"No, I don't want your input," random guy on range

[Missouri Swede]

On July 2, 2016 at 7:56 PM, SavvySwede said:

Wearing headphones is now the universal sign for "don't bother me".

Agree. I thought it was understood that wearing earplugs is the opposite of the Heimlich "I'm choking help me anyone right now" sign.

[arturo28mx]

I'm just a bogey golfer but I have studied tons about the golf swing. I don't play that well  because I have some coordination and flexibility issues. But I think I have some good knowledge.

I have always been the kind of person that offers to help people all the time, anywhere anytime. Even at golf. But I have learned that people don't want unsolicited golf advice.

I will usually mind my own business, but when I'm paired up with somebody with serious swing issues that is delaying the whole group I will politely ask if I can give them feedback. Many times people have said no and that's the end of it. Sometimes people have said yes and I think I did manage to help them a bit.

I think it is wrong to just throw unsolicited advice at somebody, but if you politely ask if they want some feedback and if they politely say no, it should be no problem.

Somebody said something along the lines that offering advice is like saying I'm better than you and I want to prove it. There's some merit to this and from now on I'll be double careful about it.

[gregsandiego]

On 7/2/2016 at 5:56 PM, SavvySwede said:

Wearing headphones is now the universal sign for "don't bother me". Somebody who approaches you without noticing that is probably a tool.

Thanks and you're right. I'm trying to tune out the crowd. Snaking the earbuds through the shirt works pretty well. I've noticed that Rory Mcilroy does the same.

3 hours ago, arturo28mx said:

 

I will usually mind my own business, but when I'm paired up with somebody with serious swing issues that is delaying the whole group I will politely ask if I can give them feedback. Many times people have said no and that's the end of it. Sometimes people have said yes and I think I did manage to help them a bit.

I think it is wrong to just throw unsolicited advice at somebody, but if you politely ask if they want some feedback and if they politely say no, it should be no problem.

Somebody said something along the lines that offering advice is like saying I'm better than you and I want to prove it. There's some merit to this and from now on I'll be double careful about it.

I agree with your last paragraph. ( I was the one who said that.)

But the first part - wow - worst thing you can do. At best you insult them. At worst you might throw their concentration eve more. 

One thing you won't do - improve their swing on the spot. As far as delaying the group, your advice might be to pick up.

 

 

[tshapiro]

I don't really need help with my swing but I am a range rat.  So, if someone offers me advice I reply with "Tell you what, you bring me a bucket of balls I'll hit the first 10 you want me to."

[Buckeyebowman]

6 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

Thanks and you're right. I'm trying to tune out the crowd. Snaking the earbuds through the shirt works pretty well. I've noticed that Rory Mcilroy does the same.

I agree with your last paragraph. ( I was the one who said that.)

But the first part - wow - worst thing you can do. At best you insult them. At worst you might throw their concentration eve more. 

One thing you won't do - improve their swing on the spot. As far as delaying the group, your advice might be to pick up.

 

 

Ehhh! Sometimes I wonder. One time I, and my buddy, were paired up with a couple of women at a local, upscale, daily fee course. We had no problem with that, we're all golfers right? The one woman had a really nice swing and could move the ball. Her partner had a wonderful grip, stance, alignment and backswing, her downswing, follow through, and finish were an absolute horror show! She'd throw the club head out at about a 45 degree angle from her target line, holding onto the handle for dear life, hitting weak pop up fades and slices.

After one tee shot I waved her over and asked if I might offer her a tip. She was more than willing to hear what I had to say. I didn't even discuss her downswing, all I talked about , and demonstrated, were her follow through and finish. On the very next tee she striped one right down the middle! It was about 170-180, but from the women's tees who cares? She continued to do so for the rest of the round. She seemed to have a wonderful gift for mimicry.

At the end of the round she shook my hand and thanked me for my advice. So, you never know how it might go.

I'm usually loath to offer unsolicited advice, but this woman had such a nice setup that I didn't think it would be all that hard to give her a nudge toward the good!

[gregsandiego]

28 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Ehhh! Sometimes I wonder. One time I, and my buddy, were paired up with a couple of women at a local, upscale, daily fee course. We had no problem with that, we're all golfers right? The one woman had a really nice swing and could move the ball. Her partner had a wonderful grip, stance, alignment and backswing, her downswing, follow through, and finish were an absolute horror show! She'd throw the club head out at about a 45 degree angle from her target line, holding onto the handle for dear life, hitting weak pop up fades and slices.

After one tee shot I waved her over and asked if I might offer her a tip. She was more than willing to hear what I had to say. I didn't even discuss her downswing, all I talked about , and demonstrated, were her follow through and finish. On the very next tee she striped one right down the middle! It was about 170-180, but from the women's tees who cares? She continued to do so for the rest of the round. She seemed to have a wonderful gift for mimicry.

At the end of the round she shook my hand and thanked me for my advice. So, you never know how it might go.

I'm usually loath to offer unsolicited advice, but this woman had such a nice setup that I didn't think it would be all that hard to give her a nudge toward the good!

You should quit whatever you are doing and become a professional swing coach. LOL

[Rainmaker]

Personally, I would never/have never given unsolicited advice.  I've been given unsolicited advice and it's been 99% bad.  However . .there was this one time, lol. 

