myths in golf

[mickeyuk]

I love this site and the people on it,and there is some great advice to fellow golfers .But having looked at the vids on hear and watched the pros on video all i can say is that we all swing different.Ihope ive cured my over the top move! i think i have ,but to stop a slide forward from the start of my downsing i just can,t do it.I lose the feel for my game,then i watched the hogan video on here and watched his latural slide and it brought a smile to my face.That was his move and it worked for him.The one thing i can say is that at impact all good golf swing look the same.Golfs like taking a asprin one might do you good , take the bottle and your in trouble!

[Mox]

Re: myths in golf

Golfs like taking a asprin one might do you good , take the bottle and your in trouble!

Very well put, mickey.

P.S.: My hips slide too

[bill reed]

Re: myths in golf

i'm with you too mickey, i have trevino hip slid and i have tried to stop it but like you it knocks my timing way out, i'll stick with what i know works for me.
bill

[Martin Levac]

Re: myths in golf

I watch Jim Furyk, Moe Norman or Arnold Palmer to name but a few.

Then I find golf swing instruction absurd.

[shootin4par]

Re: myths in golf

I watch Jim Furyk, Moe Norman or Arnold Palmer to name but a few.

Then I find golf swing instruction absurd.

a good instructor would be able to tell you why all three work and the different compensations that need to be made in order to make the swing work, and also the compensations that if left out would make the swing fail.

[LowPost42]

Re: myths in golf

The problem in any athletic instruction is that too many instructors try to teach based off of only one model rather than solid fundamentals.

As a basketball coach at the highschool level (which is still largely developmental, here), I'd be in trouble if I tried to get every player to shoot just like me. To start with, I'm left handed. That'd screw up 90%+ of the players right away. My elbow flies away a little bit, and I don't necessarily always shoot from the top of my jump, nor release from in front of my head. However, I've practiced enough, and have solid fundamentals, so my release works and I know my shot.

Unfortunately in golf, there are too few instructors that teach this way - focusing on fundamental positions and results - and rather try to teach a 'textbook' swing (the textbook is usually the dominant pro of the instructors' youth). The problem with the latter method is that its prerequisite is that you have to have a somatotype that is similar to the textbook player. In other words, Craig Stadlers' swing wouldn't be nearly as efficient when used by Tiger Woods, and vice versa.

Jim Furyk is an example of the former style of teaching. He hits fundamentally sound positions - setup, grip, impact, to name a few - but takes a non-standard path to them.

[pnearn]

Re: myths in golf

Yes, there are many hip sliders, Monty slides his hips a lot on his DS and he aint too shabby a player

Bottom line, the biggest myth in golf, is that there is one single anatomically correct way to swing the club. There are a thousand ways to swing and play scratch golf and the guys on the tours show that up better than anywhere

[slater170]

Re: myths in golf

Yes, there are many hip sliders, Monty slides his hips a lot on his DS and he aint too shabby a player

Bottom line, the biggest myth in golf, is that there is one single anatomically correct way to swing the club. There are a thousand ways to swing and play scratch golf and the guys on the tours show that up better than anywhere

"There are a thousand ways to swing and play scratch golf"
thank god for that!

[BrianW]

Re: myths in golf

Yes, there are many hip sliders, Monty slides his hips a lot on his DS and he aint too shabby a player

Bottom line, the biggest myth in golf, is that there is one single anatomically correct way to swing the club. There are a thousand ways to swing and play scratch golf and the guys on the tours show that up better than anywhere

Paul,
I would tend to agree in general terms. There is rarely a person that makes great inroads to the correct way to hit a golf ball. Some can explain better than others, some have slight deviations that get over common flaws, some have band aids for them.

It is also possible to have a quirky golf swing and play good golf, the problem is quirky swings go wrong (as do all swings at times when bad habits creep in) and they will go wrong due to the many small adjustment required to get the club face square at impact, they will also be more difficult to correct.

The great changes to the swing were made by Ben Hogan & Moe Nolan, all other sound teachings are based on and around principles they introduced .

[Scragger63]

Re: myths in golf

For me ("generally speaking"), so long as clubhead is travelling along target line and the clubface is square to target line at impact, how it gets there (or what it looks like in so doing) is almost completely irrelevant.

Seemingly, of the thousands of ways to swing a club, there are some methods that are "more likely" to produce consistent results than others.

The FUN (insert own definition of the word "fun" as it relates to Golf here) of golf is finding the right set of swing mechanics for the individual concerned.

