Listening to advice from a higher handicap

[TN94z]

So I have been reading a lot of my swing threads and other help topics on the forums and it led me to a question. When you post a question on swing issues and you are looking for advice on how to fix the issue, do you immediately look at the responding poster's handicap (if posted) to determine whether or not you take the advice into consideration?  For example, you are a 5 handicap and post up a question on an issue you are having and a 15 handicap responds, do you immediately think "They are a 15 and I am a 5, there is nothing they know or can see that I don't know or haven't seen."  If not 15, then a 20?  Is there a line that you have drawn on what number you tend to stop taking advice from??

I am just curious...

Edited April 20, 2017 by TN94z

[colin007]

Just keep your head down, you'll be alright.

[sirsteveo55]

I don't think someones handicap correlates directly to their knowledge of the golf swing/overall game. Just because someone who has a 3 handicap gives you a tip does not mean it will work for you. Someone with a 20 handicap can give you a tip that works for him and can also help you. You also don't know why their handicap is that high. Someone's could drive the ball amaing and have great GIR but 3 putt everything so he could give good driving advice. 

I will take advice from anyone try it at range to see if I am going to implement it into my swing. Does not hurt to try.

Edited April 20, 2017 by sirsteveo55
Spelling error

[Hategolf]

For me, common sense dictates weather indeed the answer make sense no matter who it comes from. 

A single digit handicapper might not be very good about sharing the information. Maybe some of those folks are a little naturally gifted and don't even think about mechanics the way others do.I have asked some scratch golfers how they do certain things in their swing and they have a very hard time articulating and some times they say.."I just turn back and I turn thru.." that one is my favorite.

A high handicapper might do a lot of reading and although is not able to execute he knows the theory...some say those who can't do teach..I am not always sure about that though. 

So I will answer your question with NO. 

[TN94z]

11 minutes ago, sirsteveo55 said:

I don't think someones handicap correlates directly to their knowledge of the golf swing/overall game. Just because someone who has a 3 handicap gives you a tip does not mean it will work for you. Someone with a 20 handicap can give you a tip that works for him and can also help you. You also don't know why their handicap is that high. Someone's could drive the ball amaing and have great GIR but 3 put everything so he could give good driving advice. 

I will take advice from anyone try it at range to see if I am going to implement it into my swing. Does not hurt to try.

That's the point I was going to work towards with the post. The fact that someone being higher handicap does not mean they won't have sound advice or that they cannot see an issue you are having.

I've heard several people on the range helping each other with swing issues and some of the first questions that are asked are, "what do you shoot? what is your handicap?"  To me, that doesn't matter if you have sound advice. I ask my 15 year old to watch my swing and tell me what I'm doing when I start having issues on the course. I have worked with him for years, as well as other teachers, and he has a good idea of what is supposed to be happening and can see things. It does not hurt my feelings whatsoever to get advice from a higher handicap.

Edited April 20, 2017 by TN94z

[Dannyhansen88]

9 minutes ago, Hategolf said:

For me, common sense dictates weather indeed the answer make sense no matter who it comes from. 

A single digit handicapper might not be very good about sharing the information. Maybe some of those folks are a little naturally gifted and don't even think about mechanics the way others do.I have asked some scratch golfers how they do certain things in their swing and they have a very hard time articulating and some times they say.."I just turn back and I turn thru.." that one is my favorite.

A high handicapper might do a lot of reading and although is not able to execute he knows the theory...some say those who can't do teach..I am not always sure about that though. 

So I will answer your question with NO. 

Nailed it

[TN94z]

11 minutes ago, Hategolf said:

A single digit handicapper might not be very good about sharing the information. Maybe some of those folks are a little naturally gifted and don't even think about mechanics the way others do.I have asked some scratch golfers how they do certain things in their swing and they have a very hard time articulating and some times they say.."I just turn back and I turn thru.." that one is my favorite.

 

On that same note, I have seen some low handicap players in my area that have some non-fundamentally sound swings but they know what their ball is going to do and can get up and down, so they score well. They too could not give good advice but are lower single digits..

[Hategolf]

Just now, TN94z said:

On that same note, I have seen some low handicap players in my area that have some non-fundamentally sound swings but they know what their ball is going to do and can get up and down, so they score well. They too could not give good advice but are lower single digits..

Those are call GAMERS..I could not take their swing advice, their focus is on making that ball go in the hole in the less amount of strokes no matter how you do it...got a slice? play it!, can't chip? put it, can't hit 4 iron? lay up...to each its own but that is not for me. 

