When novice golfers "man up," and how it kills their game...

[WalkTheCourse]

Originally Posted by saevel25

- Swinging hard is different than swinging out of balance. You can swing good, and swing hard, look at McDowell, he looks like he just lashes out at the ball with anger. Then you look at Luke Donald, he doesn't. Both win, both play good golf.

- Yet, if you hit a driver OB, your now hitting 3 from the tee, instead of hitting two from the fairway. Just saying. Distance, and accuracy off the tee will help out a ton of people enhance there potential for scoring overall

- Actually depending on the driver, $500 dollar one could be better. The right after market golf shaft could give a person the accuracy and distance advantage they need. A driver that's adjustable could let the person tune in the driver to right were its perfect for them. Don't disregard technology, or paying for it, when you know what your doing when your buying something. If your use to playing a fade, and need a draw, adjusting the driver could help promote more of a draw for a golf course, giving you and advantage. Basic driver doesn't do that.

- Low lofts, i don't see that to often. So don't know why its here in this list. Oh, what about the drivers now that are one driver, but have 4-5 loft settings? That wouldn't fall into this category would it?

- There is a great blog post i found on difference between cavity backs and blade irons. The premise is that cavity backs will lower a golfer's capability to learn because it dampens feel. So, i would put this in the same category. If you hit a two piece ball and mishits, misputts, mischips feel similar to a normal shot. Then i would say it defeats the purpose of having a golf ball. Part of the game is recognizing what the club to ball interaction is. This is why i will never promote a two-piece cheap golf ball because they all feel the same, like hitting concrete.

- Tough to say, there is no defined stiffness ranking for golf shafts. A regular in one setting could be a stiff in another, especially if you get a  heavy versus a light shaft. A heavy stiff could be an extra stiff light. So, when you see stiff, and it's a 50 gram shaft, its probably not that stiff. Don't judge a book by its cover. Also, stiff doesn't matter much when you also break down the torque on the club, and the kick point.

There's just one problem with most of the words written here. You're taking the perspective of a much, much better golfer... even going so far as to use professional golfers to make your points. Did you read the OP? Pretty sure it includes the term "novice/intermediate golfers."

Now let's evaluate each of your statements in the light of 90+ golf.

- Swinging hard: Are you honestly telling me you think it's a good idea to emulate Graeme McDowell when you're handicap is 20 or more? Do you think the average 20-handicap has the ability to stay in balance while swinging that hard?

- Practicing driver: This one's a little misguided, because the thread is about "manning up to hurt your game" not "what can improve your game the most." I think we'd both agree that the best way to improve one's game is to work on whatever's weakest... but I'm sure there are plenty of "manly men" who are perfecting their 280 yard drives on the range, then hitting the course and 3-putting most every hole.

- 2-piece ball: Okay fine, you get better feedback with a better ball. But you'll also sacrifice strokes, as you'll be getting less roll on slight mishits, and slicing into the trees instead of the right side of the fairway. If you're a lesser golfer playing a "serious round" with me, [if there is such a thing], I'd much rather see you with a Hex Warbird than a Hex Chrome.

- All the other points: Yes, you could theoretically contrive minority scenarios where all of my hypotheses sound horribly wrong. But I think it's fairly obvious that my goal here is to start a list of common practices that hurt newer golfers because of their testosterone...

In other words: You are clearly smart enough to know that these are generalizations; I think you're just playing doubtcaster for the sake of playing doubtcaster.

[jclark]

What kills me is bad players asking what they are doing wrong. You tell them, I.e. "swinging over the top" "casting" etc. They take another swing do the SAME thing and get the same bad result and look at you and say, well that obviously ain't it! Also players using their longest distances on clubs as their averages. I got a buddy that claims his 150 yard club is a PW. I have never seen him hit that yardage, let alone a straight ball. Should really be his 100 yard club....

