What do you think is the biggest golf swing myth?

[BallMarker]

The biggest myth for me was this notion to "keep your lower body quiet".

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MAYBE I TOOK IT TOO LITERALLY...., but how can you transfer your weight properly when you're too busy thinking, and trying, to keep your lower body quiet?

I was stuck at about 20 hcp for a long time until I finally figured out that it's ok to let the hips and legs move, and turn, appropriately with my upper body.

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If you don't believe me, try hitting a full swing while trying to keep your lower body quiet.

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Even with chip shots, I find it MUCH MUCH easier to execute when I allow my hips and legs move/turn appropriate amount.

[saevel25]

The ball starts along the swing path, not where the clubface points.

[14ledo81]

The ball starts along the swing path, not where the clubface points.

I would agree. On a side note: how long before this becomes common knowledge to all?

[WUTiger]

"Take the longest back swing you can!"

Truth: rotate your shoulders fully, and stop at your natural top.

[nevets88]

Hit down taken too literally. As well was keep your head down. I'm beginning to think keeping your lead arm straight at the top and impact isn't a must either.

[Strandly]

The biggest myth for me was this notion to "keep your lower body quiet".

.

MAYBE I TOOK IT TOO LITERALLY...., but how can you transfer your weight properly when you're too busy thinking, and trying, to keep your lower body quiet?

I was stuck at about 20 hcp for a long time until I finally figured out that it's ok to let the hips and legs move, and turn, appropriately with my upper body.

.

If you don't believe me, try hitting a full swing while trying to keep your lower body quiet.

.

Even with chip shots, I find it MUCH MUCH easier to execute when I allow my hips and legs move/turn appropriate amount.

Yeah I'm inclined to agree with this.  I was keeping my legs, and to a large extent my hips, frozen in place during my swing and I couldn't tell anything was wrong because I was still hitting the ball fairly consistently and generally pretty straight.  The thing that suffered was my distance and I just assumed I needed to add more muscle to fix that.  Anyway, I'm starting to turn my hips more aggressively during my swing now and I like it, I can feel less of an awkward torque on my body and the ball goes the same distance as before with less overall effort.

Long of the short:  Freezing your lower body in place.

[MS256]

That there is THE correct way to swing a golf club. Last year at the start of Inbee Park's run on a Thursday Judy Rankin went on and on about how there was no way she could play good golf with that swing. Blah, blah, blah. By the weekend when she was obviously going to win Rankin went conspicuously quiet about her swing. There are some things that need to happen (5 sounds about right) ;-) but there are plenty of ways to get there.

[late347]

keep the right knee with the same flex during the swing, don't let it straighten ... (my dad, midcapper, gave me this advice)

keep the left heel on the ground during backswing because that's the correct way (my dad also gave this advice)

I guess Jack Nicklaus must've been a shitty golfer is these above are true?

Just like Bubba Watson who does the both also?

I dunno, I suppose conventional swing has its merits though. I guess for my own bodytype Oosthuizen's swing or Sergio Garcia's swing would be better to copy than someone like Adam Scott who has different bodytype than me.

[Reval14]

Biggest swing myth for me is "keep your head down".

[ctcampbell]

keep the right knee with the same flex during the swing, don't let it straighten... (my dad, midcapper, gave me this advice)

keep the left heel on the ground during backswing because that's the correct way (my dad also gave this advice)

I guess Jack Nicklaus must've been a shitty golfer is these above are true?

Just like Bubba Watson who does the both also?

I dunno, I suppose conventional swing has its merits though. I guess for my own bodytype Oosthuizen's swing or Sergio Garcia's swing would be better to copy than someone like Adam Scott who has different bodytype than me.

Isn't that what most pro's teach these days?

[saevel25]

Isn't that what most pro's teach these days?

Yep, they are teaching myths.

[inthehole]

Biggest swing myth for me is "keep your head down".

Funny, thats my #1 focus and swing throught before every shot - if I lift my head & don't focus intensely on the ball, the resulting distaster is imminent and predictable.

From my limited experience, the biggest myth is have to sweep fairway woods - maybe thats true for far better players than I ... but for me, I don't like incorporating a new swing for any particular club ... I just hit down on them & take a shallow divot, like every other club in my bag - don't hit them any differently.     KISS golf works for me, which is also why I like the simplicity of a centered pivot swing  ...

PS ... KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Funny, thats my #1 focus and swing throught before every shot - if I lift my head & don't focus intensely on the ball, the resulting distaster is imminent and predictable.

From my limited experience, the biggest myth is have to sweep fairway woods - maybe thats true for far better players than I ... but for me, I don't like incorporating a new swing for any particular club ... I just hit down on them & take a shallow divot, like every other club in my bag - don't hit them any differently.     KISS golf works for me, which is also why I like the simplicity of a centered pivot swing  ...

PS ... KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid

I think the opposite. If I don't keep my head higher I hit a lot of fat shots.

I don't know about swing myths. I think there is merit to most things that are said to fix certain things in swings. I do chuckle every time someone tells me to slow my swing down. Yeah because I swing 100 MPH and pros swing 125 MPH so I am sure if I swing slower that will make me better.

[late347]

I think the opposite. If I don't keep my head higher I hit a lot of fat shots.

I don't know about swing myths. I think there is merit to most things that are said to fix certain things in swings. I do chuckle every time someone tells me to slow my swing down. Yeah because I swing 100 MPH and pros swing 125 MPH so I am sure if I swing slower that will make me better.

Exactly my sentiments also. The key is not the swing slower I feel, but especially centered hits on the clubface. They do seem to matter with driver. As I was trying out flighscope simulator a couple days ago. Ideally you want to hit hard AND hit the center.

But what do I know, I'm just a goofy beginner golfer, and I swing at 104mph average. I definitely like to hit the ball hard - grip it and rip it I say

No point in copying some one like Ernie Els's slowish swing tempo... Unless you're like 6'4'' tall and heavily built person...

Ernie says that he swings at 80% power in competitions (I wonder if this is true).

Ernie's 80% power equates to distances of 290 yards, that's 2013 driving distance stats. When Ernie cranks up the driver up to 90% he's going for 325 yards total distance...

[Kieran123]

Rotate the hands

[jsp9999]

Biggest swing myth for me is "keep your head down".

This.  I have seen some of my friends do this to the extreme and it looks so awkward.  Thank heaven they don't have fast swing speed; otherwise their head would've been totally twisted.  One of friends usually comment something like "I didn't keep my head down" so the ball went so and so.  Doesn't sound all the convincing to me given how inconsistent his swing was.

[BENtSwing]

"Let the club do the work."

[shortstop20]

This.  I have seen some of my friends do this to the extreme and it looks so awkward.  Thank heaven they don't have fast swing speed; otherwise their head would've been totally twisted.  One of friends usually comment something like "I didn't keep my head down" so the ball went so and so.  Doesn't sound all the convincing to me given how inconsistent his swing was.

Yeah, gotta love the people who keep their head down so much that they're still looking at where the ball was when they are at the finish of their swing. The finish which is very short because they can't rotate their body at all because they're trying to "keep their head down".