[BrianW]

Re: myths in golf

For me ("generally speaking"), so long as clubhead is travelling along target line and the clubface is square to target line at impact, how it gets there (or what it looks like in so doing) is almost completely irrelevant.

Seemingly, of the thousands of ways to swing a club, there are some methods that are "more likely" to produce consistent results than others.

The FUN (insert own definition of the word "fun" as it relates to Golf here) of golf is finding the right set of swing mechanics for the individual concerned.

It's not much fun when someone is constantly slicing, hooking, topping etc, and not understanding why, it can be one of the most frustrating things. I still ascertain that the way to be a better golfer is through learning sound swing principles and grooving them with good practice, then your bad shots will still be fairly good. It is very relevant what happens in the swing prior to and after impact and there (IMHO) are not many ways of doing it correctly.

[cyc53870]

Re: myths in golf

Golf is very difficult to learn for most people. So many mistakes and bad things can happen during your swing, whether it be swaying or what not. Finding a consistent, repeatable swing normally takes a few years for most people.

I guess the biggest myth in golf is that it looks easy to make a decent swing at a ball that just sits there in front of you.

[Scragger63]

Re: myths in golf

I would say there is no "correct" way of hitting a golf ball. Yes, having good swing basics increase the likelihood of hitting a good ball. But, it does not categorically 100% guarantee it. Even Tiger hits the occasional, no, make that rare, bad shot.

We agree about the "fun" part of learning to play golf. I'm a hooker myself. This coupled with also having a reasonably ordinary short game and being a poor putter has led to my having "loads of fun" on a golf course at times and some thoughts of "why am I even here..." But, I have come to accept the ability I have as I have little or no spare time in my life for practice. Basically, I'm me and I'm digressing...

I have actually seen a guy hit a drive off the first tee in a club comp "Happy Gilmore Style" (yes, he had lost a bet) and he managed to flush it and hit it 260 odd metres straight down the middle. When dared to go again on the next tee, he declined, saying it was a complete fluke and he had no want to try it again and prove it to be the fluke we all knew it already was...

That said, I'm reasonably sure there are at least as many different methods of hitting a golf ball as there are players on the various tours around the world. Yes, they all have sound mechanics, but I think it fair to say, no two players swing a club in exactly the same way.

[GoNavy]

Re: myths in golf

I would say there is no "correct" way of hitting a golf ball. Yes, having good swing basics increase the likelihood of hitting a good ball. But, it does not categorically 100% guarantee it. Even Tiger hits the occasional, no, make that rare, bad shot.

We agree about the "fun" part of learning to play golf. I'm a hooker myself. This coupled with also having a reasonably ordinary short game and being a poor putter has led to my having "loads of fun" on a golf course at times and some thoughts of "why am I even here..." But, I have come to accept the ability I have as I have little or no spare time in my life for practice. Basically, I'm me and I'm digressing...

I have actually seen a guy hit a drive off the first tee in a club comp "Happy Gilmore Style" (yes, he had lost a bet) and he managed to flush it and hit it 260 odd metres straight down the middle. When dared to go again on the next tee, he declined, saying it was a complete fluke and he had no want to try it again and prove it to be the fluke we all knew it already was...

That said, I'm reasonably sure there are at least as many different methods of hitting a golf ball as there are players on the various tours around the world. Yes, they all have sound mechanics, but I think it fair to say, no two players swing a club in exactly the same way.

I'll second that...back in the mid eighties at the Kemper open near DC I watch the practice range at the various pro hitting and warming up, all the greats were there Norman, Trevino, you name them they were there, but one guy caught my attention, can't for the life of me remember his name, but I was amazed to say the least, this guy never, and I mean never, never got the club above waist high, kinda of a side arm swing. I was thinking how can this guy be a pro mind you, but there he was, and I watched him the entire time, pound shot down the range, every single one, crisp, and long, straight as a string, stranges swing I ever seen, if he could putt, we would probably know his name, but that swing was good enough to get on tour, and it worked, let me say that again he never got the hands, clubhead or anything above waist high, he swung that club around his legs and he killed the ball. Jim Dent was right next to him, and Dent in his day was a powerful player, jim was hitting 4 wood and this guy was pounding the ball 10 to 15 yds by him with a 3 iron, absolutely amazing.

[Robert O' Keeffe]

Re: myths in golf

Has to prove that once the setup is good and coupled with a good rhythm and tempo, it doesnt matter about anything else. its these pieces of the jigsaw is what the pros have, and more importantly know hoe to maintain them in every stroke.