Who Should Comment on a "My Swing" Thread

[jamo]

I would say that anyone can and should feel open to expressing their opinion in My Swings threads, with a caveat. Personally, my My Swing thread takes all comers (I know what I need to work on, but if you'd like to test out an opinion or ask questions, go for it), but I'd hope that people take it easy on the My Swing threads of newbies. If no one has commented on a newbie's My Swing thread but you feel like they could use some attention (in a "grow the community" type of way), ask questions of them and maybe stick to the basics. I think people who aren't instructors would do better to use language like "in my opinion," "it seems that," and "it looks like" rather than definitive statements. Acknowledge that you don't know anything, and use that to learn.

[newtogolf]

I would say that anyone can and should feel open to expressing their opinion in My Swings threads, with a caveat. Personally, my My Swing thread takes all comers (I know what I need to work on, but if you'd like to test out an opinion or ask questions, go for it), but I'd hope that people take it easy on the My Swing threads of newbies.

If no one has commented on a newbie's My Swing thread but you feel like they could use some attention (in a "grow the community" type of way), ask questions of them and maybe stick to the basics.

I think people who aren't instructors would do better to use language like "in my opinion," "it seems that," and "it looks like" rather than definitive statements. Acknowledge that you don't know anything, and use that to learn.

I agree, I think this approach will be more constructive and avoid some heated discussions within the threads.

[scopek]

I'll paste my response to that:

There are plenty of people who can give helpful advice. Some people just worked on something similar recently or there are people who are very similar in what they are currently working on. Other times it may be something simple that I don't see because I'm looking everywhere else besides at something like ball placement. Basically all comments are welcome as long as the are constructive, but not all comments are weighed equally and/or implemented into what's being worked on.

I'd agree with that. I don't mind strange comments, or even out right wrong comments about a swing because that turns into a learning experience for that person (if they are the type to be open minded). I rather not inhibit a discussion.  Yea, if things can be kept civil, I don't mind who posts in the My Swing threads.

I also get that some people might not want their swing thread blown up with tons of discussions as well. I think those people need to speak up about it.

+3

[Hammer 4]

I've commented on a few My Swing threads. Lately I'm kinda hesitant

The reason is, I'd hate to say something and be wrong, especially if it's not in slow motion, and if the lighting is bad. Old eyes can suck sometimes..

[David in FL]

While I occasionally comment on a swing thread, I seldom, if ever offer advice . I don't consider myself to be particularly knowledgeable about the golf swing, and don't want to provide any misinformation to someone who may believe that my opinion is based on knowledge and experience in this particular area that I don't actually have.

[Hammer 4]

While I occasionally comment on a swing thread, I seldom, if ever offer advice. I don't consider myself to be particularly knowledgeable about the golf swing, and don't want to provide any misinformation to someone who may believe that my opinion is based on knowledge and experience in this particular area that I don't actually have.

Same here, and well stated by the way. Unless I see something blatantly wrong, I'll keep quite.

[Patch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patch

I'd never comment on some one else's swing because the only swing I am qualified to judge is my own. If I hit a bad shot, I am familiar enough with my own swing, that I know  what happened in my swing that caused that bad shot. Knowing what caused the bad ball flight enables me to apply the appropriate fix.

Have I ever given advice on what to look for when asked by a playing partner why they hit a certain bad shot?  Sure I have. I just make it a point to make sure I was asked first.

Besides, even if I did see some thing obviously wrong in someone's swing, I am pretty sure some one else would see the same problem(s) , and respond appropriately.

I have also seen some pretty bad swings by golfers who were able to shoot low scores. They were able to achieve a decent impact position in spite of their bad swings. I have also seen what I consider, the picture perfect swing where the golfer could not shoot a low score if their life depended on it.

This is not necessarily the case, and if you observe something you should feel free to tell the OP. In fact, it has a higher likelihood of helping than hindering. Even if it an incorrect comment, someone else will chime in and you will both learn.

This is a forum to discuss things mostly related to golf. You should never feel inhibited. If someone makes a snide comment on your comment, there are moderators to help.

Trust me, I am never inhibited about anything I post, or decide to not post about. I stand by everything I post either in jest, or in all seriousness. I just don't think I am qualified to comment on other people's swings. Right now I am trying to re-learn my own swing. I would recommend more "slo-mo" videos by those wanting swing interpretations.  Easier to see stuff in slow motion than at full speed.

