[23tommy]

In your opinion which do you feel produces better all around results on the course?

[U5pz6B71]

Its different for every player. It depends on coordination, natural athletic ability, and so much more. In the end, to achieve great results, i think a person needs both.

[tofRobbroolve]

I know for me I need a combo of the two. I am not athletic so I need the technical side of things to learn a proper swing, but then I switched to feel once I got the basics of the swing down. When everything is falling apart I revert back to the mechanical side of things but otherwise I can usually feel what I am doing wrong or right and go from there.

[vioppyskype]

I completely lost my swing with about 5 holes to go Sunday and went from 7 over par to 12 over. So I would say I'm about 75% feel and 25% mechanical. I could not feel the club releasing and started hooking the ball and actually shanked a 5 iron from 180 yards. A total complete shank that I raised up on. I base my assessment on being a feel player because once I get the yardage of a shot I try to feel how hard to swing the club. I also know how I want to turn through a shot to hit a fade or a draw by feeling the turn instead of where my hands need to be.

The mechanical part of my swing is probably making sure things are in position and from time to time having to calm down my right hand that likes to take over my shots when I want to hit it hard. I start dropping my right shoulder and hitting behind the ball enough to get grass between the face and the ball. Then I start trying to be more mechanical and get thing back on plane. But much like JB said you can't have one without the other but there are definitely two types of players and the mechanical ones usually are better ball strikers but struggle in areas where feel is needed more than making sure the club is on plane at all times.

[Affolfembonge]

I agree that a combo of both is necessary to be real good, but if you're going to have a little more of one over the other I'd think you'd be better served having more feel. Feel isn't really something you can learn or teach but mechanics are. Again I do think you have to have sound mechanics to compliment your feel though.

[viepedorlella]

Since there are all sorts of golf swings out there that perform very well I would say that feel is more important. Obviously there are mechanics that work better for each golfer but once you have identified your own mechanics I think feel takes over.

[swwatch]

Combo platter for me as well. I think feel can help develop solid mechanics which then can produce results. Any change in those mechanics should not 'feel' right then.

[Ceriopal]

I agree with all of the above posters. Mechanics will only get you so far. If you don't have a "feel" around the greens then this game will tear you up....

[Nutpoode]

aubs88 and fati have the same avatar. Hey Fati, I havent seen you on here in a long time....whats your answer to your own question?

[BariGrootrego]

Yeah; I agree that a mixture of both will do you well. When everything is clicking on the course, I believe I am playing mostly by feel. But on those days when it seems I am just grinding along, it seems like I am relying heavily on mechanics to get me through.

Short-game around the green, though, I rely heavily on feel.

[Thigmaswams]

This might sound weird but I think Mechanics is for the Driving range and Feel is for the course. One of the first people to teach me golf said it like this. "You're golf swing should be like a well tuned ferrari. The driving range is where you take it in to have a look under the hood. You work on mechanics and swing thoughts on the range. The course is the awesome winding course that you take the ferrair for a spin. On the range/garage you can fine tune, change and experiment all you want. On the course, enjoy the turns!!"
This helps my mind stay clear. These are my swing thought on the range "Waggle, get the feel of the angles in your wrist (remnants of flying wedge theory), smooth takeaway, head still, right shoulder turns behind head (to stop from swaying), pause at the top, smooth transition, turn not slide, finish the swing, where is that ball going?, why is it slicing? argh ahHH!H!H!H!H!!!"

This is my swing thought on the course. "Smooth takaway, pause at top, where is that ball going? Why is it slicing? ARGHH!!!!" (sorry couldn't help myself)

If my swing is going south on the course, I find the time to step aside and go through a "mechanic checklist". (this is usally after i've hit and am waiting for the next guy to go) I"ll try and diagnose my swing and it's errors. But when I get to my ball again I'm trying to get back into my feel/on course state of mind.

[elektikaka]

If I have to pick one or the other, I go with feel. A player with good "feel" can be taught adequate mechanics; a player without feel is doomed by faulty chipping and putting.

[kvitacencia]

This might sound weird but I think Mechanics is for the Driving range and Feel is for the course. One of the first people to teach me golf said it like this. "You're golf swing should be like a well tuned ferrari. The driving range is where you take it in to have a look under the hood. You work on mechanics and swing thoughts on the range. The course is the awesome winding course that you take the ferrair for a spin. On the range/garage you can fine tune, change and experiment all you want. On the course, enjoy the turns!!"
This helps my mind stay clear. These are my swing thought on the range "Waggle, get the feel of the angles in your wrist (remnants of flying wedge theory), smooth takeaway, head still, right shoulder turns behind head (to stop from swaying), pause at the top, smooth transition, turn not slide, finish the swing, where is that ball going?, why is it slicing? argh ahHH!H!H!H!H!!!"

This is my swing thought on the course. "Smooth takaway, pause at top, where is that ball going? Why is it slicing? ARGHH!!!!" (sorry couldn't help myself)

If my swing is going south on the course, I find the time to step aside and go through a "mechanic checklist". (this is usally after i've hit and am waiting for the next guy to go) I"ll try and diagnose my swing and it's errors. But when I get to my ball again I'm trying to get back into my feel/on course state of mind.

Snap -- The driving range is definitely the place to leave your swing thoughts. Get yourself the book " Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect" by Dr. Bob Rotella. Excellant reading on the mental side of the game. I do strongly suggest lessons for the mechanic side of golf, well unless you are blessed with a golf game from birth. I have heard some posts on here, where postees don't need formal training. My wife Kelly has told me before and she has read the book also, that Gray, don't forget to leave your brain in the truck. ) Meaning don't overprocess the mind thus freaking out your golf swing on the course. I think here is where the feel side of the game kicks in. Preshot routine is a must, visualize the target, and let it happen.

[Thigmaswams]

@Gray Golf.
I once explained my golf thought proccesses to a guy I met on the course, he immediatly asked me if I had read that very same book! It just makes sense to me and I'm glad other people see the reasoning behind it.
Kobe trains his butt off so that during game 7 of the finals, he isn't thinking about his mechanics. He's in the moment not thinking about the angle of his arms and such.

[JohnVK]

It's definitely a mixture of both with feel being the most important, atleast for me. Around the greens is definitely all about feel and without it your SOL.