[PirateJim]

Years ago I had the pleasure (I now really appreciate how great the pleasure was) of playing a good bit with my father.  He was a good golfer who started shooting his age (to his considerable pleasure) in his late sixties and carried a single digit handicap to his grave.  When I was young and foolish I thought he had a really boring style; shortish drives down the middle of the fairway, layups in front of trouble, seemingly simple pitch and chip shots that somehow ended up stiff to the pin....  I truly wish I had stuck with the game from that time on, but that's water under the bridge.  I learned some things from him though, and I am doing my best to include playing smart in my own game now I've come back to golf.  I still screw up sometimes, but I am not too proud to lay up in perfect lob wedge range rather than tempt fate with a well bunkered green.  I don't currently wish to be a hero, I just want my handicap index to tick down a bit next calculation.

[BostonBrew]

In the past, I was definitely guilty of using my best yardage as a marker for my club selection. That one time I hit a downwind, downhill striped 7 iron 170 was exactly that, a one time deal. Realistically, the 7 is a 145-155 yard club for me and I'm OK with that. I now make smoother and more consistent swings and hit a lot more GIRs.

[clearwaterms]

Get the ball rolling on the green as quickly as possible.  I used to watch Sunday golf on TV and they always hit this high chip shots that landed soft and were always pretty.  Somebody taught me, get the ball rolling as quickly as possible, i put it closer now.

Play against your adjusted par, not the course par.  What I mean is this... If you are an 18 handicap, play each hole one hole as one worse than par.  A par 4, play like a par 5, score a par like a pro would a birdie.  As you improve you will start to take the easiest few holes and play those for par (try to get home in 2, etc)  This really comes into effect on LONG par 4's and short par 5's.  If you play short par 5's like par 6's, you can have the confidence of hitting driver, short iron, wedge and 2 putting for a net birdie.  Instead of trying to get home in 2 with a driver, FW and end up in trouble.

LAG putting.  The statistics state that an 18 handicap will miss a putt from 6' something like 50% of the time, and the numbers go WAY WAY down outside of 10'.  Leave yourself 3' uphill putts to finish is always going to lower your score in the end.

Lastly, play the appropriate tee box.  This isn't so much for you as it is for the rest of us and pace of play.  Also, this doesn't mean that because a course is shorter you should play from the rear tee boxes, no, play the slope appropriate tee box.  Here is a hint, if you don't think you can honestly break 90 from that tee box, you should be playing closer.

[WUTiger]

My golf pro steers me away from these problems. I asked him to teach me how to hit the low punch wedge, the one that checks and stops after one hop. He said, "Maybe after you start breaking 80..."

[JonMA1]

Originally Posted by clearwaterms

Get the ball rolling on the green as quickly as possible.  I used to watch Sunday golf on TV and they always hit this high chip shots that landed soft and were always pretty.  Somebody taught me, get the ball rolling as quickly as possible, i put it closer now.

Play against your adjusted par, not the course par.  What I mean is this... If you are an 18 handicap, play each hole one hole as one worse than par.  A par 4, play like a par 5, score a par like a pro would a birdie.  As you improve you will start to take the easiest few holes and play those for par (try to get home in 2, etc)  This really comes into effect on LONG par 4's and short par 5's.  If you play short par 5's like par 6's, you can have the confidence of hitting driver, short iron, wedge and 2 putting for a net birdie.  Instead of trying to get home in 2 with a driver, FW and end up in trouble.

LAG putting.  The statistics state that an 18 handicap will miss a putt from 6' something like 50% of the time, and the numbers go WAY WAY down outside of 10'.  Leave yourself 3' uphill putts to finish is always going to lower your score in the end.

Lastly, play the appropriate tee box.  This isn't so much for you as it is for the rest of us and pace of play.  Also, this doesn't mean that because a course is shorter you should play from the rear tee boxes, no, play the slope appropriate tee box.  Here is a hint, if you don't think you can honestly break 90 from that tee box, you should be playing closer.

This seems like really good advice. I think I'll try this mindset the next time I play - anything to get me out of my golf funk. Also, this is the second post that suggests moving up to a forward tee box. I don't even think about playing the back tees, but I thought I was "supposed" to play the middle ones (not ego, just ignorance). I'm not sure my lack of distance is as much of an issue as my lack of control - even on the easy par 3's - but perhaps the shorter distances will help me relax a bit more.

