[GolfSpy Matt]

I've been kicking this question around for a while now and thought I'd go ahead and ask the MGS community for their input. The question is, as you saw in the title, "Is 'feel' overrated in golf clubs (or balls, etc)"?

Here's what I mean and what got me thinking about this: I wrote some golf ball reviews a little while back, and part of what I tested was feel. Got to the point where I could tell a Penta from a ProV1, or my carbon steel putters from stainless, as easily as I could tell white from black. The thing that I wondered about was whether or not that difference would be noticeable on the course, or, more importantly, if I would care. When I'm in my living room putting, I absolutely notice and care about feel, but I can't say that it's much on my mind when I play: on the course I'm just thinking about making putts or hitting shots. Do you think about feel on the course? When you pure an approach shot, would the experience be made worse by a club that didn't feel great or do you not care?

That's not to say that we shouldn't play equipment that feels good, but does feel ever keep you from playing the best equipment? Would you play equipment that worked really well but felt bad? What about equipment that worked just ok, but felt great? What's the tipping point for you?

I'm sure I have some more questions or thoughts that I'll add, but that should get things started.

Now, I know there are a lot of questions and thoughts in that mess, but I had to spill it all out to get it out of my head. Let me know what you think. There are absolutely no right or wrong answers here, so please jump in and share your thoughts. To all those lurkers, and I know there are a bunch, this would be a great place to jump in, I'd love to hear your opinions.

[Tha Living Legend]

I don't think feel is overrated. Lots of people buy clubs based on feel.

Feel is very subjective.

Despite being subjective, the majority of consumers are misinformed about why certain clubs feel the way they do.

[Xamilo]

Can you "feel" the difference when striking a golf ball? For sure!!!

Does it make a difference in trajectory, distance, overall performance: I don't think so.

I prefer to have better looking clubs, and those who I think have a better "feel", but I agree its a little bit overrated...

[Maverickping]

Feel is very important to me. It is right in line with the visuals, add up the two and I believe it gives me the required amount of confidence when I go to play golf.
Once I decide on if I like something which would include "feel", that is the last time I will think about it (more or less) and never when playing golf.

One of my brothers is LH as well. He has a set of Ping Zing irons. I tried them out against my Ping ISI Becu and they felt horrible to me. Same with his Ping Zing putter - horrible to me. I ended up giving him one of my Mills putters and he said the putter "feels" fantastic compared to the Zing. Just tried my late grandfathers Bob Goalby putter - horrible and if my grandfather was still alive he would marvel at what we have the opportunity to use today.

My very first putter I ever bought and still have was a Ping Anser2 Manganese Bronze Isoforce with an aluminum pixel insert because I liked the feel.

[GolfSpy Matt]

Great! Keep 'em coming. I'm really most interested in your personal experiences/ideas/opinions more than what "most people" do.

Another question that I don't know if I spelled out clearly enough: would you play a bad feeling club if it performed markedly better than one that felt good? How much feel or performance would you sacrifice for the other?

Let's also throw looks/visuals into the mix, since that's been mentioned a couple times: how important are they? More than feel or less? Again, would you play a great performing club that looked rotten? How much looks will you give up for great performance?

[Shambles]

I doubt it's possible to get great performance from a club that felt lousy. You can force good performance from poorly assembled clubs or clubs that don't fit properly but great performance is much more than distance alone though that is bound to also suffer a bit if the club feels wrong.

Looks can be overcome in exchange for great performance. Paper bags are cheap.


Shambles

[daves81]

I dont think feel is overrated.There is nothing better than a well struck golf shot.I wonder how much the golf ball is involved in feel because I can definately tell the difference between a Prov1 and a distance ball.

[stevenhw8]

I don't think it's overrated. I can feel the difference between distance and premium balls, putters with and without insert, MB and shovels (not going to say forged and cast). If you like the feeling, you feel confident, if you are confident, you play better (or bigger the chance).

Golf is hard enough, so every bit of help is very welcome.

Unfortunately, there is no way to quantify "feel", like mentioned above, it's subjective. So the only thing that matters is how each one of you feels

[GolfSpy Matt]

Shambles, on 23 October 2011 - 07:15 AM, said:

I doubt it's possible to get great performance from a club that felt lousy. You can force good performance from poorly assembled clubs or clubs that don't fit properly but great performance is much more than distance alone though that is bound to also suffer a bit if the club feels wrong.

Looks can be overcome in exchange for great performance. Paper bags are cheap.


Shambles

This got a literal LOL from me. Very nice.

Back on topic, I think you raise an interesting point about feel (not sure if you intended to, but it made me think of it): when I say "feel", what do you think of? When I started this topic, I was referring only to the feel at impact, but I suppose that we could also include feel to mean the static weight, swingweight, the feel of the shaft...this can of worms gets bigger every minute.

[Maverickping]

Another question that I don't know if I spelled out clearly enough: would you play a bad feeling club if it performed markedly better than one that felt good? How much feel or performance would you sacrifice for the other?

