What happens when "feel" does turn into "real"?

[nikegolfer93]

There's a whole concept of feel doesn't mean real, as in what you feel isn't actually what you are doing. 

However, isn't this a very dangerous thing to preach because when you do get better, your "feel" might actually turn into a real portion of your swing. 

E.g. Imagine you are a player that has a very inside takeaway. Your feel is to take it way outside, feeling like you are Matt Wolfe, but in reality, it really is on plane. However, after doing this for a couple weeks/months, won't you run into the risk of actually swinging like Matt Wolfe? 

This is why I'm a little apprehensive on actually chasing a feel that isn't real. 

Interested to hear your input!

[Sp4zRX]

I interpret ‘Feel ain’t real’ as feel isn’t necessarily real. Meaning feel may or may not be real; therefore, you should not rely on feel alone. Use video to verify if your feel is or isn’t real. 

[MPStrat]

In my experience feel usually becomes real at sone point. Sometimes it takes a couple swings and sometimes it takes a couple years.
 

Often; though, exaggerations are needed to make a change. It is just as likely that without monitoring the change, the feel isn’t exaggerated enough and the player is making their normal swing. 

If you are making a change, it’s important to consistently monitor what you’re doing.

[iacas]

Tiger says his best golf is when his feel matches real.

 

So, yes, if you work on it long enough… your feel might be real. I try to caution my players to know the mechanics of what they're trying to do, because then they can begin to create their own feels. Often, a feel will "drift" a bit. What works one week… might not work two weeks later.

[nikegolfer93]

Thanks for all the advice. 

I think the tips about monitoring your swing is huge. 

Also understanding the mechanics of the swing to create a feel is something that I've never thought about before but is very interesting to think about. My lizard brain hasn't got to that level yet but I am conscious of it now. 

[ferrispgm]

I couldn't agree more with @iacas on understanding the mechanics. I have 3 or 4 different feels to try to accomplish the same thing and I honestly rotate them all in/out every couple weeks.  Another thing is that you shouldn't be afraid to go back to step 1 on bad days.  Several months into a change myself and I just had to go back to 80 yard pitches with my 9 iron this weekend. 

[Valtiel]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:47 PM, nikegolfer93 said:

Thanks for all the advice. 

I think the tips about monitoring your swing is huge. 

Also understanding the mechanics of the swing to create a feel is something that I've never thought about before but is very interesting to think about. My lizard brain hasn't got to that level yet but I am conscious of it now. 

Yeah at the end of the day video is king. Any attempt to keep an eye on the relationship between the two through your own sense of feel is trying to use the very tool that is lying to you to check for the "truth". It's a bit like umpires vs. roboumps calling balls and strikes in baseball. At the VERY best you're still going be missing 10-15%, and that is at the elite level. Why even subject yourself to that margin for error when something that cuts straight through all that exists with like, three button presses on your phone? 😆

I recently made a correction to my backswing plane that FELT radically different. Video of course showed something far smaller in most ways. 

[Ri_Redneck]

Yes, SEEING what you're FEELING links understanding to the feels. It teaches your feel to BE real. Mirrors, Videos, anything that allows you to verify the feel is a good thing.

 

BT

[Valtiel]

4 hours ago, Ri_Redneck said:

Yes, SEEING what you're FEELING links understanding to the feels. It teaches your feel to BE real. Mirrors, Videos, anything that allows you to verify the feel is a good thing.

 

BT

That’s a far better way of saying what I was trying to. 

[naval2006]

I think it's imperative to associate a feel to a good move, especially because you're going to need it during the round with no camera, trackman or any other devices to check on what you're doing.  

[gators78]

Few ideas on this topic. I think it’s a good idea for any player to understand one of their main faults/issues and have a few feels they can keep back pocket to help keep the swing under control. Everyone has to deal with tendencies and faults so understanding the “bad” and some ideas to make it “less bad” help a lot. I get my club slightly inside on the way back, and when I feel like Matt Wolff I can confirm with video it moves the club head about 4 inches at P2, nowhere close to what it feels like I’m doing. 

 

It’s also extremely rare when someone goes for a lesson and works on a new feel and very quickly over exaggerates it. If you’re playing in events/money games/anything with a bit of pressure, players will invariably revert back somewhat. That’s the whole reason Tiger supposedly picks the ball when he’s practicing, his tendency is to get steep under pressure and it helps keep it neutral. 

 

Lastly, with monitors readily available, players should be able to check their numbers to confirm how feel/real is playing out. If you go from 3* in-to-out and in a month it’s 8* out to in, time to tone it back a bit. Sure seems like at the highest levels they’re always doing this balancing act with technique to ultimately keep it neutral.

[Zitlow]

It's easier to feel and trust a motion than a bunch of band aids. 

[chigolfer1]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:03 AM, nikegolfer93 said:

There's a whole concept of feel doesn't mean real, as in what you feel isn't actually what you are doing. 

However, isn't this a very dangerous thing to preach because when you do get better, your "feel" might actually turn into a real portion of your swing. 

E.g. Imagine you are a player that has a very inside takeaway. Your feel is to take it way outside, feeling like you are Matt Wolfe, but in reality, it really is on plane. However, after doing this for a couple weeks/months, won't you run into the risk of actually swinging like Matt Wolfe? 

This is why I'm a little apprehensive on actually chasing a feel that isn't real. 

Interested to hear your input!

 

I like this question and I get exactly what you're saying.

[Ri_Redneck]

Something I've noticed in the last few years, is that the pros seem to be doing short backswing and downswing motions while looking to make sure the club is where they want it to be (establishing Real Feel motions) when preparing for their shots. Not just waggles, but bring the club a couple of feet back and look at it to confirm the proper position (Ricky & others) or initiate a downswing move, sometimes exaggerated, while looking back at the club (Rose & others). Almost all teachers use video for this same reason. To link feels with actual motions. The thing is it has to be an ongoing thing because we all fall back into bad habits over time and our feels can get out of calibration.

 

BT

[CB67]

I’m a typical take the entire bottle of aspirin type of person as Monte would put it.

 

When I’m working on my swing and have to feel an exaggeration move, I overdo it so bad that the next lesson I have I will be told to exaggerate a feel that I was already naturally doing previous to that lesson. 
 

I don’t try to take the entire bottle of aspirin, I feel like I’m barley doing it. But once a day goes by , that exaggerated feel I was doing the day before that looked perfect on camera has turned into an absolute s*** show. 
 

As soon as an instructor tells Me I have to feel “this” or feel “that”, the next time they see me they’re getting me to feel something that ends up looking exactly like the problem I came to them with lol