[virtuoso]

[boil3rmak3r]

Mr. Shankstein has 150 yards to the pin. The pin is in the middle of the green. The green is 30 yards deep. Mr. Shankstein stripes his 7 iron right in the center of the face. Ball lands on front fringe, 15 yards short of pin. Mr. Shankstein sees ball on front edge and says, "Yes, 7 iron is my 150 club." 7 iron is actually his 135 club. Mr Shankstein trys new 7 iron at demo day. Mr. Shankstein hits new iron on the toe. Trackman says ball carried 128 yds. Mr. Shankstein says, "Gee, I hit my own 7 iron 20 yards farther than this new one!" Mr Shankstein plays the next day. Mr Shankstein comes to 150 yd Par 3 with kidney shaped green. Flagstick is back right, at 163 yds, unbeknownst to Mr Shankstein. Water is guarding green front right. Mr Shankstein goes for the flag..... Later, Mr Shankstein has greenskeeper re-measure hole to double check yardage.

I play with a couple of Shanksteins on a regular basis. On holes that are wide open in front and allow a ball to run up, they land it 10 yds short and the ball runs onto the green. As you say. On holes with trouble in front (bunker or water), they put the ball into that trouble and gripe that they mishit the ball. I never understood this... If they just swallowed their egos and hit 1 extra club, they'd do so much better. Sure. They'll go long 1 out of 20 times, but their mishits would then have a chance of running up instead of ending up woefully short...

[Old1964]

The ultimate man-up...never get instruction or lessons or educate oneself about the golf swing and then assume you can play well if you just try harder!

[cipher]

Originally Posted by Old1964

The ultimate man-up...never get instruction or lessons or educate oneself about the golf swing and then assume you can play well if you just try harder!

So true, and pretty much the same as guys going to the range and hacking sod trying to figure something out.  Dig it out in the dirt right?  One of the evolvr guys told me this in a lesson, "You are kind of just moving your body around, without a sense for what you are doing."  It is so true, most of us have no idea what we are doing or what needs to be fixed unless we get the proper help.  Man up for real, and get some instruction.

[johnny_14424]

I am an intermediate golfer and I hate when other high handicappers want to dish out advice if i am not asking for it.

[WalkTheCourse]

Originally Posted by johnny_14424

I am an intermediate golfer and I hate when other high handicappers want to dish out advice if i am not asking for it.

Good call. I don't want advice from anyone until I'm off the course, frankly... But then i'll gladly take it.

[madolive3]

So if your theory is correct, Women and Homosexuals would be better golfers in less time?

[jimmyc]

Originally Posted by madolive3

So if your theory is correct, Women and Homosexuals would be better golfers in less time?

Did I miss something??????

[johnny_14424]

Good call. I don't want advice from anyone until I'm off the course, frankly... But then i'll gladly take it.

I get really suspicious of those guys that say "I'd be a scratch golfer if I played more" and then they love to tell you how to swing the club. That same guy usually shoots a 120 for 18 holes

[WalkTheCourse]

Originally Posted by madolive3

So if your theory is correct, Women and Homosexuals would be better golfers in less time?

Yes, that is exactly what was implied, madolive. My seemingly innocuous conversation starter about how a lot of beginner golfers hamper their progress by being greedy or overzealous was actually a deviously sexist and homophobic plot to offend you.

Seriously? Is this the world we live in now?

#YouCan'tSwingADeadCat...

[sofingaw]

Yes, that is exactly what was implied, madolive. My seemingly innocuous conversation starter about how a lot of beginner golfers hamper their progress by being greedy or overzealous was actually a deviously sexist and homophobic plot to offend you. Seriously? Is this the world we live in now? #YouCan'tSwingADeadCat...

Agree. Off the mark here, unless you were simply laying the sarcasm on thickly... In fact, your insinuation that the OP ever implied that homosexuals specifically were the subject of a thread deriding those who feel the need to 'man up' is more offensive than what you are trying to pin on the OP. On topic, I fall victim to many of these issues myself... Frustrating, but fixable with discipline!