Instruction
Why practicing golf is pointless for many golfers
Most golfers think of practice as hitting balls on the range, and for the majority of golfers that’s their only practice. Any practice is better than no practice, of course, but when most golfers practice they’re not actually improving their golf swings. They’re repeating their old swings over and over, trying to make compensations so that their swings become more functional.
Unfortunately, that kind of practice is quite different from what golf practice should be. A better kind of practice has golfers repeating a new move in their golf swing that addresses their core swing fault so they don’t have to make so many compensations. And if they do that, their results will not only be better, but much more consistent.
In the attached video, I have included a few examples of golfers finding ways to try the hit the golf ball by fitting the club in into their existing swing.
I have always said that golfers are the most ingenious people I know. They will do whatever it takes to put the club on the ball. Whatever it takes usually includes a series of compensations for a core fault. This vicious cycle usually starts with a poor grip or posture, which in turn affects the club face and leads to a series of compensating moves. So instead of trying to correct the core problem, golfers practice ways of compensating. Go to any driving range and see this process up close and personal.
Have you ever gone to the range to hit, say, 100 balls, and somewhere in the middle of the bucket you started striping it? Ball after ball comes off the middle of the face and flies at the intended target at a good trajectory. Then you leave, and go the course or the range the next day and you can’t hit it in the ocean from the beach?
There’s a good reason why. If golfers hit enough balls, they can start to time their compensations perfectly.
The swing fault called over the top is a classic example. The club is swung well outside the target line, and then on the downswing it is pulled back in just in time to at least hit the ball. The shot may be pulled or sliced, but at least it’s hit in the air, and if the (right-handed) golfer aims far enough left, he or she can play it.
Then, out of nowhere, comes the shank! “Where did that come from?” they say. “I’ve never done that!”
Well, the shank may be a less frequent result of the over-the-top move, but it is clearly in that family of shots. It can happen when the club is still well outside the ball and not pulled inside. This cycle all started with an over-the-top move that may have been the result of a grip that was too weak or a club face that was open at the top.
The lesson here is that in order for practice to really help, golfers need to know the root cause of their bad shots. If they know that, they are on their way to making progress. Until then, most golf practice is nothing more than enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and getting some exercise, perhaps. It’s not helping most golfers’ games like they think it is.
If I can be of help to your game visit my Facebook page.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
Best fairway woods of 2026: The most versatile fairway woods + the most forgiving fairway woods
Gary Woodland’s winning WITB: 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
The 24 players who can win the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Driver: Ping G440 Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft:...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2021 Truist Championship
Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship 2021 (now the Truist Championship) marked a significant return to form,...
Collin Morikawa WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Tour (14 degrees) Shaft:...
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
-
Equipment1 week agoWhat’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
-
Equipment2 weeks agoCadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
-
Whats in the Bag3 days ago
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoCameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoNelly Korda WITB 2026 (April)
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose on the switch to McLaren Golf, learnings from previous equipment moves
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks agoPhotos from the 2026 Cadillac Championship
Alex
Feb 11, 2016 at 2:53 pm
I hit a few balls (30) 3/4 times a week. That’s the longest span I can concentrate and work on 1 thing in my swing. I care about my swing.
I have a friend who plays awful golf and is always complaining but has never taken a lesson for a few years. You tell him something and he hits the range on his own trying to change his swing. The final result, you can imagine: he always gets back to his old superhacker swing.
Useless practice is the most common thing you see at the club practice tee.
stephenf
Mar 10, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Exactly.
Always tough to know how to respond to a friend who’s always talking about how hard the game is, getting mad about his bad shots or bad scores, etc., but won’t make any actual changes.
