Do you loose "feel" as you get older?

[Buddyjay]

When I was in my 20's/30's, I used to have nice "feel" around the greens. I'm talking specifically about the 30 yards and in shots. Now (54), I have difficulty hitting the spot I want, by feel.

I was wondering if I should go to a more mechanical method such as Pelz's methods (face of the clock).

 

Have others had this problem? Is it an age thing? Do most of the seniors here do more of a mechanical method?

[mike42]

[quote name='Buddyjay' timestamp='1274436613' post='2457385']
When I was in my 20's/30's, I used to have nice "feel" around the greens. I'm talking specifically about the 30 yards and in shots. Now (54), I have difficulty hitting the spot I want, by [i][b]feel[/b][/i].
I was wondering if I should go to a more mechanical method such as Pelz's methods (face of the clock).

Have others had this problem? Is it an age thing? Do most of the seniors here do more of a mechanical method?
[/quote]

I'm 67. Much less feel in feet and legs. In hands/arms what I notice is the huge difference playing often versus less often makes. Just handling a club every day helps, playing/practicing 3x a week is much better than 1x/week. Daily is best.

Since the length of the grass around the greens is so variable where I play, I don't think there is any substitute for feel. If/when the courses get drier, then Pelz's method might make sense.

Good luck!!

[oldironman]

I have more of a problem feeling loose. Like the previous poster stated nothing beats practice. In the last couple of years I've had to take some extended time off due to an injury. It seemed like the full shots came back real quick, the short game and the "feel" shots are another story.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='Buddyjay' timestamp='1274436613' post='2457385']
When I was in my 20's/30's, I used to have nice "feel" around the greens. I'm talking specifically about the 30 yards and in shots. Now (54), I have difficulty hitting the spot I want, by [i][b]feel[/b][/i].
I was wondering if I should go to a more mechanical method such as Pelz's methods (face of the clock).

Have others had this problem? Is it an age thing? Do most of the seniors here do more of a mechanical method?
[/quote]

What you're experiencing is more common then many would like to admit, including professionals on tour... in part why so many on the Champions tour use B/R verses air it to the pin and stop it using spin. Mechanical clock method should help, but remember for it to properly work you need to practice ... Pelz, not so sure about him, so I won't say anything.

[atlanta golfer]

51 coming up fast on 52 and my feel is better than it ever was. But a lot of that may have to do with the fact that I played sporadically all my life, since a teenager, but only have played seriously for the past 3 years. As a result, my handicap index has come down from near 20 to 10.2 and getting ready for high single digit.

Personally, even though I am trained as an engineer and am very logical and analytical, I really prefer for my eyes and mind to tell me the distance, NOT something calculated like the Pelz method. If I can throw a ball to you from 50 feet away, then I can putt or chip to 50 feet, by sight and feel alone.

[Buddyjay]

Since I first posted this thread in May, I have regained the "feel" with lots of practice of the short game. Although I have incorporated someof Pelz's methods (swing plane, finese swing, etc.,) I have decided that his other methods are just a bit to mechanical for me. I have always been a feel player and to change to his TOTAL mechanical methods are just too drastic a change.

His 'clock face' tecnique does make a lot of sense and could really help someone that really struggles on the short game, but I'm just too much of a feel player.

[shankapotamus]

I think I have lost some feel, but I really don't remember

[Guest]

I am 78, have played golf for more than 60 years and am not sure what "feel" is. Some days I can chip very well, other days not, But the bad shots happen when I don't stay down to the ball. I don't think there is any other magic bullet.

Don McCobb

[Pepperturbo]

"Feel" is when you are facing a "delicate" shot without much room for error; where all the practice in the world and mechanics won't help to figure how much swing length and speed is needed to get your ball to do what you have visualized to get it close for a tap in saving par.

The easiest parts are figuring out what the ball needs to do, and visualizing it. The harder part is "trusting" that when over the ball your "feelings" and "senses" will instinctively create the needed mechanics to execute the shot.

It's creative shots that put a premium on knowing how your chosen ball behaves under diverse conditions.

[wrmiller]

I am probably the exception here, but for what it's worth...

I score better now, and 'appear' to have more touch now (I'm 55), than I did when I was in my 20s and 30s. Back then I had one pace: WOT. Now, I probably average one 3-putt every two rounds.

Now, I don't always succeed, but I love making shots up around the greens especially. Last Sunday I had about 14 paces to the green (second cut), about 6 on, and it going away from me. Knew that if I hit a low or med chip the thing was going to run to the parking lot. So, grabbed the lob, took a couple of practice swings to get the feel, asked myself if i'd COMPLETELY lost it, and took almost a full swing. The kids (sorry, Young Men) playing with me about dropped their jaws. Me? I was scared to death. Knew that if I quit on it, it was going to be short, and I would feel like an idiot. Thin and I'd launch it through the club house.

Like Pepper said, you have to trust it. Hardest part, IMO. I know, it's harder than it sounds, but I believe you have to 'see' the shot in you head before you pull the trigger. If you're unsure, it won't work. At least for me anyways.

