Dumb Things in Golf Magazines

[iacas]

Normally I pay little attention to the instructional items in most golf magazines. I look at the pictures and kind of skim them.

Golf Magazine recently (a year or two ago?) started putting in "this story is for you if..." lead-ins to their articles. In this month's, on page 61, it says "This story is for you if... You miss more than four greens in a round."

Find me someone that doesn't! C'mon! I normally kind of joke internally that they may as well write "This story is for you if... You aren't Tiger Woods," but in this case, even Tiger would have to read the darn thing. So would Vijay, who currently leads in GIR at 70% (i.e. he misses 5.4 per round).

What other stupid things have you seen in golf magazines?

[Eore]

in one of the golf magazines in the "breaking 90" section, they said put a cigar in your mouth, and make sure your shoulder doesn't touch it.

totally worthless if you don't smoke cigars

but yeah, the four GIR per round.....man, i read that and just closed the magazine

[QWKDTSN]

Seems like an editorial mistake to me. I actually read it as 'if you can't make more than four GIRs a round'. I had to read the rest of Erik's post to understand what his complaint was. Then, it was obvious. I'm certainly no linguist! It probably should have been re-phrased. I only subscribe to Golf Digest, not Golf Magazine. What was the drill/tip?

By the way, I am lucky to make 4 GIRs in a round, and that's including the 3 par-3 holes at my home course. :)

[Shindig]

What other stupid things have you seen in golf magazines?

I think in the GD breaking 100/90/80 section, I saw someone advocating hitting draws and fades... with your chip shots.

[glebert]

David Leadbetter. Every tip I see from that guy seems to be the most condescending bunch of drivel. And I hate his hat. You couldn't get me to take lessons from that guy if they were free.

I like Jim Flick better, but every article is "here is something I learned from Nicklaus..." There's nothing wrong with it, but I haven't seen many original ideas from him, at least in the magazines.

Oh, this isn't the rant thread? Sorry... :)

[Harold]

The dumbest things in Golf Magazines aren't the things to be read, but the things that smell, namely the cologne samples. I'm sensitive enough to perfume that it can make me ill to the point of puking. Cologne ain't that much farther behind. Wanna drive the women wild? Rub a crisp new 100 dollar bill on your neck. Any woman with a functioning olfactory can definitely smell money.

[wolverine318]

This is funny I just got the mag on Sat and thought the same thing when I read this article. Their instructional articles are idiodic most of the time.

There is also a piece in the back about some dude who got fitted by hotstick and gained 5 yards because of it (with his irons). Read into it they added a half inch to his club and bent the clubs a degree stronger. Go figure he gained some yards.

[wolverine318]

I think in the GD breaking 100/90/80 section, I saw someone advocating hitting draws and fades... with your chip shots.

Yes I remember this article. Right up there with the hitting down on your driver one.

[rgoudy1975]

The breaking 100/90/80 section last month (I think) advocacted taking all of this junk from home depot and building your own swing trainer. I don't really have the luxury of the space to practice aside from the course itself, and I don't have the nerve to stand around with PVC and a toilet plunger beside the practice green.

[MunkeyGolfer]

The dumbest things in Golf Magazines aren't the things to be read, but the things that smell, namely the cologne samples. I'm sensitive enough to perfume that it can make me ill to the point of puking. Cologne ain't that much farther behind. Wanna drive the women wild? Rub a crisp new 100 dollar bill on your neck. Any woman with a functioning olfactory can definitely smell money.

I agree with you. I get sick of those samples in any magazine.

[ChiChiIsMe]

The article about going to 8 inch holes....... ;)`

[DavidFehertysBike]

I actually find the womens golf magazines more informative than predominatly "mens" mags. The tips they give are moslty fundemental and are not trying to push you into being JB Holmes or some crap like that. Plus in the womens mags they often give neat little fitness tips you dont get in the mens ones.

