We all know that golf is a game of feel. We can try to have the perfect mechanics, but at the end of the day we need quality feels to help us through a round.
Unfortunately, it seems that those same feels do not always last more than a couple of rounds before we are off seeking another feel to play quality golf.
I know in my own golf journey, I have several go to feels in my golf swing, but they seem to change frequently. Recently, I started to keep a journal of what I was feeling in my golf swing on a specific day in hopes that I can turn to them if things start to get out of sync.
Having played rounds in the last year that range in score from 68-82, I want more of the 68 to 73 range and less of the upper 70s score. Having multiple feels to go through allows me to try different feels out even during a round until I have discovered what feel is going to work that day.
What does a good golf swing feel like?
A good golf swing should feel more effort less and similar to a quality athletic motion where the club is whipping through impact and isn’t manipulated by the golfer. The golf is able to focus on exterior targets and not about what the shoulder, arms, legs, etc. are doing in the golf swing.
Quick Note:
In listening to a recent podcast where Nick Faldo was interviewed, he spent time talking about trying different feels on the driving range or during practice rounds and seeing how the ball reacts.
The one that stuck out the most is when he felt that his swing was more left side dominant, he used this shot when he didn’t want the ball to go left because that’s where the trouble was.
Conversely, when he needed to keep the ball right and prevent it from going left, he activated more of his right side. This set me on a journey to keep a journal of what I was feeling during each round and what the quality of my ball striking and final score was.
This gave me clarification that the pros are often seeking and searching for what feel is going to help them strike the ball that day. At the same time, I continue to work on mechanics and target focused golf to get better results and make those swing thoughts/feels become more productive.
Below are 5 different swing feels that have resonated with me and that I hope can help your game.
In my own golf journey, I have turned to many of the great youtube golf instructors, so I turned to my top 5 feels that I have come across and used today.
Quick Fact:
We need to understand that feel is not always real. The feel helps us maybe start a part of the body a fraction earlier to create a certain action in our swing. Ben Hogan talked about “digging the answers out of the dirt”
See #2 for the further understanding.
#1 – What Does A Good Golf Swing Feel Like – Mike Malaska: Feel the Pivot
Mike Malaska is one of the best teachers in the country. He believes in directing the momentum and making sure the swing stays more athletic. He is not going to teach different positions and really can keep the game simple.
He feels that his game was ruined from trying to get into different positions and he ended up getting “stuck” for many years and having to flip the club through the hitting zone. He is one of the best communicators around and keeps the swing very simple.
In the video below, he talks about the “pivot” being the key feel in the swing. Pivot up and Pivot back down with the right arm. The right arm is the feeling that you are controlling the swing with. It is a simple feeling that allows the club to work. It helps take out an overactive body and allows a golfer to direct the momentum in the golf swing.
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
I have found this works best when my body is becoming overactive and I am getting out in front of the ball with my body, which then results in an inconsistent contact and a hook with the driver.
When I think about keeping my head behind the ball and simply allowing the club to pivot and then hit the shot with my right hand I have found a ton of success with the driver and wedges with this swing feel.
If you are finding that your body is becoming too active, leading to some inconsistent contact or crooked shots, give this swing feel a shot and see what happens. You might think you will lose distance, but you will be shocked at the speed generated at the perfect time in the golf swing.
#2 – What Does A Good Golf Swing Feel Like – Tiger Woods: Hands Beat the Body
If you watch the sequencing of any quality golf swing, you will see that the swing starts from the ground up. The legs go, then the hips, then the shoulders and then the hands. However, here is a swing tip that has worked for many over the years including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Both felt at one point that their hands beat their body to the impact.
Sounds crazy if you have see either swing. Once again, feel is not always real. Just because your hands are firing and trying to beat our body to the ball, doesn’t mean that it is actually happening. You have to check out this youtube video here:
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
This works best when I am getting ahead of the ball with my head and shoulder. I can simply feel like I keep my body back and fire my arms. Bobby Lopez spends a lot of time talking about staying “onsides” in the golf swing, which means keeping your head and shoulder behind the ball.
If you check out Tiger Woods 1997 Masters swing, you will see that his body fires fast and he often felt a little stuck or having his body out in front of the arms, which caused him to have to time his hands. He changed to a swing where everything happened more together and helped him sync his swing up and he became less reliant on the hands controlling everything.
