Be Careful When Reading Golf Tips

Golf tips are available on everything from the full swing, to the short game, to the kind of equipment you should purchase. We are a lucky lot, are we not? Well, not really. The problem with these golf tips and instructional information isn’t that it’s all bad, it’s just not personalized. For every ten people that read this information, it might only apply to one or two people. The other eight or nine people might as well be waiting for Tiger and Sergio to kiss and make up. That’s why The Academy of Golf Dynamics is the best golf school in the country. We teach each player individually and give them personalized instruction so they can spend their practice time efficiently working on the correct information. A good example of swing tips that would be harmful to just about anyone who read them appeared in a recent article written by a former tour player. After reading through the tips offered by the former, so-called expert, I had to re-read the article. I couldn’t believe anyone could win the 8th flight of his club championship trying these things, much less tour events years ago against some of the best golf players in the world. Remember, sometimes the golf tips put forth by great players are what worked for them, but might be harmful to the average player’s swing. The golf tip that made my jaw drop was: “Make sure you dip on your downswing”. In all of our years of teaching swing fundamentals, the single biggest cause of the shanks among golfers that we have seen has always been…dropping through impact. Yes, dipping can, and usually does, cause the most dreaded shots in golf. Now to be fair, the player who wrote this article was considered one of the best golf ball strikers of his day. He had a lot of leg action on his downswing and his head did drop through impact. Why he did this is explained by the tip that came before this one. However, this is NEVER something anyone who has even a remedial knowledge of the golf swing would ever pass on to the average golfer. Now, why did he drop through impact? Because of his second tip: “Keep your right arm close to your body on your downswing”. Because his right arm stayed close to his side on his downswing, he had to dip to get the club on the golf ball. Again, this unorthodox series of events in his golf swing worked for him…but only because of the immense talent he possessed as a golfer. For the average player, trying this odd sequence of moves, what would probably come next is predictable…hit your shot, walk to the right and look for your ball. Remember, the next time you see a great player or former great player giving golf tips, ask yourself, “Has this person done any teaching and do they understand cause and effect of the golf swing?” Chances are they are telling you what swings worked for them, not what will work best for you. Just because someone is a great player doesn’t mean they know what they are talking about when it comes to the mechanics of the golf swing. Come see us at The Academy of Golf Dynamics and we will take your game to the next level! Give us a call today at 1(800) 879-2008 or Contact Us via email for information. We are located at 1700 Kahala Sunset Dr in Spicewood, TX near Austin.