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Golf Swing Tips: 4 Reasons Why They Don’t Work
Golf swing tips are a dime a dozen. Everywhere you look someone is giving you their version of the golf swing. There are YouTube videos, articles, books, and swing systems being thrown at you. It is enough to make your head spin.
Typically I don’t like writing articles that are negative in nature on this site, but I feel it is my duty sometimes to protect you against some of the misleading information out there.
Here are four reasons why most golf swing tips don’t work:
1) The Information is Wrong, or Incomplete
This is probably the most important reason not to listen to just anyone who is giving you swing advice. There are so many myths about the golf swing that have persisted for years. Many of them have been proven to be wrong. However, that doesn’t stop people from spreading them.
For example, hitting down on the ball isn’t all it is cracked up to be. You can read this article to find out why.
Keeping your head “down” during a swing is not necessary at all. I think David Duval has a nice career…
Swing smooth! What does that even mean? Smooth relative to what? How can you measure what smooth is, and show someone?
The point I’m trying to make is a lot of the information out there is either incomplete in nature, or it just isn’t correct. For a recreational golfer it is difficult to even know whether or not that is occurring.
2) Your Swing is a Unique Snowflake
This was one of the main points I made in my book. Your golf swing is entirely unique; it is not like any other swing on this planet. I strongly believe that you need to figure out how to improve your swing through experimentation and self discovery. You need to figure out your version of the golf swing.
Additionally, working with a swing instructor that can customize solutions for your physical ability and learning style is always a good idea.
That is exactly why generic golf swing tips don’t work out well. There is no right way to swing a golf club. All you have to do is watch one broadcast of a PGA Tour event to figure that out. Since there are so many variations of the golf swing, and yours is entirely unique, saying “do this ___” does not work out for recreational golfers.
Simply put, you need to find that swing that works for you. Chasing swing tips left and right is not going to help you with that process.
3) There Are Too Many Golf Swing Tips
If you go on YouTube right now and search “golf swing tips” you will get 419,000 results. Those are just videos. Imagine if you expanded that search to internet articles, forum posts, and books? You’ll easily be in the millions.
Here’s the thing, many of those tips are actually solid. They just may not be the right one for you. You are really chasing a needle in a haystack.
It has to be the right message for your learning style, the actual fix for your swing, and more importantly it has to be communicated clearly. Good luck nailing that combination! That is exactly why when I started this website I did not want to dole out the typical swing stuff you’ve heard everywhere else. There is much more to golf than just the swing.
4) You’ll Never Stop
One of the most vicious cycles for any golfer is moving from one tip to the next. One week something clicks and they have it figured out. Then the next week they are slicing the ball worse than ever. Dejected, they move on to the next source which has entirely different information.
The process keeps repeating itself, and golfers end up worse off than where they started. Do yourself a favor, stop chasing swing advice from so many different sources. You are just switching lanes in a traffic jam and going nowhere.
A Better Plan…
You have two options if you want to put in meaningful work on your golf swing in my opinion:
- Work with an instructor
- Challenge yourself to practice more effectively
If you really want to improve your swing the most efficient way to do it is to work with a qualified teaching professional. They can diagnose issues, give you a plan for improvement, and monitor your progress. Here is some advice on how to work with a teacher properly.
If you don’t have the budget for that then you have to find meaningful ways to work on your swing at your local practice facility. Overall, I believe the way to do it is with skill-based drills. We have gathered together a collection of some of the best teachers who are sharing that information here.
Overall, it is in your best interest to stop chasing swing advice all over the internet. If you can break the cycle and start putting more meaningful work on your swing, you will see improvement. More importantly, you will enjoy the game more!
Thank you for finally calling it like it is. I am shocked so many people, including coaches, are willing to offer advice before even asking you what you are trying to do. This is an appalling state driven by the golf industries drive to make money.
I definitely agree with this. I have been golfing for many years, and while some tips I’ve found on the internet have helped me some, on the whole, they haven’t really done much for me. I suppose it comes down to finding what works for you. I’m actually coming off the guide on Golfstead, which gives basics and tips and the like, but they do illustrate what you’re talking about. Thanks for the interesting read.