[TN94z]

4 minutes ago, Hategolf said:

Those are call GAMERS..I could not take their swing advice, their focus is on making that ball go in the hole in the less amount of strokes no matter how you do it...got a slice? play it!, can't chip? put it, can't hit 4 iron? lay up...to each its own but that is not for me. 

Agreed. I'm after a fundamentally sound swing that is consistent

[No Mulligans]

I'm very conscious of someone's handicap when getting (or giving) advice.  There is credibility that comes with a lower handicap.

I'm also a bit reluctant to give advice because of my handicap.  I'll only point out something if it's obvious and I use 5SK as a guide and usually will include comparison pictures of person seeking advice vs. a pro.

[uitar9]

20 minutes ago, sirsteveo55 said:

I don't think someones handicap correlates directly to their knowledge of the golf swing/overall game. Just because someone who has a 3 handicap gives you a tip does not mean it will work for you. Someone with a 20 handicap can give you a tip that works for him and can also help you. You also don't know why their handicap is that high. Someone's could drive the ball amaing and have great GIR but 3 putt everything so he could give good driving advice. 

I will take advice from anyone try it at range to see if I am going to implement it into my swing. Does not hurt to try.

What's the harm? A tip might help you. On the other hand, us high handicappers have to be able to post something on these sites, like, "don't three putt"

[shanksalot]

When you put a number on the scorecard, the scorecard does not care how you got the number, just what the number is. When I go out to play some days I have no game at all and all I care about is getting the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. That being said I do not want advice from anyone when I am on the course, but during a post on a golf forum all advice is acceptable. I think it is wise to listen (read) to all advice and select the one (s) that best help you with your problem.

[Hategolf]

4 minutes ago, uitar9 said:

What's the harm? A tip might help you. On the other hand, us high handicappers have to be able to post something on these sites, like, "don't three putt"

If you believe there are different type of swings then, there is a risk. Their tip might not work for you and even might hurt your swing because it just doesn't belong there..just saying..if you see their swing is fundamentally similar to yours then maybe. one plane swing vs two plane..I just learned that makes a lot of difference and what might work for you or not. 

Agree high handicapper have good thing to discuss. 

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, TN94z said:

That's the point I was going to work towards with the post. The fact that someone being higher handicap does not mean they won't have sound advice or that they cannot see an issue you are having.

I think a player can have sound knowledge of the golf swing, regardless of his handicap level.  However, most golfers have learned primarily though experience, so their knowledge is restricted primarily to their own swing, the problems they've had, and what they've done to correct or improve.  That applies to low handicappers as well as high, generally.  Its rare that a player has the ability to diagnose problems outside their own personal experience.  Even if they do correctly identify a specific issue, the feel that recommend to overcome the issue may not work for a different player.  I feel like this applies to me, if I give advice, but I rarely give advice, because I have an idea of how little I know.  

The ability to diagnose all types of swing issues, explain clearly what needs to change, and provide feels and/or drills to accomplish those changes are what make a good teacher, as distinguished from simply a player.  So my answer to the original question is that I don't really look at the handicap of the guy offering advice, rather I make an evaluation of their abilities based on reading other advice they've given.  I appreciate any well-meaning advice I'm given, no matter who gives it, but I pay attention only to those who I believe are really competent.  

 

[Missouri Swede]

37 minutes ago, sirsteveo55 said:

Does not hurt to try.

 

9 minutes ago, uitar9 said:

What's the harm?

Wasted time and effort expended in the wrong direction is a potential problem--making a compensation for a swing fault instead of fixing the underlying fault. 

I postulate: advice should generally only be given by someone with at least as low a handicap as the recipient. And that is a necessary, but not sufficient, criterion. (In other words, don't accept advice from those with a higher handicap index, and a lower index doesn't mean the advice will be good.)

[caniac6]

I usually don't listen to advice from anyone. I don't play well with too many thoughts in my mind. If I have something going wonky, I usually try to figure it out myself. I don't like to give advice, either.

[TN94z]

1 minute ago, Missouri Swede said:

I postulate: advice should generally only be given by someone with at least as low a handicap as the recipient. And that is a necessary, but not sufficient, criterion. (In other words, don't accept advice from those with a higher handicap index, and a lower index doesn't mean the advice will be good.)

Depending on how deep you wanted to go with that statement, one could argue that no tour player should accept advice from Butch Harmon or Haney if lumped into this statement (assuming their handicaps are higher than the pro).

I think one issue with accepting advice from someone else is whether or not they can correctly show you how to take said advice. I have seen many times where advice was given to a golfer, but the interpretation of the advice by the golfer was incorrect. While the advice was good and correct, the explanation was confusing thus getting the golfer's swing in worse condition that it was in originally.

[nevets88]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.