Feel vs. Real – How Well Do You Know Your Golf Game?
Have you ever taken a golf lesson and an instructor said, “feel like you take the club inside” or “feel like your wrists are more hinged.” The feel concept is often used in golf instruction, and you may wonder why that is.
Feel vs. real is quite different in golf, and amateur players should be more aware of this to get better.
Simply put: where you think the club is and where the club actually is will probably be two different things.
I’ll show you the importance of feel vs. real in golf and how you can combine feel and real to get better results on the course.
What is Feel vs. Real in Golf?
Golfers have to swing their club without really seeing where it is. Since we can’t see the club, we rely on feel to get a golf club in the right position to hit a great shot.
The tricky thing about feel is that it is different for every player.
What feels like a closed clubface for you may feel square to me.
However, great players are able to take data (the real) and match it with a feel so that it becomes repeatable in the golf game.
Is Feel Enough?
Many golfers say they are feel players. They are essentially the opposite of someone like Bryson Dechambeau, who calculates everything in his game, and measures and analyzes it all!
The best way to think about a feel player is someone who almost acts as an artist on the golf course.
Instead of an exact number to the pin and obsessing about which club to hit, feel golfers can put a club in their hands and make it work.
Feel is incredibly important out on the golf course. However, without any data, feel is pretty inconsistent. From one day to the next, there is not much of a way to rely on feeling alone.
Is Real Enough?
The real is the data we get about our golf game.
I would encourage you to think of things like a launch monitor, video, technologically advanced training aids, and more. There has never been so much data for golfers to work with.
Data is amazing, and it can help you get equipment that works for you and an overall better picture of your strengths and weaknesses on the golf course.
However, real alone is tough.
After all, we are humans and not robots, meaning it’s hard to incorporate this data without feeling. An open clubface, a poor weight transfer, and a strong grip all feel like something to you.
The combination of feel vs. real is what all golfers need to take their game to the next level.
Will Feel Always Look Like Real?
One of the most important takeaways of the feel vs. real concept is that the way something feels to you is not necessarily what it’s going to look like in your swing.
For instance, when I hit bunker shots, my backswing feels very upright. On video, it’s not; it’s just enough to get the ball out of the trap and improve its chances of stopping on the green.
Professional golfers will tell you that what they feel like they are doing and what they are actually doing is two different things.
You can play great golf if your feel makes your real better.
How to Make Feel vs. Real Work For Your Golf Game?
Now that we know it will take some combination of feel and data to get your golf game better, let’s look at a few different ways to accomplish this.
Using your natural ability to feel what you are doing to get the club into the right positions is the ultimate goal here.
Pre Shot Routine
Use your pre-shot routine as a way to practice the feel that you will need in your swing.
I can almost guarantee you that when you take the club back, you won’t be in the exact position you felt in your pre-shot routine, but it will get you closer.
Let’s say, for instance, your clubface is opening at the top of your swing because of too much extension in your wrist. As part of your pre shot routine, feel like you are taking a backswing with a flexed wrist.
When you try your actual shot, you will be in a position that is probably much less extended, even if you aren’t completely flexed like you felt in the pre shot routine.
Pre shot routines should be the same each time you swing, and they can be created to work on the issues you are having in your game.
Gather Accurate Data
Always be sure to gather accurate data about your golf swing. Use video technology to record videos, but make sure your angles are correct. Stand directly behind or face-on to get great videos. Be careful of taking videos from an angle, as it could change what you are seeing.
Use launch monitors that are known for accuracy.
In addition, if you are going to use golf technology like HackMotion to gather data, take a few seconds to calibrate the device and ensure you are getting the best data set to work with.
Determine How Different Your Feel vs. Real Is
For some, golfers feel, and real are close; for others, there is a big difference.
You will need to find out what type of golfer you are. I’ll give you an example here.
I’ve always had a shallow swing with a slightly inside path. I’m good with it, it works for me, and I’ve been able to do a lot with it through the years. However, if I want to take a swing where the club is a bit more upright or even above the swing plane, it feels so exaggerated.
I honestly feel like I’m picking the club straight up or pushing it out and away from me.
I’m not.
One of the best experiences I had with the feel vs. real was to take before and after videos. I start with a video of my regular golf swing. Then I record a swing that “feels” more upright or less shallow.
When watching the two videos, it can be almost comical to see how big I felt the difference was, and how big it is. This process has helped me learn exactly how exaggerated the feel needs to be for me to get to the right positions on the course.
Use Feedback Tools Like HackMotion
HackMotion is a perfect tool to help golfers learn the difference in feel vs. real. More importantly, aligns the feel vs. real concept and can encourage improvement at a faster pace.
HackMotion measures the position of your wrists throughout the golf swing. Your wrist position determines your clubface angle, and the clubface angle determines the direction of the golf ball.
The wrists are important.
At the top of your backswing, you likely have no idea if your clubface is square, open, or closed.
HackMotion will help you figure this out. Wear the HackMotion to get a baseline for your wrist position at the address, top of the backswing, and impact.
After analyzing the data, you can then decide where improvement needs to be.
HackMotion gives you live data, so while wearing the device, you can see exactly what it feels like to get your wrists in the right position.
Use HackMotion to Capitalize on Feel vs. Real
There are two ways in which you can use HackMotion to improve your feel vs. real.
- Bio Feedback Mode: while wearing HackMotion, you can set a range for your wrist motion. When you move outside the range, HackMotion will let you know. If you want to fix extension or flexion at the top of your swing, simply turn on biofeedback and see what a correct position feels like to you.
- Hack Motion Live Data: most golf game improvement tools give you data after it’s too late. While wearing the HackMotion wrist sensor, you can see live data as to your wrist position. Use this live data to see what proper wrist position feels like.
Final Thoughts
Feel vs. real is an interesting topic in golf and something that players of all levels should consider. Use a combination of data and feel to achieve the best results.
HackMotion is one of the few tools on the market that allows you to align your feel vs. real and make faster and more streamlined progress in your game.
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