Let's also throw looks/visuals into the mix, since that's been mentioned a couple times: how important are they? More than feel or less? Again, would you play a great performing club that looked rotten? How much looks will you give up for great performance?
[/quote]

I wouldn't play it as it could end of being a mental thing if that makes sense. I equate any success I might have on the feel which would also include the visuals as does it look/feel (beautiful) which for me could be the same thing (look/feel like I'm in another semantics class).

Feel and performance are one and the same for me. Same with the visuals which are equally important. When I decide to buy a putter I usually stick with the people I know... based on their ability to bring out the very best in the putter and then I do my part deciding on the finish, weight etc. Lucky for all of us as we have options nowadays, it is really not that hard to get what is right for you and your game. This is a hard enough sport as it is, why limit yourself and your own creative feel, visuals on things that can be controlled.

Good examples are my new Miura irons and wedges, they look and always have appeared beautiful to me and they feel wonderful. One and the same thing.

I have the arrows now I have to get the Indian back on track and playing.

[BIG STU]

Well I will throw my 2 cents in the mix. I am definently old school I play by feel and instinct. It has a lot to do with when and how you were taught the game and how sensitive your touch is. I was taught in the era of persimmon woods blade irons and balata balls. Personally I play older blade irons preferrebly MacGregor. that is just me. As far as balls I prefer Titelist Pro V1x even though I also like the Callaway Tour ball or TM TPs. for me nothing peforms on the short game like a Titleist. As far as putters I dont like insert putters I absolutely cannot get any feel with them. As far as pleasing to the eye I can look at a club and can tell you if I can hit it or not. Believe me I have tried modern cavity back clubs and I cant feel what the ball is doing. Another problem for me with modern irons is that they have too much bounce for me because i am a trap cut player and I tend to get off timing because of the bounce. People think i am crazy because I buy older sets of blade irons sometimes reshaft and re grip them and use them. I will give you a example, a few years ago at a charity auction I bought a set of 1966 MacGregor black face Tourney customs for $10 (even though i gave the charity $20) I put a set of Rifle shafts in them and regripped them. I use them from time to time and have less money in them than others have in newer sticks. For me these things are what works for me. I would be the first of many who will honestly say that what works for me might not work for you or anyone else. This is just my insight

[skihippy]

First I would like to say that the feel of the club and sound of the club when you strike it perfectly is what I am looking for on every shot.

OK the best way I can explain why feel is so important to me.

My first set of irons was a off the shelf set I got from Dicks. Those things even when struck well felt like an aluminum bat.

Second Set - I thought I could get a set of clubs off the internet and they could play just like OEM clubs. (Not going to mention the name of the company) Still didn't feel good, real stiff and hard.

My set now - TM burner 09, I know why these clubs where the best selling clubs for that year. I just can't wait to hit a shot flush to hear and feel it.

I am just throwing it out there. The feel of the club from Putter to Driver inspires confidence, and what happens when you have confidence in your clubs?

LOWER SCORES and MORE FUN

[Shambles]

GolfSpy Matt, on 23 October 2011 - 02:05 PM, said:

This got a literal LOL from me. Very nice.

Back on topic, I think you raise an interesting point about feel (not sure if you intended to, but it made me think of it): when I say "feel", what do you think of? When I started this topic, I was referring only to the feel at impact, but I suppose that we could also include feel to mean the static weight, swingweight, the feel of the shaft...this can of worms gets bigger every minute.

Impact only tells me if I'm hitting sweet or not.

The feel of a club has to be a totality of all it's characteristics and the quality of that feel is how well the combination suits you. Provided you actually know how to swing and are physically fit for the job, thinking should be almost the instant of doing. In the beginning you have the gross and very visible movements of a baby's early walking. Given time and effort you have the subtleties of an athlete.

Feel is only bought with the currency of personal experience and effort. If you are an outright beginner, all clubs are right and all clubs are wrong. A good fitter can get you started in the right direction but you still need to learn to swing if you're ever going to be able to feel the subtle differences between clubs and be able to choose the clubs that truly feel right to you with validity. In simple words, if you don't do the work intelligently, you don't get the prize.

Feel can be a very complicated problem to define but it's also as simple as what your hands and body tell you. As the Living Legend pointed out, feel is subjective.


Shambles

[Tha Living Legend]

Design affects feel more than any component.

You can have a club forged out of 1015 carbon steel but if it's a lousy design, it won't feel great.

Conversely, if you have a 17-4 stainless cast club that is very well designed, it will feel warm apple pie.

[Super Tuna]

I think the RIP shaft is a pretty good example of this. It's a great performing shaft at a relatively good price point but tends to lack in the feel department. There is no end to the amount of posts out there asking what people think of the RIP which results in great performance, crap feel. Seems like a lot of people end up booting it due to feel since they can find similair performing shafts out there which ancedotally says to me that feel is pretty important to people rather then over rated.