I had a friend years ago, a guy who had some potential — 80-84 on an average day, but lots of length, and could shoot 76-78 sometimes. Good short putter. Just way over the top with a shoulder-dominated downswing. We got him to slow down that wrenching-twisting over-the-top action, and pretty soon he was hitting it a little from the inside, and hitting it better than he’d ever hit it. He went out two or three times to play after that and was just elated at how he was hitting it. I went about three weeks without seeing him, then saw him at the range again, and he was right back to his old habits. “What the hell, man?” I asked him. He says, “Yeah, I know. But it just wasn’t comfortable.” Love the guy, but I just wanted to pull my hair out. I’ve run across that kind of thing more often than I care to think about. What’s wrong, inefficient, ineffective, etc., is “comfortable,” so they prefer comfort and continuing in what they’re doing rather than making any changes for the long term. Maybe some people, like your friend, actually kind of like the cycle of “try, get aggravated, let off steam, have a beer and talk about how hard the game is” more than they’d like to be uncomfortable during a period of actual improvement.
M-Herd4
Feb 11, 2016 at 11:00 am
Geez, the article title alone makes an average Joe hack like myself and I’m sure many others feel like trying to improve is a waste of time. I understand where you’re coming from, I really do, but a large percentage of amateur golfers don’t have the time, money, or access to instructors like yourself. If we did I’m sure we’d be constantly improving. So, for now, I’ll keep working at this great game to the best of my ability and enjoy the times on the range when I’m feeling the flow. Here’s hoping for the best (fingers crossed)!
Paul
Feb 9, 2016 at 10:28 pm
So true that it’s not about just taking lessons. It’s about taking lessons from an instructor who is the right person for you. I had dabbled in taking lessons in the past. I was a decent player, 8 handicap and self taught. Grew up playing hockey, football and baseball so I had a good base to draw from. As we all know though, golf is a different animal in that what happens one day doesn’t happen the next.
I’ve seen 5 different instructors and all of them were the same in that they wanted to to teach me their method. One instructor told me there was nothing he could do for me that my swing was that good (not true). Two others tried teaching me right out of the Ben Hogan manual even giving me photo copies of a portion of his book. Obviously in all cases I never went back to these people. I continued to try and self diagnose and fix with expected results (i.e. Still inconsistent).
In 2014 I had a round where I shot 108 that included 10 balls OB and I didn’t ever want to have a round like that ever again. So I started researching other teaching pros in the area and asking people for suggestions. Long story short I stumbled on an instructor who finally did not want to build me from the ground up but to tweak what I already have. I gave him my standard speech that I want to be more consistent, no more rounds in the 100’s and know I can play the game fairly well at times but when I’m bad, I’m really bad.
Before he even asked me for a dime we spoke for maybe two hours over a few week period and I knew his philosophy fit well with mine. I kept an open mind and said I would gladly pay for a package of 8 lessons and do whatever he wanted but feel as though I don’t need to start from scratch. He completely agreed and what we wound up fixing is my shoulders at address (I was too open), take away (not pulling inside) and tempo. None of the “technical” items I thought were the problem all along. The results were amazing and my handicap dropped from an 8 to a 4 with multiple rounds between lost balls. My worst round was an 86 and the 70s were a common occurrence. That’s realistically the best I can do with a set of young twins and a full time job as the rest of the strokes are short game.
I played sports and some at a high level my whole life. I always had coaches for these sports and it made no sense that I never had a golf coach. I desperately wanted one but it just is not easy to find one. I highly recommend if you play twice a week to keep searching until you find the right coach. You should know what type of coach you want if you’ve played other sports. Keep going until you find one because your enjoyment of the game goes up 10x when you do. The initial cost may be a little high but once you get to a certain point it can be just maintenance from that point forward.
John
Feb 10, 2016 at 11:55 am
You hit the nail on the head! Sounds like I wrote the story although I haven’t found the guy/girl instructor yet.
Dennis Clark
Feb 10, 2016 at 10:27 pm
wow…you shot 108 in 2014 and now you’re a 4 cap…thats amazing! keep up the good work!
Steve
Feb 11, 2016 at 10:23 pm
10 shots OB, to me that means 10 times on the tee hitting 3. Thats like spotting 20
Par tee
Feb 8, 2016 at 10:32 am
Launch monitors must have really helped Jack, Arnie, and Bobby Jones!!! If you need a monitor to tell you what your eyes can tell you, especially when you use range balls, go ahead!!! This article is spot on, most golfers don’t even take or want to take lessons. This has nothing to do with instructors, I’m in my 50’s and have never been or taken a lesson with a launch monitor. My instructor is and always has been my dad!
