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Listening to advice from a higher handicap


TN94z
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There had been a couple of members on this site claiming to play in the single-digits who gave advice as though they shook a Magic 8-ball full with golf clichés. One of them told me the cure to all my golf woes was a new set of irons. He was even kind enough to pick the exact set out for me. 

As others have said, some earn respect with credible advice - regardless of their index. I think almost all who choose to share simply enjoy talking golf. There's nothing wrong with listening or even taking the advice into consideration, so long as they don't become obnoxious about giving it.

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Jon

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11 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

There had been a couple of members on this site claiming to play in the single-digits who gave advice as though they shook a Magic 8-ball full with golf clichés. One of them told me the cure to all my golf woes was a new set of irons. He was even kind enough to pick the exact set out for me. 

As others have said, some earn respect with credible advice - regardless of their index. I think almost all who choose to share simply enjoy talking golf. There's nothing wrong with listening or even taking the advice into consideration, so long as they don't become obnoxious about giving it.

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So how are the new irons? :-P

Everyone can offer advice. For me, I will tend to point posters toward what my instructor had me work on to correct a similar issue. I never pretend to know everything about the golf swing. But if I phrase the advice in that manner, it doesn't come across as advice from a high HC player. It comes across as a comment from a student who also wants to improve.

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Scott

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On 4/25/2017 at 6:30 AM, boogielicious said:

Everyone can offer advice. For me, I will tend to point posters toward what my instructor had me work on to correct a similar issue. I never pretend to know everything about the golf swing. But if I phrase the advice in that manner, it doesn't come across as advice from a high HC player. It comes across as a comment from a student who also wants to improve.

Right. I think most of the members here give very solid, relevant advice in the MySwing threads. Most of us can learn a lot just by reading other member's threads.

As far as giving advice, I look at swings posted by high cappers and I see many who look to have pretty decent mechanics - certainly better than mine. So as much as I'd love to help others, there usually isn't much I can do.

I played a few holes with a dad and his son this past weekend. The dad had a solid game and his son, who looked to be around 14, had great swing for a beginner... lots of club head speed. Problem was, he couldn't make contact worth a damn and kept hitting every single shot way to the left (he was a lefty). The dad kept telling him to keep his head down and close the club face, but to be honest, I couldn't see any of the usual poor moves. His head wasn't moving around, he wasn't swaying on the backswing, he wasn't coming over the top, and he seemed to be getting plenty of weight forward. The ball flight didn't look like a typical slice where it would start a little left and slice more - it just shot out of there way to the left.

While he could have had an extremely open face, the resulting shots looked to be either shanks or balls hit off the toe. Regardless of what was going on, I think all the kid had to do was slow down a bit and work back up to full speed once he started making good contact, but it was the kind of situation I couldn't get involved with.

After we finished the last hole, I told him he had a great swing and as soon as he figured out that one issue, he'd be hitting good shots. Not what I'd call insightful advice. lol.

Jon

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To get the most reverse spin, whenever your ball (happens) to land on the green, with your approach shot, you should.....

Oh, never mind..... :)

Now, when hitting out of a Bunker.......

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I listen to absolutely anyone. To believe that advice has to come from a pro a low handicapper is bonkers. It may well  be that 90% of  a high handicapper may tell me is rubbish, but the remaining 10% could knock a shot off here and there. Also, most high handicappers get their advice from better players, so all they are doing is passing on information 

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In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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agree with most on here. that as long as you don't take what someone tells you as a 100% truth listening to everybody regardless of handicap doesn't do any harm. if it makes sense to you,or you think it might fit with your swing give it a go during a range session or practice round. if it doesnt then dont,but that doesn't mean it hasn't worked for someone else or the person giving it. a great quote i heard once was "enlightenment often comes out of the mouths of fools"

Im not calling high handicappers fools (myself :-) ) we all just want to improve,and to be honest il take all the help i can get 

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You never know that persons knowledge of the proper swing, maybe they're just awful at putting and chipping. I think it's always important to at least consider other information.

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As a higher handicapper I try to give advice by posting pictures like this (this is me vs. Adam Scott at A6).  The picture tells the story, my hands aren't as far down and forward...

