This article appeared in the June edition of GolfTEC’s Momentum Newsletter. There are many myths and misconceptions golfers have about the game. Here are 6 of the most common myths…debunked!
- You’re a good putter. For the average tour pro, on a relatively flat green, the distance from which they will make half of their attempted putts is nine feet. For the amateur golfer, the distance for holing 50% of their putts is one-third of that: three feet.
Similar to driving, however, golfers underestimate their number of putts per hole and putts per round. A golfer who regularly shoots a 92 averages 38 or more putts per round. Golfers shooting under 80 average around 32 putts per round.
- Playing softball or baseball will ruin your golf swing. Baseball swings are, in fact, VERY closely related to golf swings. Essentially there is no backswing in baseball – this is a good thing for baseball because many golfers create impact flaws because of mistakes they make in the backswing.
The bat is swung a couple of feet above the ground and most golfers think this means that the shoulders swing level through the baseball or softball. In fact, the right shoulder is much lower or more tilted to the right for strong hitters, just like it is in golf. If you were to hit a pitch out of the dirt and try to drive that pitch toward center or right-center field you would essentially be making a great golf or baseball swing.
Good baseball and golf swings have almost identical weight shift positions at the top, they should have roughly the same length of swing and they both require little effort and good timing to create power and speed.
- You hit it long off the tee. Amateur golfers overestimate their driving distance on average 15-30 yards, according to a 2004 Golf Digest study. Golf Digest also speculated that the higher the handicap, the greater the exaggeration. Golfers with a handicap above 10 might hover right around the 200-yard mark.
- Your clubs are okay. In a recent poll, 70% of GolfTEC Coaches said they thought their clients were playing with the wrong clubs. In a parallel study, 70% of the clients were satisfied with their current set of clubs. With a GolfTEC Set Analysis you can see where you have room for improvement in your bag. Visit www.CheckMyBag.com to schedule a 30-minute Set Analysis for only $49.
- Driver should be parallel to the ground at the top of the swing. Watching Tiger Woods’s drive in slow motion on YouTube might not be the best way for the average golfer to position their club in the backswing. Drawing the club back until it is parallel to the ground is likely too far for most golfers. Your Coach will be able to help you determine the best position in your backswing to get the most power, distance and accuracy.
- If I know what’s going on, I can fix it. Many golfers think that if they could recognize the one or two problems with their swing, they could watch online tips and fix it. Sometimes golfers believe just seeing their swing on video is enough to make a difference. However, the belief that improvement happens after recognizing and fixing one swing problem is false. Swing changes that lead to lower scores require a trained eye and sequential lessons. Even if you realize the problem, your Coach can give you the drills and pointers to make the changes happen.
Posted by GolfTEC 
