Magazine Golf Tips Rant

[allin]

I have a real problem with magazine golf tips. They tend to be presented as if they apply to everyone. For example the putting tip to move the hands handle and club head together applies to straight back and through putters. If you use a heel shafted, especially blade putter and take the putter inside to square I don't feel this applies, the club head moves a lot farther than the hands. Like him or not guys like Hardy who at least try to define who certain tips apply to are rare. The tips should always have a context for what golfer or swing type they apply to. When I was a new golfer and didn't understand this I feel these tips wasted a lot of time and slowed my progress. Adding to new golfers frustration is the last thing we need. If Mags can't do this then they should stick to features on golfers, tournaments and equipment.

[georgep]

As with just about anything, you have to decide for yourself what's in your best interest. I often come across tips that I disregard entirely, because I know they are a) not going to help me or b) screw me up entirely. I would say that I generally find at least one truly helpful new or refresher tip per issue. But there's some real screwy stuff to avoid as well.

[iacas]

As with just about anything, you have to decide for yourself what's in your best interest. I often come across tips that I disregard entirely, because I know they are a) not going to help me or b) screw me up entirely. I would say that I generally find at least one truly helpful new or refresher tip per issue. But there's some real screwy stuff to avoid as well.

Ditto that.

And the problem I have with the poll is that the last two options aren't mutually exclusive. I chose the last one, but the third applies as well.

[Madriver]

the pro that taught me used to say Golf Magazine tips were his best recruter for new students. He loved em especially when John Daly first became popular on tour. They profiled his swing and within a month he was flush with new students that had tried the "Grip it and Rip it" method....

[allin]

Ditto that.

I just didn't think about that, if you want to change it fine by me.

[Rezgolf]

one of the main things that I usually do when reading tips in magazines is, try to picture in my mind if the tip is feasable to my game. I cant coil like tiger, I cant putt with a claw grip like dimarco, and I surely cant do the reverse flop like mickelson. One tip I do remember is a foldout of Ernie Els' swing. It is so smooth and (for lack of a better term)....easy. It makes me see what a smooth swing looks like.

[Rafcin]

I do look through swing sequences (like Rezgolf), but stay away from tips and "fixes"... as well as from infomercials

[Madriver]

one of the main things that I usually do when reading tips in magazines is, try to picture in my mind if the tip is feasable to my game. I cant coil like tiger, I cant putt with a claw grip like dimarco, and I surely cant do the reverse flop like mickelson.

...for me watching a good swing on tape or TV is a very good thing. Trying to emulate the tempo and one piece takeaway seem to always help my game. This would NOT include J.D or Tiger...Ernie and most of the women really help my swing thoughts.

[Xt1ncT]

For me magazine tips = BAD NEWS.

I've learend (finally) not to take any notice of people in golf shops who don't know my swing, and also magazine tips. I just go to the one guy now, who knows how I swing the club, and what my main fault is - it's pretty much always the same one..!!!

I like to read the articles and to read things that don't involve the full swing. But that's about it for me. Oh and the WITB articles are always good to look at.

[cdriver]

One of my customer's brother used to come out with us on weekends to play. I could always tell when he had gotten his newest edition of Golf Digest, his game went even further in the toilet than usual.. This guy was a 36 handicap trying hard to be a 45 handicap by taking every tip in his magazine to heart and trying to think about them all at once during his swing.

[JFK]

I would say for the better golfer (sub-10 handicap) the swing tips found in major publications should be pretty much ignored - not becasue they give bad advice - but becasue they don't take into consideration every golfer has a swing that is unique unto him/herself. Everyone has their own natural swing that is outside of the textbook swing the guru's would have you think is the answer -- they take the club back a bit too inside, have a steep of an angle, they may lay it off a bit at the top, maybe they have a very strong grip, etc.... BUT THAT IS OK... the foundation is a natural swing that can be grooved to make a repeating swing (which, in my humble opinion, is the most important component of a swing - one that enables someone to play consistently good golf). Of course, everyone has to have the fundamentals down (alignment, position at impact, etc.. - and for these things, the magazine tips aren;t half bad) - but beyond that, it really makes sense to fins an instructor who can work with what you have and make small, sensible iterations to it to procuce a repeatable swing....

There are a lot of very, very, very good golfers out there who have honed swings that are outside of the box -- Daley (way past parallel), Price (very quick tempo) Nicklaus (look at that right elbow), Leonard (flat on top), Sergio (lays it off on top), Furyk (no comment necessary), Trevino (look at that setup), .. the list goes on and on.... I guess what I am trying to say is stick to your core swing and work with someone who understands that not all golfers fit into a profile....

[golfchief]

I think if you've been golfing for three years and reading the mags,you have read everything that you could need to help your game from them. They have the same basic info that they had twenty-five years ago and the bottom line is always go see a PGA teaching pro.
If you still want a golf mag, buy a LPGA/womens golf mag same info better models.