[mvmac]

There's no question @mvmac @iacas @sk golf, @david_wedzik, and @cbrian run the show here and if one of them contributes to your thread, you should put what they say above anything we amateurs say. They're pros, they're 5SK guys, they do this for a living, etc. so really pay attention their advice, give it a chance, and do your best to practice what they suggest over your next several range sessions. It's important the rest of us don't step on their toes when sharing advice so we don't confuse the OP.

At the same time though, I think we can still jump in, ask questions, expand on what they're talking about (especially if we've worked on what the OP was told to work on), or even try to guess the next priority piece when a new swing video is uploaded.

I would say that anyone can and should feel open to expressing their opinion in My Swings threads, with a caveat. Personally, my My Swing thread takes all comers (I know what I need to work on, but if you'd like to test out an opinion or ask questions, go for it), but I'd hope that people take it easy on the My Swing threads of newbies.

If no one has commented on a newbie's My Swing thread but you feel like they could use some attention (in a "grow the community" type of way), ask questions of them and maybe stick to the basics.

I think people who aren't instructors would do better to use language like "in my opinion," "it seems that," and "it looks like" rather than definitive statements. Acknowledge that you don't know anything, and use that to learn.

Good posts. Yes when an instructor posts, especially the ones listed above, their posts carry a little more weight. I think a lot can be learned, by everyone, when posters have questions and constructive criticism. Swing threads rarely get the guy that "barges" in, declares himself the expert and says that he has the secret.

I've commented on a few My Swing threads. Lately I'm kinda hesitant

The reason is, I'd hate to say something and be wrong, especially if it's not in slow motion, and if the lighting is bad. Old eyes can suck sometimes..

If you feel like you see something, feel free to post, no one will really "out" you for being wrong. Erik and I don't keep score or anything. You're familiar with the information we share on this site, so even of you're "wrong" you can't be that far off

If you're not sure what piece that should focus on but you want to help, recommend this thread

[mchepp]

I find myself posting if no one else has yet, or if they are not getting many responses in a while. This way someone at least gets a response. I try to only post when I think I have something to offer the golfer.

Thing is, if @iacas or @mvmac post then almost by default the piece they identify becomes the priority piece and anything I add only could distract them from the priority piece. So basically once one of them post I can only add encouragement or a different view on how to achieve the priority piece.

[Grndslmhttr3]

I don't have a problem with anyone commenting; as others have said, even if they're wrong, they have good intentions, not to mention that there are many members of this forum (myself not included) who are very knowledgeable with the golf swing and could correct said mistakes. I doubt there are many members who would intentionally give baseless misinformation. On that note, I really need to update the thread I made like five years ago.

[Zeph]

I commented more before. I haven't read too much on the area the last couple of years, and at the time I realized the more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew.

Looking at a swing and identifying some areas that might need work is one thing; figuring out where to start is another question. It is very easy to get caught up with everything at once. Then you post something and someone recommends something else and then mvmac or someone good comes and tells them to start at a different point.

Having all these threads, articles, 5SK etc. as resources, helps showing a player how to do a thing properly, so that's something.

[JetFan1983]

When I first started playing golf, I thought my swing flaws were this unique combination of precious snow flakes that I could never fully understand or identify. It really wasn't until years later that I start to realize that these flaws -- and frankly the flaws of pretty much everyone -- are a lot more common than I once thought.

Full Disclosure: Here's the basic check list I go through when looking at someone's swing on a My Swing Thread.

1) I check their ability level (listed handicap). This is important because a low handicap player needs to be handled differently, and I think this order here can change. Generally, I don't try to assist really good players for obvious reasons, but this list might be fairly universal regardless.

2) A new one I've learned and sometimes need to remind myself of: I make sure the camera angle they've chosen is solid because I don't want that to play tricks on my eyes. This alone can throw off pretty much any advice you give someone.

3) It helps to know their stock ball flight, and their biggest miss , especially if they're a good player.

4) Grip, stance, posture . Despite what Stack and Tilt may tell you, setup is extremely important. I generally recommend the strong single action grip. Does this guy's grip stink? Is there an arch in his lower back? Where is his eye line pointing? How much are his feet flared out? How wide is his stance? What direction is his spine tilted? Towards the target, level, or away from the target? What's his ball position? How much shaft lean is he using? Where is the center of his hips located? These static positions have to be addressed before I recommend anything in regards to their actual motion.

