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Feel in Golf Putting
Lanny Johnson
The definition of feel as it is used in golf remains illusive.
Its dictionary definition is "to experience by sensation,
most commonly touch". This definition is incomplete in golf
as words like no, none, good, bad, little are used to express
the quality of the experience. We found no recorded means
to quantitate feel. The following definition and measurement
method emerged during our laboratory testing.
Feel is an expression used in golf to reflect the experience
the golfer has during the execution of a shot which may be
measured in the time interval following impact necessary for
the golfer to verbally accurately predict the quality of the
shot. The measurement may also be made by seeing how far the
ball traveled after impact before the golfer could articulate
the accurate determination.
Notice the phrase, "verbally accurately predict". During the
exercise, the golfer must commit as soon as possible and out
loud with the words, good or bad. This requirement restricts
the golfer from guessing, hedging bets or fooling themselves.
Also notice that it is the prediction of the quality of the
shot, not necessarily the outcome, although in general, quality
putts will often go in the hole.
There are various components to feel. The club design and
construction contribute to feel. Various clubs produce different
levels of feel. The club design and materials contribute to
feel. Every part of the club contributes to the transmission
of sensations to the golfer's ears or hands; the head, hosel,
shaft, and grip.
Golfers vary in their psychomotor skills; hearing, proprioception*,
spatial relationships and motor function. Golfers differ in
their decision making abilities. The golfer's proprioception
determines where the path of the club is during the swing.
The golfer appreciates the club head path. The golfer hears
the impact of the putter on the ball. The peripheral nervous
system transmits the biofeedback to the golfer's brain for
processing where a decision is made concerning the quality
of the shot. The golfer then must commit to verbalizing their
determination. That is a lot happening in a short period of
time.
Repeating this demanding exercise will improve the golfer's
putting. The exercise removes the hypothetical. The requirement
demands that the golfer appreciate every nuance of their stroke.
It also creates the pressure of time and accurate prediction
which simulates the competitive experience. The golfer will
learn like Pavlov's dog experiment, good from bad. The golfer
will then learn to repeat the psychomotor functions necessary
for consistently good putting.
The best feel comes from the optimal club design and manufacture
as well as the development of the golfer's psychomotor skills.
At Prescription Putting, we do not sell just clubs because
as important as they are, "golf clubs do not play golf." We
sell putting: the latest club technology and psychomotor skills.
*pro-pri-o-cep-tion (prpr--spshn) n. The unconscious perception
of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within
the body itself
Lanny Johnson wrote the book on arthroscopic surgery
and is now writing the book on putting. Prescription Putting
was founded by Lanny L. Johnson, M.D. Dr. Johnson is an internationally
recognized orthopedic surgeon.
Article Source: www.articlesaz.com
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