Is unsolicited advice to a golfer helpful?

[Golfingdad]

I apologize I should have been more specific. Golfingdad makes a good point that I did not consider.  The unsolicited advise I was alluding  about was what you as a golfer are doing wrong meaning basically swing mechanic flaws. I always try to educate golfers who are new to a course as to how the course plays.

Yeah, not many people are going to disagree with you there.  Nobody wants to hear advice during a round on their swing.  With minor exceptions ... the one I posed to you yesterday being one of them.  Then again, that's still not really a swing issue, but just an alignment issue.  And you only know its an issue because you play with him a lot and know how he normally aims.

[Lihu]

Solicit advice?  Yes, I will.  Give unsolicited advice?  No.   Give advice when asked?  I may (disguised as my opinion).   I just don't think I know enough, and this forum is full of golfers who have been at it for a lot longer than I did.   Of course, I give my opinions all the time, free of charge .

That's just part of human nature. It's imparted by our empathetic reactions to a "wrong" situation, so to speak.

When we're on the golf course, and someone is messing up, they already know it. The best form of empathy is to ignore our "gut" reaction, and they might be able to have a good time despite their golf game.

[RPMPIRE]

I apologize I should have been more specific. Golfingdad makes a good point that I did not consider.  The unsolicited advise I was alluding  about was what you as a golfer are doing wrong meaning basically swing mechanic flaws. I always try to educate golfers who are new to a course as to how the course plays.

I also like passing on advice not just on the course but also some etiquette to beginners. Things like putting your bag towards the next tee when you're on the green, bring your wedges with your putter on approach to the green, yelling fore, etc.

I voted no. I've heard guys on the range trying to give unsolicited swing advice to the guy next to them and, frankly, they sounded like an ass. If I was asked about swing advice, I wouldn't mind giving them what I thought but would also include that I'm no professional by any means and would also refer people to TST or Evolvr.

[rkim291968]

Back to OP's original question ... I haven't really benefited from unsolicited advices.   Almost all of them are stuff I knew (from various sources - instruction books, videos, ....) already but cannot execute consistently.

[BuckeyeNut]

I don't give full-swing advice even when asked because I don't think it will do any good. What am I supposed to say? .............."Ummmm.....you reverse pivot, your alignment is bad, you are lined up off target, your balance is terrible, and your clubhead is all over the damn place. Try not to do those things" ????

lol...

In contrast.....if they ask about how to play a certain short-game shot, I will try to help.  For me, this is much easier to explain the feel and setup for what they are trying to achieve.  IE...whether it's playing a low bump & run from a tight lie, or a simple lofted pitch from rough, etc, etc...

[billchao]

I don't give unsolicited advice and I don't find it particularly useful when given to me on the course. It doesn't bother me when people give it, though. [quote name="David in FL" url="/t/71592/is-unsolicited-advice-to-a-golfer-helpful#post_931135"]Not only not helpful, but generally not welcome either...... [/quote]I hope that's what you told Gmac ;-)

[mvmac]

Generally no, it's not helpful, heck even solicited advice from most golfers isn't helpful either

Most of the time I won't help a player unless they ask.  One of the few time I actually offered advice without being asked was a few weeks ago after playing the front nine with a couple guys.  I couldn't help myself and asked one of the players if I could help him.  What he was doing was driving me nuts and the fix was very basic.  We had also been talking about the golf swing and he was complaining how he never has time for a lesson but wants to take some.  So the door was kinda open.  He shot 49 on the front and 40 on the back and thought I was a genius even though it was just 101 stuff.

[KyleAnthony]

I actually voted yes. i have a tendency to play a fade and a random guy i got paired up with mentioned my grip to be a little weak which could cause the fade. after 2 holes of trying a new grip it ended up helping me out a lot. on the other hand i've heard a lot of advice come my way that made no sense to me and didn't work haha, but it only takes one person to make a suggestion and it improve your game

[hopefulhacker]

A bit too broad of a topic for a simple yes/no answer, but on balance I'd vote "Yes"

But there are a lot of caveats.

I generally find that most unsolicited advice is given to me by my higher HC plying partners, and I find that it is usually in the middle of a round (which isn't the place to be working on advice imo) This is not beneficial but I pretty much blank it all out.

I also play with some really good low HC'ers and I will take on board what they say... they never dish out this advice on the course though, they wait until after the round or will even wait a week of so until we meet up at the range to mention anything.

I find that this level of golfer will actually ask you if you want a pointer or two rather than just go ahead and tell you.

So maybe that makes it solicited

Ok, I'm confused now.

It's useful in the right place when given by the right person.

[David in FL]

I hope that's what you told Gmac ;-)

Hence the "generally"... ;-)

[mcanadiens]

As someone who is still a hack (also though a little less of one than a year ago), I don't mind a tip from a good player after the round. Anything you tell me during the round either won't be retained or could screw me up even worse. After the round, I may have a chance to go to the range or the putting green and work on it. Otherwise, I can experiment with it during my next practice session.

[MS256]

Not all good players give good advice. There are some of them that really don't really know what they are actually doing in their own swing and say one thing but are actually doing another.

Others have a swing that works very well for them and know what they are doing but that swing may not be the same as the swing another person is working on, and may be counter-productive.

For the most part good players know that and it's one of the reasons they aren't quick to offer up advice unless the flaw they see is something that universally won't work with any swing.

The beginner that's looking for swing advice from every source can be left with their head spinning and not quite sure which advice to take. Finding one good instructor that they trust and ignoring most of what they see in magazines, and on The Golf Channel, and from well meaning players on the course would be a better course of action.

[The Recreational Golfer]

When I was twelve or thirteen, I was in a group with three men, one of whom was throwing out advice like it was going out of style. About the eight hole, and I remember this clearly, one of the other guys who was walking down the fairway with me, said to me, A good rule to follow is to never give unsolicited advice. That made real sense to me, and I've never forgotten it, on the course or off.

[Golfingdad]

When I was twelve or thirteen, I was in a group with three men, one of whom was throwing out advice like it was going out of style. About the eight hole, and I remember this clearly, one of the other guys who was walking down the fairway with me, said to me, A good rule to follow is to never give unsolicited advice. That made real sense to me, and I've never forgotten it, on the course or off.

I agree, however I wish he'd said something a little different ... that dude had the perfect chance to blow your mind.  He should have said "A good rule of thumb is to never follow unsolicited advice."

Paradox!!!!!!!!!!!

[14ledo81]

I agree, however I wish he'd said something a little different ... that dude had the perfect chance to blow your mind.  He should have said "A good rule of thumb is to never follow unsolicited advice."

Paradox!!!!!!!!!!!

That could have potentially ruined him for life.

[PirateJim]

No, unsolicited "advice" is simply rude.

[RonTheSavage]

Whats worse is having the guy next to you at the range give unsolicited advice then stand there watching to make sure you try it.

[David in FL]

I agree, however I wish he'd said something a little different ... that dude had the perfect chance to blow your mind.  He should have said "A good rule of thumb is to never follow unsolicited advice."

Paradox!!!!!!!!!!!

We've got that next door.  They're both pediatricians......