5) The actual motion . Obviously this section has multiple sub-categories. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out that pretty much every bad player doesn't get his weight forward enough, moves his head around all over the place, flips at the ball, has a downswing path that is too steep, etc. Like I said at the beginning of this post, we aren't unique beautiful snowflakes and bad players tend to make the same mistakes, just as good players tend to do the same things right.

So while it does take practice in terms of picking what to say and how to say it, we all generally see the same things here again and again, which is probably one reason why @iacas and @mvmac have made multiple videos in the 5SK video section for both them and us to use as embedded links to better illustrate our suggestions. It's basically like picking which pill to prescribe at which time.

When it comes to any of this stuff, when I see something I think the person is doing wrong, I'll typically recall a post Erik or Mike has made in the past for a similar issue, I'll find that post, read what they wrote to confirm or disconfirm what I'm seeing, and then I'll do my best to parrot it while still putting my own spin on it. When I'm blatantly wrong, they tend to do a good job of finding my work and calling me out on it. Sure, sometimes my bad advice slips through the cracks because there are so many posts here to monitor, but usually, they do find them and fix them for the user. Then some good discussion usually ensues and we can all learn. Or, I get it right, and get a thumbs up or two or three.

I could keep going, but I doubt anyone would keep reading ... But this is the basic blueprint I go by when giving advice around here. It helps to read a lot, especially the posts the pros make because that obviously influences the way I go about things.

I think my best advice related posts are the ones that are the shortest and sweetest while still nailing down the problem and the fix. I know a flaw of mine is to get too wordy or to point out too many things, so I do my best to edit so I don't lose the reader (this post notwithstanding of course ).

I've attended several 5SK clinics (as well as other non-5SK clinics) so I really tend to contribute to threads where I've had the same flaw as the OP. Given my experience with the problem, I certainly have an advantage in helping over situations where I didn't have a certain problem and thus possibly don't fully understand what they're going through or will go through trying to fix it. I try to remember what and how I was told certain things and what it was like for me trying to change the picture.

Like @Zeph said above though, I all too often feel that the more I know, the more I don't know. I don't presume to know everything, and I make mistakes. But the more I read, contribute and partake in this forum, the less crappy I think I get at it.

[boogielicious]

As always, this is a well though out post @JetFan1983 .

[Ernest Jones]

Looking at a swing and identifying some areas that might need work is one thing; figuring out where to start is another question.

Bingo! I think all of us are pretty adept at identifying flaws as we are all pretty well educated thanks to Erik and Mike (among others), but prioritization is SO important that picking the wrong place to focus on (even if it is a flaw and the fix you're proposing is correct) will slow the improvement rate or even set the player back. The right priority will more often than not fix multiple issues at once, they tend to have a lot of happy byproducts which is why they're the priority piece.

[CarlSpackler]

I personally invite any and all responses, even though I tend to focus on priorities that I get through Evolvr or things that are pointed out by the pros/instructors here. My MS thread is a diary of my progress (hopefully not backwards). The thread gets to be a bit boring if it's just me talking about my swing and woes.

When commenting on another MS thread is important to be clear, concise, and positive, even if you are contradicting a comment someone else made. I think it would be good if each person put in their swing thread the preference for responses. If you only want the pros responding, then let everyone know that. I tend to share observations or things that have worked for me whether it is a practice routine or whatnot. Someone may have a better idea and that is cool. We can all learn from it. If someone has a pro level swing, I'm certainly not going to give swing advice but might offer a compliment or even ask a quick question if they don't mind answering.

I think we are all here to support each other and grow as a community of golfers.

[RonTheSavage]

In such threads (other than my own), my plan is to limit myself to compliments where appropriate. I read out of interest, but I have no business giving swing advice to anyone other than very beginners (and even then, it's somewhat limited).

This is exactly how I feel.

[Brian W]

I am glad I read through this thread.  I have always felt like I shouldn't be posting in a My Swing thread because of my ability (or lack there of).  I like to hear that others feel the same way but still try to post their opinions to help the OP but I still feel like @Shindig in that I do not feel I am good enough to offer advice.  I feel good enough to point something out and create a discussion but I would have little to no experience on how to fix it as I only have about a year of TST advice to work with.  We are all working on getting better and improving and I know those who are further along will be able to offer more solid advice than me.