A portable summary of 11 key feel tips

Golf Digest, June, 2005

Chip with a fairway wood

By Chuck Cook, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

If you have to carry the ball a short distance--out of thicker rough or over a sprinkler head--and then get it rolling like a putt, a fairway wood or hybrid club is a great option. As you can see here, the clubhead will glide through the grass; the club's loft will get the short flight needed. Use your putting grip and choke down on the club for more control. Make a smooth, controlled stroke. (From page 261.)

Vary tempo, not rhythm

By Pia Nillson and Lyn Marriott

Some days you feel great swinging at 100 percent; other days might require you to swing at a different pace. Learn to vary your tempo by hitting full shots at paces ranging from 20 percent to 120 percent, always staying in balance and swinging to a complete finish. Make sure your rhythm stays consistent throughout the swing. (From page 206.)

How to stay in balance

By Pia Nillson and Lyn Marriott

Practice in your bare feet or while standing on a balance board, foam roller or one foot--anything to help you notice how your weight moves up and down and front to back. Working on balance drills is especially good for over-analytical golfers, because it's hard to think too much when you're totally focused on keeping your body in balance. (From page 206.)

Grip down for shorter shots.

By Sergio Garcia

I increase my feel by progressively gripping down the closer I get to the hole. Getting the right feel requires some practice, because gripping down makes the club feel lighter. The more I grip down, the closer to the ball I have to stand and the narrower my stance gets. The process of closing in on the ball increases my sensitivity for the shot. (From page 164.)

'Feel' the shot with your eyes

By Sergio Garcia

For me, feel begins with the eyes. I take a couple of practice swings looking along the target line, which helps me judge how hard I have to hit the ball. Most amateurs I see spend too much time looking down on their practice swings. Over the ball, I like to stay in motion, by waggling the club and gently rocking from foot to foot. This keeps me loose and connects me to my target better. (From page 162.)

Refine your distance control

By Tom Watson, Golf Digest Playing Editor

Here's a fun little practice game that teaches feel for distance and swing-speed control. Take three clubs--7-iron, 6-iron, 5-iron--and try to hit them the same distance. You can achieve consistent results by adjusting the length of your backswing. You will develop a feel for a shortened swing, which should be slower and produce a shot with less backspin. (From page 68.)

Relax to free up your stroke

By Stan Utley, Golf Digest Professional Advisor

People often pull their shoulders up toward their ears and tense up when they putt, which doesn't let them swing the putter on its natural arc. I'll tap them on the shoulders and tell them to let the air out. I often see their shoulders drop a couple of inches after that. Understanding and feeling the tension release will help you free up your stroke. (From page 194.)

Use the club's toe to flop it

By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor

The flopper is a great example of a feel shot. Set up in a wide stance, open the clubface to maximize loft, take the club up steeply in a full backswing and accelerate the clubhead through the shot. Feel the shot in your hands, and swing to a full finish for maximum height. The key for me is playing the ball off the toe of my 60-degree wedge. That helps deaden the contact and control the roll. (From page 55.)

Feel speed in the right hand

By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor

My dad taught me to develop my putting touch and feel through visualization. "Putt to the picture," he would say. As a player who contols the speed and direction of the putt with his right hand, I try to feel the speed of the greens in that hand. I've practiced one-handed to develop my stroke. Concentrate on speed, because if it's off, the line really doesn't matter. (From page 56.)

Think 'splash,' not 'dig'

By Jim Gregory, Golf Digest Schools Instructor

The key to hitting great bunker shots is feeling the bounce of your sand wedge. Let the club glide through the sand, not dig into it. Create a small explosion, not a big one. By taking less sand, you can control the flight of the shot better and spin the ball more. The more excavating you do, the more unpredictable the results will be. (From page 322.)

Feel your arms fold

By Chet Nowak, Golf Digest Schools Instructor

Avoid the common misconception that to hit the ball straight you need to keep your arms straight through impact. Instead, feel as if you're slinging the club over your left shoulder as you turn to face the target. To do so, you must rotate your shoulders fully and fold the arms. (From page 66.)