No way I would have tried a shot like that when I was a kid. But then, today's irons and balls make this game a whole lot easier than 30-40 years ago. Maybe it's just the better equipment?

[atlanta golfer]

[quote name='wrmiller' timestamp='1280206353' post='2601458']
I am probably the exception here, but for what it's worth...

I score better now, and 'appear' to have more touch now (I'm 55), than I did when I was in my 20s and 30s. Back then I had one pace: WOT. Now, I probably average one 3-putt every two rounds.

Now, I don't always succeed, but I love making shots up around the greens especially. Last Sunday I had about 14 paces to the green (second cut), about 6 on, and it going away from me. Knew that if I hit a low or med chip the thing was going to run to the parking lot. So, grabbed the lob, took a couple of practice swings to get the feel, asked myself if i'd COMPLETELY lost it, and took almost a full swing. The kids (sorry, Young Men) playing with me about dropped their jaws. Me? I was scared to death. Knew that if I quit on it, it was going to be short, and I would feel like an idiot. Thin and I'd launch it through the club house.

Like Pepper said, you have to trust it. Hardest part, IMO. I know, it's harder than it sounds, but I believe you have to 'see' the shot in you head before you pull the trigger. If you're unsure, it won't work. At least for me anyways.

No way I would have tried a shot like that when I was a kid. But then, today's irons and balls make this game a whole lot easier than 30-40 years ago. Maybe it's just the better equipment?
[/quote]

I think there is something to be said also, as one get's older, for building a fairly compact, simple, repeatable swing, whether it be with the driver or with a wedge. The fewer moving parts, the less there will be to go wrong. The more dependence on using the "big muscles" in the core, the less to lose as raw physical skills start to deteriorate. And certainly, good physical conditioning has an impact, at any age, but especially as we get older.

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='Buddyjay' timestamp='1279963796' post='2595977']

His 'clock face' technique does make a lot of sense and could really help someone that really struggles on the short game, but I'm just too much of a feel player.
[/quote]

I have read and studied most of Pelz writings and techniques. While undoubtedly sound principles, they are (in my opinion) WAY WAY to mechanical for anyone to use with any consistency.

On the other hand, Phil Mickelson has a DVD set out now that makes more sense than anything I have read or seen in a while. He simplifies the short game and his methods are easily grasped by the moderately talented amateur.

Give Phil's DVD set a try. I think you'll agree that his method is FAR better than anything Dave Pelz has concocted.

[Mike_C]

[quote name='atlanta golfer' timestamp='1280228971' post='2601635']
[quote name='wrmiller' timestamp='1280206353' post='2601458']
I am probably the exception here, but for what it's worth...

I score better now, and 'appear' to have more touch now (I'm 55), than I did when I was in my 20s and 30s. Back then I had one pace: WOT. Now, I probably average one 3-putt every two rounds.

Now, I don't always succeed, but I love making shots up around the greens especially. Last Sunday I had about 14 paces to the green (second cut), about 6 on, and it going away from me. Knew that if I hit a low or med chip the thing was going to run to the parking lot. So, grabbed the lob, took a couple of practice swings to get the feel, asked myself if i'd COMPLETELY lost it, and took almost a full swing. The kids (sorry, Young Men) playing with me about dropped their jaws. Me? I was scared to death. Knew that if I quit on it, it was going to be short, and I would feel like an idiot. Thin and I'd launch it through the club house.

Like Pepper said, you have to trust it. Hardest part, IMO. I know, it's harder than it sounds, but I believe you have to 'see' the shot in you head before you pull the trigger. If you're unsure, it won't work. At least for me anyways.

No way I would have tried a shot like that when I was a kid. But then, today's irons and balls make this game a whole lot easier than 30-40 years ago. Maybe it's just the better equipment?
[/quote]

I think there is something to be said also, as one get's older, for building a fairly compact, simple, repeatable swing, whether it be with the driver or with a wedge. The fewer moving parts, the less there will be to go wrong. The more dependence on using the "big muscles" in the core, the less to lose as raw physical skills start to deteriorate. And certainly, good physical conditioning has an impact, at any age, but especially as we get older.
[/quote]

I think I agree that as I have gotten older (now 48), my swing has gotten shorter and more compact, especially with the irons, and I'm a much better player for it. Part of it is that I no longer try to kill every shot, I like playing 3/4 shots now and then. But I think I have also learned to play by yardage much better as opposed to just eyeballing it (GPS and laser rangefinders I think have helped alot). I KNOW that my normal swing produces an 8 iron that goes about 155, take a bit off of it and its just under 150, a 3/4 punch goes about 135-140..... Maybe I [i]could[/i] hit it 165 if I hit it as hard as I can, but my odds of hitting the green go way down when I do....something that I just didn't understand well when I was 18.

But I will say that my short game is not as good as when I was 18, part of that is I don't practice it much, the other is that I hit a lot more greens than I used to, and just don't face as many up and downs like I did in the old days.