Most professional golfers will tell you that their feel for the golf club is so refined that the can close their eyes, twirl the club in their hands and with eyes still shut, tell you which way the clubhead is pointing. They also commonly say that they can feel when things are wrong in their swing and can feel when things are clicking on all cylinders.

What is “Feel”?

Most of us are able to feel the club and feel our swings, but what actually is feel? A better way of describing feel is proprioception, which is simply the ability to be consciously and unconsciously aware of where our bodies and limbs are relative to one another as they change position (14).

Proprioception is responsible for allowing us to sense our movements and remembering the feeling of these movements. Some people also call it the body to brain connection. Proprioceptive information is transmitted from the brain from various receptors spread across the body including skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. In this manner, the brain is not just in your head, but all over your body via its central nervous system.

Some examples of proprioception include runners who run on uneven surfaces, requiring their lower extremities, especially their ankles, to adjust to the ground to prevent them from falling and/or injuring themselves. That ability to adjust is an example of proprioception (16).

The main aspect of repeatability in the golf swing is attributable to proprioception, which is also commonly referred to as the “sixth sense” by anatomists. When golfers address the ball, they must set up correctly so that they get “a good feel.” Upon starting the swing, you are totally dependent on proprioception to hit certain positions in the swing and return the club back to impact square.

The fortunate part for all golfers is that training your proprioceptive system is very easy and produces significant performance enhancements in a very short time span. The Pure Power Program ensures that with every workout, you are challenging your proprioceptive systems. Our use of advanced proprioceptive training methods guarantee that you realize incredible gains in general athletic awareness, feel for your swing, and golf-specific strength that will have you hitting the ball farther, straighter, and with more consistency and confidence than you have ever hit before.

Chapter 7-Proprioception Summary:

• Proprioception is the ability to be consciously and unconsciously aware of where our bodies and limbs are relative to one another as they change positions in space.
  
• Proprioception is responsible for the “feel” we have in our golf swings and our ability to consistently repeat the various positions we hit in our swing.
  
• Proprioception is extremely trainable and the Pure Power Program is designed to constantly challenge your proprioceptive systems so that you become sharper when performing complex movements like the golf swing, meaning you will hit better shots more often.