I was playing at the local muni by myself and got paired up with this older guy who was a real stick.  He was shooting around par while I was triple bogeying every hole.  He was 100% cool about my sucking, though.  At one point, he asked me if I wanted some advice and I said "sure"!  He gave me this quick fix - to take a half-step back at address and feel like I was reaching for the ball.  For whatever reason, that helped me start hitting it so much better for the rest of the round.  I had been shanking and slicing all over the place and this "trick" helped me survive the rest of the round and only shoot like 50 over instead of 100 over, lol.

I learned (at some conference or something) sometime early in my career about "implied authority" vs "authentic authority" . .this guy had authentic authority because I had been watching him play really great golf.  The other 99% of my unsolicited advice came from people that, more or less, sucked also.  I mean, who wouldn't accept some unsolicited advice from Butch Harmon?  It's just that way more people think they're Butch Harmon than actually are Butch Harmon.

[taxgolf]

Mixed feelings about this one.

What struck me when I started to play golf, that everyone seemed genuinely interested, willing, to help you with the best intentiones. That is something to cherish. At some point I felt the need also to give some free advice, when you see someone falling back or whatever. But I never did it. Somehow, indeed it is feeling a bit like 'hey, I am better than you'. But more, I think I know a bit about a swing, but the reality is that I am not a teacher. So I shouldn't act like one. Ofcourse I see no problem in an exchange of drills etc. Like when you are around the practise chipping area and someone ask you what you are working on.

 

[Das_onionknight]

I think that advice, whether taking or giving, is all in perspective. I have only been playing golf for a year and am no PGA TOUR player at all so when I see someone driving it 290 yards consistently and they offer a small tidbit of information I will generally try it out. Because they are obviously doing something I am not. 

For me what happened once I was working on my swing and someone came up to me once and offered some advice while he was swinging beside me I was on my own mission and ignored the information. In the end he moved on to someone else and only later did I find out the he was the PGA professional and was giving out free advice and I missed out on it because of the stigma of taking advice from people. 

I would never presume to offer advice as a year old golfer but advice giving may not always be a bad thing. Most of time people are genuine with help. 

[ZappyAd]

4 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

I mean, who wouldn't accept some unsolicited advice from Butch Harmon? 

Tiger?

[Dave2512]

I was doing a drill where the right foot is back and you take half swings a couple weeks ago, it's way back there with the right foot on the toes like taking a step. This guy comes up to me and in seriousness tells me where my foot should be. I mention it's a drill and carry on. He had a swing that looks like someone falling down the stairs so I'm sure he felt weird when I started hitting normal shots.

[GolfLug]

@gregsandiego, hand them your 3 iron and have them demonstrate. Never fails to separate boys from the men. JK, I think perfectly ok to show annoyance even if a polite permission is requested. Many wannabe instructors walk around and try to open the door with legit advice or legit sounding advice.  

Anyway, it's not always easy to listen and humor somebody and then discard to resume like many suggested in their posts. It's always a slippery slope.

Sure, there is always one-in-a-million chance that you could end up with an absolute gem that will have you sporting a + HCP in no time. But then never thought it wise to bet your jocks on it - hate to wait for it to turn dark jut to get home if you lose. 

[rehmwa]

As I've gotten better, this has bothered me less and less and less.

either they mean well, or they have a need to feel better about themselves - no skin off of my back.  (most people mean well)

I've only offered to help one person this whole year - they were trying to figure out how to get their video to work on their phone and were getting vocal (mumbling, talking out loud) and I went over and suggested an app  (hudlTechnique for gold - used to be Ubersense) - then I walked away.

[iacas]

17 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

I mean, who wouldn't accept some unsolicited advice from Butch Harmon?

I wouldn't.

[gregsandiego]

6 hours ago, GolfLug said:

@gregsandiego, hand them your 3 iron and have them demonstrate. Never fails to separate boys from the men. JK, I think perfectly ok to show annoyance even if a polite permission is requested. Many wannabe instructors walk around and try to open the door with legit advice or legit sounding advice.  

 

You say kidding, but the response is brilliant.

It's so easy to hover over someone else and give condescending directions. But I really like your idea. And I do carry a 3 iron.

Next time I'll say, "so  glad you asked... I can't seem to get much carry out of this club, can you show me?.... Now THEY have to perform and I can sip a beer and imply via questions little flaws I see here and there...

[Papa Steve 55]

I didn't catch how old he was, maybe at some point in his life he was a putt away from making the tour. Even if he wasn't, out of the mouths of babes. You never know what little piece of advise will resonate with you, and knock off three strokes. its worth the two minuets out of your life to find out.

Maybe you two click and you make a great friend. The potential upside is too great to just walk away or blow him off.

[SavvySwede]

19 minutes ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

I didn't catch how old he was, maybe at some point in his life he was a putt away from making the tour. Even if he wasn't, out of the mouths of babes. You never know what little piece of advise will resonate with you, and knock off three strokes. its worth the two minuets out of your life to find out.

Maybe you two click and you make a great friend. The potential upside is too great to just walk away or blow him off.

A lottery ticket only costs a dollar, but we all know it's a terrible investment.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, SavvySwede said:

A lottery ticket only costs a dollar, but we all know it's a terrible investment.

Not if you win