Some golf advice considered misleading and conflicting

Joe Laurentino

There is much free advice in the golf community, but much of it misleading and conflicting. Some tips are considered “must-dos” and will guarantee results for all golfers.

But this is not true because many of these tips are negotiable - they can work well for some but for most golfers, they're just nonsensical bits of advice that will hinder, rather than help.

Here are the three biggest bits of advice:

Swing Myth No.1 - “Keep your head down and your eye on the ball.”

It's now become the answer and cure for all bad shots. But its not the answer and golfers must be careful with this idea as it can make things worse; keeping your head down can cause a restricted backswing, and even worse, a restricted downswing.

The fact of the matter is that if you watch some of the top players in the world, they don't keep their heads down but rotate their heads and eyes freely toward the target through impact. They both do not see the ball at impact, but rather they are seeing a point somewhere between the ball and their intended target.

Swing Myth No. 2 - “You must be aligned parallel to the target.”

Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer had great careers and both of them consistently aligned themselves to the right of their target and “pulled” the ball back on line.

It doesn't make any sense for a golfer to work on square alignment, if he or she consistently hits push slices. Each golfer needs to find an alignment that is consistent and works for their ball flight.

Swing Myth No.3 - “Swing slow.”

Slowing down the swing does not ensure a better swing; it just ensures a slower one and slower means shorter. Tempos vary from player to player.

While a golfer's tempo is an individual thing, all great golf swings are smooth from start to finish. One of the worst things a golfer can do is to try to work with a tempo that is unnatural to him.

Most golfers would benefit more from the idea of making their entire swing smooth at a tempo that works for them.

These are just a few examples of swing tips that negotiable elements in the golf swing and how there are many individual ways that can be successful.

Most golfers keep moving from one swing tip to another, all in search of the secret. But the answer for golfers to realize their full golfing potential lies in their understanding of all of this swing advice - of what is negotiable and nonnegotiable in the golf swing and how these elements can work together to produce sound, repeatable results.

Joe Laurentino is a PGA Professional and author of “The Negotiable Golf Swing: How to Improve Your Game Without Picture-Perfect Form.” Visit him online at www.joelaurentino.com.

To have Fort Bend County golf events, news, or scores included, send e-mail to: gmartin@fbherald.com, or call 281-342-4474.