We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Best tip or lesson ever..???

jpgolf

jpgolf

“JP”
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
3,351
Reaction score
2,557
Location
NCarolina
Handicap
13
All of us have been given a “tip” or “lesson” of some sort that caused the proverbial “light” to come on. Looking back on your golfing years - what may have been the best one or two tips that were ever shared with you... that improved your play...???
 
Playing Twilight one time, my partner said to me, noticing I would take a couple of practise swings, then address the ball and appear to freeze.

"Less thinking time, More hitting time". That turned a light bulb on.
 
Shorten the backswing and extend the follow through. When I do this I play exponentially better.
 
 
My first coach never addressed ball position at all. I went to someone else and he (also my bil said the same thing) was to move the ball around depending on your shot but overall my ball was too far forward for my stroke. Drastically improved my striking ability. @Golfever also helped give me ball position tips when we were playing out of the bunker and those helped my bunker shots.

Basically ball position is much more important than you would first think, you move your stance to match the position you want not adjust to the ball.
 
Have fun.
 
Best one I got was this year. Keep your right hand on top of your left had for as long as possible on the way back. It has kept me from getting inside, narrow, and under on the way back. It has also allowed me to focus on using my shoulders on the way back and hips on the way through. That simple thought had allowed me to use my body to power the swing.
 
Swing the club head to right field, while having my stance aligned to center field, pretty much solved my slicing problem.

Another was to to swing as fast as I could, while retaining my balance through out my swing.

At the the time, with practice, those two instructions helped to get me to single digits. Still use them today, 40+ years later.
 
Sometimes a mulligan is the only answer.
 
Hit the ball with the back of your hand.
 
A great line from a caddy, "you're not good enough to get mad."
This seems to pop into my head from time to time on the course.
 
Use your putting stroke of that distance for a chip. Change the club to get the fly/run ratio you want
 
One of the best tips for off the tee that I got many years ago was to align to target, get grip right, posture and ball position and don’t worry where ball is going then just swing right through the ball ending up completely on your back toe and club wrapped behind your head. The whole idea was to “swing the club” and not “hit the ball”. Also avoids “steering “ the ball.
 
Hit down to make the ball go up
 
Swing easy. I have a tendency to try and kill the ball and get all disconnected and use my arms way too much.
 
Patrick Cantlay talked about keeping in his bubble the past couple of weeks.

Similiarly, 18 year old Leylah Fernandez, beat two former us open champions to make it to semi finals
and in interview post match, she says her training is to take it point by point (shot by shot)
not thinking about score, or winning or losing.

2:10
 
Last edited:
I have had so many great tips, but probably the one that stands out the most is to not get bogged down in all the mechanics.
 
Luchnia said:
I have had so many great tips, but probably the one that stands out the most is to not get bogged down in all the mechanics.
Click to expand...
What!! Say it isn't so! You don't think of your HANDS? 😉🤣
 
“Play the swing your brought to the course”. Don’t worry too much about things and play what you have that day. Some days you’ll be good, others you’ll be not so good… play what you brought.
 
jmix18 said:
“Play the swing your brought to the course”. Don’t worry too much about things and play what you have that day. Some days you’ll be good, others you’ll be not so good… play what you brought.
Click to expand...

/\/\/\ Good one there /\/\/\

I'm not good enough to diagnose swing flaws mid-round. If I'm pulling it today... aim right, fix it tomorrow on the range. Slicing the driver? Put it away, or aim left, fix it tomorrow on the range. Etc.

Best lesson ever for me:

One shot at a time. They all count the same.
 
LAKyukon said:
I tend to do the same thing, and really have to focus on not killing the ball
Click to expand...
Good self-insight.

I think getting you some longer iron shafts will help with that too, so you don't feel like you have to over-swing.
 
Hard to describe but I’ll try. I’m a right handed golfer and have always suffered with a weak fade/slice. Was at ECPC in a fitting with Geritt Pon. He said “I’m a fitter but t if you would try something I think you will straighten out your ball flight.”
what he then described to me was to think about my trail arm (right) to be inside or slightly below my lead arm (left) on the horizontal plane at set up. Doing this almost immediately had me coming at the ball more from the inside rather than outside OTT. Ball flight changed almost immediately and after that fitting in Oct 19 where I was a 9 I finished 20 as a 3.6 and that was almost my only swing set up thought the entire season. Had to re learn how to aim my shots and can now hit draws. I will never forget that day and how much it helped my game!
 
A very good golfer told me if I could hit 40 putts in a row from 4 feet I would be a very straight putter. After that its just a matter of reading greens. I still haven't hit 40 in a row but I don't miss those 4 footers now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top