Worst Golf Advice – 5 Tips to Ignore
Golf is a funny sport – everyone thinks they’re a teacher. People somehow think that watching the Golf Channel and YouTube videos makes them qualified to help others.
But it’s usually not the case. Make sure to ignore these five tips to play better golf.
5. Keep Your Head Down
Arguably the worst piece of golf advice ever is also one of the oldest tips. Growing up, I remember this was the first thing I learned from pretty much every “coach.”
Everyone said to me, “You have to keep your head down.”
Otherwise, you will top it and deal with the frustration that comes with it.
In reality, this is an awful piece of advice because you don’t need to actually keep your head down to make good contact. David Duval and Annika Sorenstam are perfect examples.
Keeping your head down usually leads to a low exit point and a huge loss of power! Instead, it should rotate with your body as you make impact.
4. Swing Easy
Another tip I hear from a lot of wannabe teachers is “swing nice and easy.” But swinging easy isn’t actually a good tip because it usually leads to a rushed transition.
When you go back super slow on your backswing, this will usually lead to a quick transition. Which leads to your arms coming over the top and producing the dreaded slice we all hate. Plus, the ball doesn’t go nearly as far as it could if you swung with some authority.
3. Lag It Close
Whenever you have a long putt, it’s inevitable that someone in the group says, “Lag it up there close.” Most people suggest trying to get long putts inside a three-foot circle so that you can two putt.
In reality, this is a losing mentality.
When you try to lag it inside a circle, it makes your area to miss much bigger, thus reducing your chances of two putting. Instead, you should try to make every single putt.
Let me be clear, that doesn’t mean you should hit it six feet by so that you can say you gave it a shot.
Sure, the odds aren’t in your favor the further you are from the hole, but I bet you will lag it closer as a result. When you try to make it, you focus on a smaller target and usually end up closer if you miss. Plus, it might to in as well.
Think like a military sniper on the greens, “Aim small, miss small.”
2. Grip it and Rip It
If you want to hit bombs off the tee like Phil Mickelson, you need to make sure your grip allows it. So many guys get the “grip it and rip it” mentality and it actually makes it hard to hit long drives.
When you have a death grip (aka too much grip pressure), it adds tension in your forearms. This makes it nearly impossible to have a good backswing.
Instead, try to have a 5 or 6 out of 10 when it comes to grip pressure.
1. Take the Putter Straight Back
The final tip that you might want to ignore is when someone says, “Take the putter straight back and straight through.”
If this is your normal style of putting and you have the right putter, then it’s good advice. But if you’re someone who has an “arc” style putting, this is horrible advice.
Tiger Woods is a perfect example of an arc putter. He uses a blade putter, which is meant for an in to out stroke, and has plenty of toe hang so that the club squares up at impact.
A straight back putting style would not go well. Identify your natural style and then make sure your putter is the right fit for you!
What’s more bad advice you’ve received?
Let us know in the comments below!
Written by Michael Leonard
