Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Golf is a game of feel


While performing our daily, sometimes weekly, perusal of golf stories on the Internet, we discovered an interesting conversation at golf.com. These discoveries are a lot like eagles – the golf kind. You know the feeling. You really hope something good will happen, but you're sure as heck not planning on it.

This particular conversation involved several members of the SI/Golf.now golf writing team discussing the golf events of this past weekend. (Go here for the complete transcript.) A couple of their comments provided stimulus for the Eye On Golf staff. The first today, the second in a couple of days.

First is this short exchange:

Hack: You can make the argument that beyond Tiger, Phil, Vijay, Ernie, Retief, Furyk and Paddy, Kenny Perry has been the best player, week to week, over the last five years or so. Not bad for a guy who re-routes his club at the top. Says something for sticking with what you do, and not changing it up.
Bamberger: Some of the best Tour players have been in that tradition of stick-with-what-works swings: Raymond Floyd, Mark McCumber, Bruce Lietzke, Scott Hoch, Craig Stadler — and Perry.

We found it interesting that experienced golf writers missed the point of the game of golf and how that is accomplished. The goal is to get the ball in the hole with limited quantity of effort not quality of effort. The reason that stick-with-what-works swings are so effective is that golf has always been a game that almost totally involves feel. The bottom line is that the more you are able to feel your swing when you are hitting the well, the more consistent you will be in your play. We are sure that no one is under the delusion that Kenny Perry was taught to re-route the club during his swing.

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