When you check your hubs the only way I know is to hold your hand/fingers on the spring and spin the wheel, then you can feel the subtle rumble from bad bearings.
There is almost impossible to feel any play in hubs when bearings go bad, they have to be really really bad for you to feel it like you could in the old days(pre hub).
There is almost impossible to feel any play in hubs when bearings go bad, they have to be really really bad for you to feel it like you could in the old days(pre hub).