 

 

Me vs. Adam A6_2016-07-31-10-45-33.png

Edited by No Mulligans
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At first, I will pay attention.  For the most part, though, I prefer to only seek out and take advice from someone who knows my swing or I know they've worked and helped others.  I have no problem if that person has a higher handicap.  

Please, though, no unsolicited advice on the range.  From anyone.

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Fairways and Greens.

Dave
 

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There were several PGA instructors where I used to practice in Denver. When I was hitting balls I would try really hard to be nowhere near them while they gave lessons because overhearing them would inevitably negatively impact my practice session and goals.  I attribute this both to my lack of ability to concentrate, and their overly loud voices.

At some point last summer some of the instructors must have had to do a recertification of some type, because suddenly several of them were taking lessons from a guy who my observations told me was probably one of the better pros. Apparently I was pretty naïve, because I was horrified to see that without exception they were all pretty poor golfers in comparison to what my preconceptions of a teaching PGA pro were. They were topping, toeing and slicing with the best of them, and to make matters much worse they were horrible students and spent more time debating swing technique and telling the instructor what they thought was the problem than actually listening and attempting to apply what they were being taught. Then one day as a single I ended up paired with one of them at a local city course.  He shot a 97, I shot an 81. 

He did give me a few tips along the way, all of which I listened to and a few (related to routine and setup) which I took to heart.  That said, it was a bit of an emotional struggle because, for lack of a better way to express it, knowing his profession I couldn't respect his game and my instinct is that I would much prefer to learn and me mentored by someone who was actually able to apply the mechanics that they attempt to teach. Perhaps it was a credibility issue.

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22 hours ago, MuniGrit said:

Trevino says he never had an instructor because he never saw one that could beat him.

Which is as stupid as it sounds. Or, actually, probably more stupid. :-)

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4 hours ago, iacas said:

Which is as stupid as it sounds. Or, actually, probably more stupid. :-)

Exactly. There's a reason there isn't a pro on tour (with the exception of Bubba) who doesn't have an instructor/swing coach helping them out.

Even if you video yourself, a second set of eyes can always find what you cannot see.

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15 hours ago, iacas said:

Which is as stupid as it sounds. Or, actually, probably more stupid. :-)

Worked out pretty well for old Lee!

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I'm not an alchemist. 

I'm either more or less dangerous than the average alchemist. ill let TST be the judge.

Actually i probably am an alchemist. Hopefully my alchemy enlightens others and myself to the underlying chemistry.

For the most part ill be reading the old MySwing threads and listening.  Hoping to learn lots. 

38 minutes ago, Zekez said:

Worked out pretty well for old Lee!

It worked out in spite of Lee's bad advice.  What a great player he was. 

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I am good at helping someone with a pretty flawed swing because I have had so many lessons that most of the issues average to bad golfers have I have dealt with before, but once someone has a good swing and is having issues I just tell them to go see a pro for a lesson.    My HC is mostly because of short game which is something I am not naturally gifted at and do not have time to practice as much as I should.

I enjoy helping fellow golfers when they need it, but I am not walking around the range offering advice when I feel like.  I have been approached by total strangers at the range before trying to offer advice and I nicely tell them thanks and just go back to what I was doing.  Most times I am experimenting on shot shapes, etc. and they are not aware of it.

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On 5/1/2017 at 7:24 PM, No Mulligans said:

As a higher handicapper I try to give advice by posting pictures like this (this is me vs. Adam Scott at A6).  The picture tells the story, my hands aren't as far down and forward...

 

 

Me vs. Adam A6_2016-07-31-10-45-33.png

You have a better sun shielding hat!  

On the range or golf course, I never give advice unless the guy's fly is open.   I'll politely listen to anyone but take all advice with a grain of salt.  The video and my instructor are the telling factors.

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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I was out on the course playing 9 holes with an inexperienced high handicapper woman the other month. Now, I am only a 20 handicapper, so I don't claim to be any sort of expert. To be honest she was pretty awful and struggling to hit the ball. There were endless amounts of problems I could have pointed out, but knew if I gave her to many at once it would make things worse, so I just pointed out the most obvious. I told her to tuck in her right elbow and it would help make her swing more consistent. She instantly saved a shot a hole. 

In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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Note: This thread is 2512 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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