How to create 'feel'?

Why Do We Need Feel?

Anyone who has played golf or engaged in any physical activity has likely encountered the term "feel." Notably, all exceptional golfers possess this "feel, " while others may experience it only in limited ways. The conclusion we've drawn is that coaching this feel is essential for helping golfers reach the level of those who possess it. In our quest to find effective coaching methods, we discovered that this is vital for mastering any spatial skill. We break down spatial skill training into what we refer to as the "five performance elements": Behaviour, Movement, Club, Ball Flight, and Environment. Through reference framing, we learn how different factors interact, condensing this knowledge into a feel that encompasses all elements.

What Is Feel?

Spatial feel refers to the intuitive ability to perceive and navigate the physical dimensions of your surroundings, a crucial skill in golf. In this sport, success relies on understanding the connection between your body, the club, and the course. Spatial feel enables golfers to gauge distances, align their shots, and modify their swings according to the terrain. It empowers players to interpret the subtle slopes of a green or envision the trajectory of a drive before hitting the ball. Developing this sense not only enhances technical performance but also improves decision-making, as golfers learn to trust their instincts in dynamic and ever-changing conditions. Therefore, cultivating spatial awareness is key to mastering both the art and strategy of golf.

Which Feel Should We Train?

This is a vital question we must address before embarking on our developmental training. To embark on any purposeful journey, we need to understand our current location and our desired destination. This is why assessing your spatial skills (where we are) and establishing goals (where we want to go) is crucial in any developmental training. We utilize technology like Trackman launch monitors and 3D motion cameras to track our current status and use this feedback for training, ensuring we are progressing toward our goals. If your objectives include playing on the course, your training must encompass the ability to execute the identified shots, which may involve developing behaviour, movement, club, and ball skills. We then take these acquired skills and learn how to adapt them to an ever-changing environment, where we can achieve our goals.

An Example of a Process Towards a Goal

20 H/C golfer who wants to improve their approach shots from 150. Golfer is currently having lessons working on grip, takeaway and rotation on the backswing. They practice on a range with ball data but no club data. They hit the same 

club over and over as they want to dial in muscle memory.

Skill Assessment

6-12 shot sample hitting the club they expect to go 150

How We Learn Spatial Feel

Humans develop spatial feel through a dynamic interaction of sensory input, experience, and cognitive processing. From infancy, our senses—primarily touch, vision, and proprioception—help us understand the physical world. For example, crawling or reaching for objects builds our awareness of distance and depth. As we grow, trial and error teach us about spatial relationships, such as the weight of an object or the resistance of a surface. Over time, this sensory feedback merges with mental constructs, allowing us to visualize spaces or navigate environments without direct physical interaction. Spatial awareness continues to evolve with practice, influenced by cultural tools like maps, architectural designs, and even virtual simulations, highlighting the adaptability and complexity of our spatial perception.

Remember, we learn by recognizing the distinctions between things, rather than by shying away from them. Once we identify the variables that will assist us in reaching our goals, we should engage in a broad exploration of that skill, subsequently narrowing our focus as our understanding deepens. Consider the aspiring cyclist aiming to ride with balance. The conventional approach might suggest avoiding wobbling, as it seems to hinder balance. However, the wobble itself teaches us what balance truly feels like.

Take the golfing example of a shank, which occurs when the ball comes off the club's shaft and veers sharply to the right for a right-handed golfer. This outcome can provoke significant anxiety regarding future shots. If this fear persists and we begin to identify with this outcome, we might start to believe that it's all we're capable of. In reality, a shank is simply an unintended wide swing of the club. By aiming to understand the feel of where the centre of the club lies, we can use the wide arc and the opposite narrow arc as broad reference points to zero in on the middle. This process mirrors finding balance on a bike through the experience of wobbling.

Our Evolving Learning Culture and Innovative Training Approaches

We are living in an extraordinary age brimming with information, with knowledge easily accessible at our fingertips. We value this abundance and immerse ourselves in the research conducted by inspiring experts across diverse fields every day. However, we have noticed a troubling consequence of this information era: it leads us to view our brains as computers that simply input data and execute programs. Regrettably, we learn about spatial awareness through retrospective feedback rather than proactive information gathering.

If you observe the image at the top of this blog, you’ll see a large grid surrounding a golf club, which reflects how we coach spatial club skills. You swing the club into each spatial coordinate and refer back to check if the result matched your intention. Then, you identify the unintended outcome and adjust based on your goal. It’s vital to begin with broad references (create larger grid squares) and gradually refine them over time. As an experienced golfer, my grid reference is similar to anyone else's, but my squares are just a few millimetres wide, allowing for exceptional sensitivity. We learn by noticing the differences in sensations instead of merely trying to avoid negative results.

Conclusion

We believe that the main reason golfers fail to reach their potential lies in their emphasis on learning techniques through thought rather than developing skills through feel, which ultimately leads to improved technique. While this journey requires time and dedication, the outcomes for those who commit to it often surpass expectations. We are eager to continue refining our coaching methods and assist golfers in realising their aspirations.

Find a better way to learn.

John & Tom