[sonicblue]

I think nearly all golf magazine tips completely mis-assess amateur golfers. From my own experience and what I'm learning, compared to the mistakes I see golfers of all levels make, their tips are completely off track. Their tips are all very subtle, minor, little tweaks. Here's a tip: if you shoot 90, there is a country MILE between you and the best golfers. There is no "tweak" that will get you there. IMHO, there's nothing but big nuts to crack until you get down to - oh - a 5. After that, it's putting and just the shear ability to repeat your swing every damn time. Prior to that, (the collective, including me) your problem is:

* your backswing is too big
* your downswing is too hard
* your balance/posture/stance is poor (you lose your balance, change your posture, flex your knees, straighten your spine...all during the swing)

which can often/always be rooted toward, simply not trusting the physics of your equipment or your shot selection/decision (or never actually making a true shot decision!).

I think a lot of players and teachers work too hard on jamming someone into a particular swing (this grip, that plane, etc...). I think people should learn the most basic fundamentals (take a grip sorta like this, stand kinda like this, e.g.) and then MASTER the proper version of the above three tenets:

* A short, compact, comfortable backswing, turning fully but never more than that
* A downswing that gradually, naturally and comfortably builds as much speed as you're capable of, never tries for more
* A stance that is comfortable, balanced and strong, and that can be held constant throughout the shot

Under that pretense, each person would be more able to find a way to accomplish those goals within their unique anatomy and physical skill. I'd almost bet that ANYONE could break 90 doing nothing more than working toward those goals. Of course, the golf magazines would be 12 pages of ads and one article by Tiger......

[nevets88]

Are you good enough... to use a six iron?

[Shindig]

Yes I remember this article. Right up there with the hitting down on your driver one.

I was thinking of mentioning that one, too. Yeah, it's up there.

I actually find the womens golf magazines more informative than predominatly "mens" mags. The tips they give are moslty fundemental and are not trying to push you into being JB Holmes or some crap like that. Plus in the womens mags they often give neat little fitness tips you dont get in the mens ones.

So should I get myself a subscription to Golf for Women? Or at least pick up an issue?

Are you good enough... to use a six iron?

Don't exaggerate, man. No golf magazine thinks amateurs should use a six iron. Our irons are supposed to start at 8, or 7 for the single digit handicaps.

[DavidFehertysBike]

So should I get myself a subscription to Golf for Women? Or at least pick up an issue?

Yeah. Why the hell not, right? lol.. There are setup and putting drills ive read in golf for women that i still use today. I think what they give in womens magazines pertains more to us (the average golfers) than anything you'll read in golf digest.

[hawkeye]

One UK mag had a chap writing in that while at Hoylake in 2006 (British Open) the British fans were very appreciative of good golf shots and very acknowledgeable but that the overseas fans (Americans) were loud, obnoxious and took great pleasure in "boo-ing" Luke Donald.

I'm surpised the letter was allowed be published without an editorial comment about Master Luke being based in the States, married to a Yank, college bred in Northwestern and being an adoptee of the American golfing fan - and the affection on course is clearly LUUUUUKKKKKEEEEE and not a boo.



I did write in in reply but didn't get published.

[beung]

The only thing I don't like all that much about the tips they give are that they don't tell you why.

When they tell you to do this, that and the other, they rarely tell you what the purpose of the tips is and what is it that the tip is trying to correct. They generally do a good job of giving a tip to correct a sympton but aren't very good at telling what is causing the outcome. It's as though they don't want to teach you the theory or the mechanics behind the swing.

I kind of compare it to math, some one can tell you 2+2=4 without telling you why it equals 4 and the only reason you know it equal 4 is because you memorized it. Where as if you teach you why it equals 4 then the person will also know why 3+4=7. It's the whole idea behind, "give a man a fish, you have fed him for a day, teach a man how to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime"

When you teach someone the golf swing I think it is very important to teach the why and the theory behind the swing. There is not a great golfer out there who don't understand the swing and how it related to them. The swing of one person can be completely different but if they both understand the fundimentals the results will be very similar.