When you feel like you are having to flip your hands to hit a straight time, this might be a time to put this feel into place. Some freezer drills might help out where you swing to the top of your backswing, stop for 2-3 seconds and then swing through the ball.
#3 – What Does A Good Golf Swing Feel Like – Shawn Clement: Throw the Club
Shawn Clement has a great focus on golfers utilizing the weight of the club and allowing gravity and athletic motion to take over in the golf swing. A feel that has worked for me over the years is to feel the weight of the club and then to throw the club towards the target.
Shawn Clement actually has his students practice throwing clubs out into a driving range to get the feel of firing the hands and the club in that direction. I love this approach from a simple manner. I am able to focus on a target and then throw the club to the target. Check out this video by Shawn Clement:
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
This swing feel works best when I am trying to manipulate the club through the zone. I find that I start to lose some swing speed because I am trying to be too perfect. I simply pick an intermediate target and a target well off in the distance and feel like I am throwing the club towards the target.
I will focus on a top of a tree or even a house out in the distance and think about throwing the club towards that target. It always amazes me how the ball will fly straight, high and far from focusing on this feel in the golf swing.
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
Here is an awesome feel for the short game. Are you someone that struggles with those intermediate chip to pitch shots where you have been taught to hold the hands forward and use the leading edge.
Monte challenges this approach and actually creates and promotes a feeling of tossing a ball underhands. Yes, you actually allow the right hand to come under the ball and feel like you were tossing a ball underhand.
If you have ever struggled from the chipping yips, you understand the nervous feeling and the uncontrollable impulse to hit at the ball. This allows you to make a motion through the ball and actually come underneath it.
I know what you are thinking, this is actually the way they teach chipping today? There are several instructors and Monte actually has a short game video called Using the Bounce, where he gets much more in depth about this approach.
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
This feels works best for me on those tight lie shots in front of the green where your ball is still in the fairway. We all know how short fairways are cut nowadays an the trepidation that follows. What I love about Monte is that he has been in our shoes before and knows this feeling that creeps into the body.
He found a solution and has now shared it with us. If you have never heard of this chipping or pitching approach and you struggle, you must give it a shot! What do you have to lose? Another bladed shot or a shot where the ball goes about 2 feet because you stub the ground?
#5 – What Does A Good Golf Swing Feel Like – Bobby Lopez: Staying Onsides
This is a feeling, where you have the feeling of keeping your head and shoulder behind the point of impact. I would say this is the number one swing fault of all amateurs, we move too far forward in the swing. This might be a result of all of the years of teaching where we were told to load up on the back leg and then fire away.
We sure shifted our weight, right into bad contact, throwing away any lag and inconsistent ball contact. This video below might be one of my favorite in all of the youtube videos I have watched in my time:
When Does This Swing Feel Work Best For Me?
Bobby wants us to load up and then fire the hands. As you can see, I fight the batle of moving ahead of the ball and hit my best shots when I think of Bobby Lopez’s approach to stay behind the ball and fire the hands.
The student in this video, who has an awesome youtube channel, appears to play one awesome round when he is teaming up with Bobby Lopez. The swing seems simple as the feeling and swing thoughts are simple. Load up and simply fire away inverting the shoulders. If you are a slider of the hips and body, then you must try this swing feel/thought.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it would be great if our swing was just automatic, but we know we all have swing issues that we battle. Bobby Lopez says we never cure it as it is only ever in remission. We have to find our swing feels that work for us and be patient during a round and let our swing come to us. Start slowly in your round of golf and be patient. Be aware of how your bod and arms feel that day and where your mindset is.
Warming up prior to the round is a great day to see what is working that day and go with it. Don’t battle the swing on the course, instead focus on a target, have one simple feel and play the course. Always practice that short game and be ready for the day.
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
We must find a way to practice and chain frequently. I know we are all busy, but simply chipping in your yards or practicing putting in your basement will help. Or you can do what I did and build a golf simulator to play pretty realistic golf 365 days a year!
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.
I am an amateur golfer on a journey to get better, enjoy the game as often as possible and share my passion and knowledge with others. I have coached high school golfers at a high level and have a great passion for the game and want to give back. I enjoy learning about the golf swing and am currently studying to be a certified professional golf instructor. Join me in our journey to get better everyday.