I wasn't always a 16 handicapper!

[Weightshift]

Some people here seem to have problems with views expressed by players with higher handicaps directed towards those with lower handicaps. Your thoughts?

[tlewsadder]

behavior like that just chases people away.

hopefully those people who are rude to the people with less experience/skill will find themselves on a forum for something they are just getting into (computers, remote control cars, ipods, log cabins...) and someone will treat them the same way. i hate to hope for revenge but some people only learn the hard way.

[g-funk13]

Recently I started a thread asking for tips to improve putting called "low handicappers, help me putt!"

While good players can give bad advice and vice versa, I AM guilty of soliciting advice from low handicappers. I guess I don't know any high handicappers that average 28 ppr.

Don't think that I made a mistake. . .

[Divot Tool]

The game is hard enough (sheesh). Take it easy on us high handicappers.

[andre112]

people lose strokes differently
some mainly on putting, some mainly on ball striking

[Tomboys]

Some people here seem to have problems with views expressed by players with higher handicaps directed towards those with lower handicaps. Your thoughts?

I think most of the time, it's a question of trust. Forums, such as this one, are great in the sense that you can get more information from a larger, more diverse group of people. The downside is that it's hard to assess what is good information and what is bad information because you really don't know anything about the person that's providing it or where they're getting their information from.

As a result, people make the assumption that success equals knowledge in attempts of sorting the good information from the bad. I'm not saying this is right or wrong, I'm just saying that this tends to be human nature. DT

[g-funk13]

people lose strokes differently

Yeah I suppose that's true. I am of the former variety: many rounds with high GIR, but unfortunately a high number of putts!

[Weightshift]

I think most of the time, it's a question of trust. Forums, such as this one, are great in the sense that you can get more information from a larger, more diverse group of people. The downside is that it's hard to assess what is good information and what is bad information because you really don't know anything about the person that's providing it or where they're getting their information from.

Well said!

[powerfade]

I've got to admit, I always look at the Handicap Index of the poster when reading these threads. Not to be a hater or anything...just to get a little gauge. Over on GolfWRX, where it's all about equipment, I really wish they would add that info to people's name info. You never know what the level of the poster is.

[Augusta Hacker]

I am a high handicapper, however, I know what makes a good swing or not. My problem is not enough practice and that is hurting my game. I easily mishit one shot a hole that is causing my problems. Take off 18 strokes and I am a damn good player. LOL.

[Linkster]

If it was a only a case of lower handicappers teaching higher ones, imagine how good Hank Haney must be!

[PaperHogan]

It's not always the case with lower handicaps representing a more thorough knowledge. I started taking lessons for the first time in my life recently, and I found out that everything I thought I knew about the golf swing, impact, position, etc. was, how do I put this delicately...completely wrong. I have a friend who's dad has been teaching for years, he can't break 80 to save his life, but I guarantee you he knows a lot more than the guys whipping my butt every weekend.

And as far as the attitude towards higher handicap golfers, I just don't get it. You can hit a duck hook into a lake after shanking your first one OB in front of a group of Tour players, and not a single one of those guys could honestly say he hadn't done the exact same thing at some point in his life. We've all been there, yes folks, even Tiger.

[lamebums]

I think that if someone really cares enough about their game, they would take everything into account and consider people's advice on a case by case basis, regardless of handicap or their experience. If someone is say, a 20 handicapper but is a hell of a ballstriker and his problem is just lost balls off the tee or putting, do you immediately write him off because of his index even though he might be offering that piece of advice that could be the breakthrough? Or likewise consider the consequences of missing a putting technique from say, a 15 handicapper who can't hit a full shot to save his life but one-putts every hole? Bottom line - check everything as it comes rather than immediately writing it off because of a big number next to "Handicap Index".

[Fourputt]

Put it this way, from what I've seen here and on other boards, you can easily get good advice from a high handicapper and bad advice from a low handicapper. Sometimes the advice is only useful to the right receiver... that is telling a 30 capper that the best way to improve his short game is with a LW might be very bad advice, while telling a 6 handicapper the same thing could be a great tip.