Joew2328
Feb 8, 2016 at 10:31 am
So what do you do when you start striping shot after shot in the middle of your practice session? How do you know if you’re correctly implementing the move you’re trying to make, or just compensating for your faults?
Philip
Feb 8, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Start changing up club selection, skipping a few clubs. Take an additional pause between shots and move to different areas on the grass. At least that is what I do when I start striping shots. What I should really do though if I have a round to play is immediately stop hitting balls on the range and go to the putting green until I tee off, instead of what I did in the past, which is to continue to hit balls until I lose whatever was clicking and then end up bringing a messed up swing and thoughts to the tee as I usually can’t reconnect my swing.
Josh
Feb 9, 2016 at 10:59 pm
Good advice!
Dennis Clark
Feb 8, 2016 at 5:22 pm
As I said in the article, you DON’T…video, launch monitor numbers are the ONLY way. The phenomenon you’re describing is very common. And it does not always help give proper feedback, that’s the problem. The ball can lie to us. Find a good pair of eyes and keep them on your efforts. If you’re serious about improvement, which it sounds like you are.
RG
Feb 10, 2016 at 2:09 am
The ball can lie to us has been a mantra of mine for years, so thank you Dennis for some positive reinforcement. I know in my game the way I corrected mechanical issues is without the ball, because of this phenomena. If your honest with yourself, you know whether you’ve made a good swing or not.
JP K
Feb 10, 2016 at 11:38 pm
you have to move from mechanical to target. start by aiming at a target and lay down a rod (at your heels) and see where you are aiming. Get good at alignment which is easy on mat but not on the course. Then, try to fade and draw at targets (success is not slicing right of the target or hooking left of the target). this will help you forget about mechanics and focuses on execution. Then, play your round.
SOS
Feb 8, 2016 at 7:44 am
Took lessons for years. From supposed top teachers. Very limited success. Been using a launch monitor lately and its been a god send. I’ve gotten to know my swing and the basic numbers it produces. I also know by the numbers what is my good swing and can equate it to things I’m doing. Just looking at a video is about half of what is necessary. Don’t see many teachers using launch monitors along with the video’s. Why not. The numbers don’t lie. What I’ve found is that if I don’t slow down coil properly my numbers will be down and conversely. I’m not paying big money if it doesn’t produce results and just looking at a video will not tell you this. Same thing with the instruction. How many teachers keep track of their students progress as a gauge for them as teachers as well as progress for their students. They don’t even know how far their clients hit their clubs nor their dispersion! I’m not saying that instruction is a fraud especially for the money paid. I’m saying its unprofessional. Until you teachers wake up to this fact there will be limited progress. I also don’t want to hear their out. Which is “You didn’t listen to me”.
Dennis Clark
Feb 8, 2016 at 5:10 pm
If you hear “you didn’t listen to me” or “you have to get worse before you get better”, find another instructor. I work with both LMs and video. Of course. I also charge a lot of money for the 35 years I have invested in my craft.
Blair
Feb 10, 2016 at 12:23 pm
A great coach is worth all the money and then some!
Ver
Feb 7, 2016 at 11:49 pm
What’s more pointless is telling people who have no sports or athletic ability, the kind of people with whom you grew up in high school who used to be the geek who never did any sports or any kind of physical activity, who’ve spent more of their life indoors than outdoors sitting on their butts, that they can and should pick up this fun game called golf because it’s good for their health and they can have some camaraderie with new playing partners and friends and opponents and that it’s the game for a lifetime.
Because those are the people you see struggle year after year whether they have spent millions of dollars in lessons or not, because they just don’t have any athletic ability at all.
And if this article is an attempt to convince some of those people who may read this article to get out more on the golf course so that courses make more money that they desperately need right now as the number of players have decreased over the years instead of having them spend money on range balls, you are very much mistaken about the game of golf altogether.
