Probably what separates the PGA Touring pro and the amateur
golfer is "feel." Every pro I know can "feel" where the club
and clubhead are at any point during the swing.

Not an easy task, especially for the weekend golfer.

Many amateurs struggle with the idea, concept, or understanding
of how to develop "feel" for the swing. It is a process that
requires time, patience, and practice.

Part of the process of developing "feel" for the golf club is
through proprioception. This may or may not be a term you have
heard, but it is vitally important to the golf swing.

Proprioception is a big word that, simply put, is defined as
"knowing where your body is in space." Essentially, it means
consciously knowing where your body is when moving, what your
limbs are doing, and in what order. To simplify it further, it
is feel. Some of us are better at it, others worse.

The good news is that you can improve your proprioception, or
your feel.

Think about this for a moment: what is one of the most
important aspects of improving your golf swing?

It is "feel" for the golf club at every position within the
golf swing. Beginning with address, into take-away, your
backswing, downswing, and follow through. "Feeling" where the
club is at every moment is key.

PGA Tour pros "feel" the club during the swing, or in other
words they have excellent proprioceptive abilities. As a
result, they have the ability to make the little adjustments
that are crucial in the golf swing. Additionally, their
outstanding level of proprioception allows them to know what is
going on with their golf swing the majority of the time.

How do you develop your ability to better "feel" the golf club
and clubhead?

First and foremost, your development of better golf swing
mechanics is center stage. Understanding the mechanics and
where the clubhead should be is the first step.

This allows you to consciously know and practice the positions
of where the golf club and body should be at any moment in the
golf swing. Mentally understanding golf swing mechanics allows
you to have a "map" to refer to when developing your golf
swing.

Secondly, when it comes to golf swing mechanics we look at
practice. We all know the body learns a new movement through
repetition. The mind and body learn either the correct or
incorrect golf swing through practice.

This is the point where the proprioceptive or "feel" abilities
of your body for your golf swing begin to form. The movement
pattern begins to be ingrained as you continue to practice your
golf swing.

This is where the third component of developing "feel" comes
into play. The third component of developing "feel" is the
body.

Golf swing mechanics are performed by your body, and, as a
result, the body is critically involved in developing feel in
your golf swing.

Developing feel is linked to your nervous system and the
ability of the brain/nerves to input/output information
efficiently.

Improving the process by which your brain and nerves input
(learning the golf swing mechanics) and output (execution of
the golf swing) has a direct effect on your ability to feel the
club.

How do you improve the proprioceptive qualities of the body
that directly affects your ability to feel the golf club?
Improvement in this area lies within performing exercises that
increase the efficiency with which the nervous system operates.


Exercises that improve proprioception and "feel" during the
swing are called balance exercises. Balance exercises challenge
the nervous system, creating more efficiency in the input/output
system of the body.

Better balance allows for the body to learn new movements (i.e.
golf swing) more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, these
exercises increase the ability of the body to "feel" athletic
movements like the golf swing.

In summary, we have three components that improve our "feel"
for the golf club. Number one is an understanding of golf swing
mechanics. You must have a conscious "road map" of the golf
swing. This allows you a reference point to develop the correct
swing mechanics.

Secondly, practice is required. The body learns through
repetition. Practice allows the brain and the body to learn the
movement sequence of the golf swing. Practice is also the point
where the body begins to develop the proprioceptive qualities
required for the golf swing.

Finally, you need to develop the proprioceptive capacities of
the body itself through balance exercises. These types of
exercises improve the input/output system of the body allowing
for improved learning capacities by the body, better "feel" of
where the body is in space, and a greater capacity to "feel"
the golf swing.

All in all, it is a combination of developing these three
entities within your golf swing and body that creates "feel"
for the swing. They all work together and cannot be separated.


If you truly want to develop a PGA-Tour-type swing, you will
need to have a better understanding of the golf swing,
practice, and development of the body.

Sean


About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized
golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA
Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil
Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction
and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur
golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact
Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.