Your best tips

[21degreeloft]

What tips or swing thoughts have really stood out for you and you can rely on again and again. Would be good to get a collection of tips which have really helped. For me there are 2 which I always use: 1: for any shot with any club.... Always 4/10 grip pressure. 2: if slicing the driver, think about the right armpit being closed on the backswing

[21degreeloft]

And a third one actually: 3: when chipping around the greens, hinge wrists on backswing and then use the rotation of your hips to 'hit' the ball rather than using arms and hands to hit it... More of a swing thought I guess

[Patch]

While still looking at the ball at address, a mental picture of where you want the shot to land, all the way through the swing finish. It's like throwing a ball to where you are looking. If you have a mental image in your mind where you want the ball to go, your arms, hands, and club are more likely to follow your mental picture. Plus this mental picture is easier to keep, than trying to think of an actual swing thought. Swing thoughts to me should be left on the practice area, since the actual swing, from start to finish is such a very short process.

Another one I use quite a lot is the swing to right field idea. Think baseball. You set up to the ball (home plate), with your target line through second base, into to center field. On the down swing you simply swing to right field. This takes away the notion to swing from the top, or an out to in swing. When the club gets to the ball it will most likely be on the correct line to hit the ball to center field.  Left handed folks would swing towards left field. This is the best tip I personally ever received from a range pro.

[Mr. Desmond]

Tips?

Tips?

We're all different. I quit reading all golf periodicals years ago because of feel versus real, pics of what the pro did versus what the pro described what they did. Most tips were worthless, and the ones that were good, who knew because of all the bad "tips."

I've done the same with golf forums except for the vids and threads here by Mike and Erik.

Pay a qualified instructor. Forget tips.

[Dave2512]

Best tip is don't listen to tips. Seriously if you need help see a qualified instructor. Even the worst instructor I've had was better than any tip I read or was offered. The golfers I know that go from tip to tip are the ones that play terrible golf. Every time I see them it's something new.

[21degreeloft]

  Patch said:

While still looking at the ball at address, a mental picture of where you want the shot to land, all the way through the swing finish. It's like throwing a ball to where you are looking. If you have a mental image in your mind where you want the ball to go, your arms, hands, and club are more likely to follow your mental picture. Plus this mental picture is easier to keep, than trying to think of an actual swing thought. Swing thoughts to me should be left on the practice area, since the actual swing, from start to finish is such a very short process.  Another one I use quite a lot is the swing to right field idea. Think baseball. You set up to the ball (home plate), with your target line through second base, into to center field. On the down swing you simply swing to right field. This takes away the notion to swing from the top, or an out to in swing. When the club gets to the ball it will most likely be on the correct line to hit the ball to center field.  Left handed folks would swing towards left field. This is the best tip I personally ever received from a range pro.

Like those mate. Especially the visualisation

[21degreeloft]

  Dave2512 said:

Best tip is don't listen to tips. Seriously if you need help see a qualified instructor. Even the worst instructor I've had was better than any tip I read or was offered. The golfers I know that go from tip to tip are the ones that play terrible golf. Every time I see them it's something new.

I don't need help I was just discussing tips. Not sure I agree with you though- my grip pressure one adds at least 15 yards onto a drive so can't be a bad idea to listen to tips

[Mr. Desmond]

Tiger is 14:1 to win the Masters next year... probably better odds than most tips...

I don't really like offering technical tips unless a golfer has a particular problem.

Here are general tips:

1. Use video

2. Practice technical parts of your swing at home to build trust - get on vid on your patio

3. Practice technical drills on range without worrying about results. Build trust in swing.

4. Spend 30 minutes of non technical work on full swing -- visualize shot in detail from behind ball, and then Visualize the Target. All swing thoughts are nonexistent -- Only think of Target -- look at target, breathe, look at ball with quiet eyes, go. The longer you are over the ball the more you decrease your chances of a decent shot -- keep on the target. It's a mind game, and we want the endorphins from a good shot -- you can't do that thinking about a swing thought. Target.

That's it. Have fun.

[mvmac]

  21degreeloft said:

What tips or swing thoughts have really stood out for you and you can rely on again and again. Would be good to get a collection of tips which have really helped. For me there are 2 which I always use:

1: for any shot with any club.... Always 4/10 grip pressure.

2: if slicing the driver, think about the right armpit being closed on the backswing

We talkin' about tips?

Check out this thread on grip pressure.

Then some other great resources:

[Phil McGleno]

Tips are useless-Golfers arent going to get better if they keep searching for the quick fix.

[MS256]

Get the ball in the hole at par or better.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

The shoulders go around, the arms go up and down.

[mvmac]

  whatwoodtigerdo said:

The shoulders go around, the arms go up and down.

Shoulders go up and down as well. At address the left shoulder is higher than the right and at the top of the backswing the left shoulder is lower.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

  mvmac said:

Shoulders go up and down as well. At address the left shoulder is higher than the right and at the top of the backswing the left shoulder is lower.

Well you are definitely better at golf than me and everybody is different and I am sure my shoulder level changes some. However any movement up or down by my shoulders is a natural reaction of me rotating them around and my arms lifting. The only time I even pay attention to that is when I start to dip my left shoulder which makes me stop rotating as much and start bending back. That's why I consider it a tip and shared it. I did want to add this is what I think about just for the backswing.

[mvmac]

  whatwoodtigerdo said:

Well you are definitely better at golf than me and everybody is different and I am sure my shoulder level changes some. However any movement up or down by my shoulders is a natural reaction of me rotating them around and my arms lifting. The only time I even pay attention to that is when I start to dip my left shoulder which makes me stop rotating as much and start bending back. That's why I consider it a tip and shared it.

Doesn't matter if I'm better or not, I'm just describing what is actually happening. I don't want other readers to get the wrong idea about the motion of the body in a functional golf swing.

It may be natural for you but many players have to be educated and feel that the lead shoulder works down longer so they can turn it under their chin. If they actually turn level, their head will move well to the right and they can't make a "full" turn. The shoulder "collides" into the chin.

Also when we address the ball we are bent over somewhat. It would make the most sense to be able to turn our bodies on an angle and not level to the ground.

  whatwoodtigerdo said:

That's why I consider it a tip and shared it.

This is where I kind of agree with @Phil McGleno 's post. I'm not a huge fan of tips because every golfer has different priorities and different feels.

[inthehole]

basic stuff for me ...

- keep head centered

- smooooooooth tempo - don't rush the downswing (or backswing)

- keep head DOWN through impact  (especially with long irons, woods)

[Patch]

I think tips, which in golf can be considered a band aid, are fine, as they give some folks an insight to others perspectives on playing the game. This particular forum does have the word "Tips" in it's title. To me the word "tips" when used with instruction, is just another word for "advice".

I agree that golfing tips should not replace quality instruction, but for what ever reason, not all golfers will seek out this type of instruction. If a swing tip does help a golfer, regardless of the source of that tip, then that's not a bad thing.

[iacas]

You want a tip? Find your priority piece and then be a Stupid Monkey about it.

That's it.

/me avoids this thread like the plague Ebola.