wild with until a couple of weeks ago. Sure I'd developed more confidence in it. But I think the small target picking was part of it.

Rotella would also have you hit with confidence, as another vital ingredient. But picking that small target and letting the subconscious mind do the work, and the hands do the feeling of the heft and mass and flex of the club is my combo. I've already decided before hand what I'm going to do.

(Except when it all goes kerplooey, of course. And those breakdowns happen plenty, too.)

[Dub]

"If it ain't about feel....then I don't know what it's about.....".



The technical stuff may put you in the right positions.....and then once you feel them....................that's all I'm sayin'.

[wrx_junki]

Some pace off the distance to the pin to know how far to take their putter head back. Can't putt like that but I know some who do it well but it falls apart fast on inconsistent greens.