Do you give/ask advice when paired with strangers?

[zeg]

So you play with a buddy and realize he has a huge sway - he asks you if he does something wrong and you mention the big sway. Now what? Its against human nature to just tell him - sorry, i dont have a clue how to fix this - you probably remember some incomplete information you read somewhere in Golfdigest and tell him he should rotate against a stable right leg. He takes your advice to heart and straightens it and tries rotating against it. Only problem is - the leg should always be flexed, and your buddy is faced with a new, maybe accumulating problem. You see where this is going?

Yeah, I see where it's going, but it only goes there if you take it there; I don't think that's at all a convincing reason to gag yourself. If you're unable to admit you don't have a clue how to fix something, then ok, don't say anything at all. But that seems pretty lame to me. I'd expect a friend to lend a hand if he saw something and was asked for advice.

And heck, even if you do decide to make a bad suggestion, I think your buddy will probably survive. I'm all in favor of getting lessons to get better at the game, but I think people get a bit carried away with the idea that we should only learn technique from trained professionals. It might be the fastest way from A to B, but it's not the only way. I mean, just look at some of the discussions on this forum. Plenty of people seem to be debugging their own problems. Since you can't watch your own swing, sometimes having a partner to do the watching can help.

[Comeback]

I NEVER give advice on swings , I hate it when i am having a bad day and some hack thinks he is a teaching pro and tries to help me. The only advice i will give to a complete stranger is, when i play with a new golfer and he is like a yard off the green and he keep on trying to use his sandwedge but he keep on catching it thin or fat I tell him to try to bump and run it with a 6-iron.

[James_Black]

I NEVER give advice on swings , I hate it when i am having a bad day and some hack thinks he is a teaching pro and tries to help me. The only advice i will give to a complete stranger is, when i play with a new golfer and he is like a yard off the green and he keep on trying to use his sandwedge but he keep on catching it thin or fat I

and the ball runs off the back of the green?

I hate that tip.

[mattttt25]

My friends and I share and offer advice. Looks like you're doing this, or looks like you stopped doing that. Rarely with a stranger unless they ask or offer.

[c. lassiter]

I never give unsolicited advice (about anything - not just golf).

If someone asked me a specific question, I would try to help, but there is a big difference between someone asking something relatively easy like "How is my grip?" vs an all-encompassing and very difficult to answer question like "What am I doing wrong?".

On rare occasions I have asked better players things like "How would you play this shot?" if I find myself in a situation I haven't encountered often (or never play well when I have).

[Fourputt]

This is a question which is only relevant in a casual practice round, as giving or asking for advice is a rules violation.

I don't give or ask for swing advice ever. I don't have the training to teach anyone about the golf swing, and I wouldn't take such advice from anyone I play with, regardless of his skill level, unless he is an instructor who I've paid for a playing lesson.

What I will do in casual round (if asked) is offer help to someone who is unfamiliar with the course in figuring out a shot from a course management perspective, explain the risks (if any) and what his options are. This is still a rules breach, but it's also just a friendly gesture in a noncompetitive round. Although I hold myself to a high rules standard, I'm not a rules cop for other players in a casual round. I will typically only volunteer rules information if another player shows interest, unless we're playing in a competition.

I will always give anyone information on the the rules or on distances when asked, as this is permitted under the rules.

[The Recreational Golfer]

The only advice I give is to a friend who is playing with me for the first time on a course I normally play, and I'll tell him where the line is off the tee. I'll ask about that if I'm playing on a new course if my partners are familiar with it, but that's all. I NEVER give or ask for advice about how to hit a shot.

[steelernation]

Yes ill ask about blind greens at a new course. I will offer unsolicited course advice to a newbie on one of my courses, nobody has ever told me that they didnt want my help in that sense. I helped one girl about 2 weeks ago, she was struggling and in a greenside bunker, I tolde her to putt out(no lip) and she questioned me, but I said just try it, she rolls to 3 feet of cup. Other than that just tips to my sons and wife nothing more.