Double Mocha Man
Feb 9, 2016 at 9:38 am
Good point about athleticism. My theory is that anyone with a 5 handicap or better grew up playing sports, naturally improving their hand/eye coordination, their full-body coordination. Ask a 5 handicapper to fling a football, sling a frisbee, shoot a 3 pointer, field a grounder or throw a pitch and they can do it… and look good doing it.
Dennis Clark
Feb 9, 2016 at 5:55 pm
And to think a 5 cap gets 5-6 a side from a tour pro, 🙂
JP K
Feb 10, 2016 at 11:49 pm
i know plenty of crap golfers who have questionable swings who love to play and celebrate a par like a birdie and who have no disillusion about their skills. it’s really only the ones who have mismatched self-perception that you need to worry about. e.g. play from the wrong tees, get pissed off…i had a guy quit after nine yesterday and go back to the range but at least he knows he’s terrible. unless you are rowgr #1 no one has any business saying someone should not play, there’s always someone better than you.
Tim
Feb 7, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Topic has been discussed so much how is this a news item? Article could have been one sentence long and accomplished the same goal.
Dennis Clark
Feb 7, 2016 at 3:51 pm
All it takes is a good look at the big picture, cause and effect. Most have no clue without proper feedback on full swing. Short game, a whole other ball game…
cgasucks
Feb 7, 2016 at 2:49 pm
Every range session is a learning experience full of trial and errors…the result? 2 clubs in distance gained with more accuracy…I wouldn’t have gotten those results if I never experimented and kept using my old swing…
ooffa
Feb 7, 2016 at 2:26 pm
Practice is never pointless. This article is.
RG
Feb 10, 2016 at 2:18 am
Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent, so if you practice and suck you will permanently suck. It’s always funny to me when guys that think 85 is a good round like to talk smack to a teaching pro.
Troy
Feb 7, 2016 at 2:18 pm
So true Dennis,
I was at the golf driving range yesterday and I saw the same golfers practicing the same old poor golf swings and looking frustrated at the results.
There’s really no point in them keep on turning up to the range until they change something.
Cheers
farmer
Feb 7, 2016 at 1:28 pm
Two problems; 1. assumes competent, continuing instruction, 2. assumes availability of said instruction. Get out into non-urban areas and see what you find.
NICODYWILL
Feb 8, 2016 at 10:15 am
The other issue is finding competent instruction altogether. I live in an urban area and can’t tell you how many “Instructors” are out here trying to tailor their “students” to their methods instead of vice versa. No two people are the same so why should the swings be the same? There isn’t a Yelp for teachers that i’m aware of and if you aren’t receiving the right instruction then you aren’t setting yourself up for success and only wasting money while perpetuating a broken cycle.
farmer
Feb 8, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Where I live, it’s nearly 100 miles to the nearest genuine, Class A pro. He may not be a good teacher, as you say, and in my area, teaching is frequently done by assistants. Good instruction is kind of a crapshoot, apparently no matter the location.
Dennis Clark
Feb 12, 2016 at 6:53 pm
100 miles, sounds like you are pretty far out my friend! where may I ask?
Dennis Clark
Feb 7, 2016 at 11:39 am
Spot on Steve…”Nothing changes if nothing changes”
K
Feb 7, 2016 at 11:33 am
The last paragraph also sums up most people’s sentiment toward range time. It is fun. It relieves stress (or transfers it to something more healthy). It can also help with confidence on the course if you keep an understanding that you are not going to make a perfect shot every time, but you do have the potential to get lucky. If you practice well, expect to play well, but if you prefer to enjoy going to the range, by all means enjoy it. Set your expectations to amount of time you have available and then go have fun.
Tom
Feb 7, 2016 at 11:17 am
The last paragraph of the article nails it.
Steve
Feb 7, 2016 at 10:58 am
This why most golfer’s don’t improve with lessons, they get fed up with the process and go back to their flawed swing. A teacher might show them they are coming over the top, for example and show them a way to improve their clubpath. They try and try the new way and see no improvement, so they go back to the old swing. Problem is all the old swing compensations are still there and must go away to support the new swing. Which is a process most dont have time or patience to deal with