Unsolicited Golf Swing Advice

dacatalyst41

#ReptheG #RocktheChev
Albatross 2024 Club
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One of the managers at my local Edwin Watts is a near scratch golfer. He just won the club championship at one of our most prestigious courses in the area. Sometimes when I'm in the store, I'll watch him hit shots on the sim. On this particular day, a customer who frequents the store came in and for roughly thirty minutes he proceeded to coach the manager on his swing. Of importance to note, is that this customer is a 13-15hcp and I've seen his swing. :cautious: I watched in disbelief and suffered through him referencing everything from Ben Hogan and Sam Sneed tips to modern swing techniques, while the manager was piping 2 irons 265 down the middle repeatedly. I walked away shaking my head. When the customer left, I walked over to the manager and told him he had the patience of Job. If this had been at the range, that would've been interesting, to say the least.

So....how do you handle unsolicited golf advice?
 
Ignore it until it becomes so annoying that I just say "Thanks, but any advice really messes with my game."

I played a few weeks ago and this guy kept telling me that I was lined up wrong. It was driving me insane.
 
thanks, but no
 
I only accept compliments on my swing game. If you want to have me move the ball or my feet a tad to get the most out of my swing sure. I'll try it.
 
I never offer any swing advice, unless I am asked. When asked, I make sure they know that I am no swing guru by any stretch of one's imagination. That I will share what I know, and what works for me.

I get more questions about my chipping method more than anything else.

If someone out of the blue starts giving me advice, I tend to quierly ignore them, while at the same time, still keeping an open ear. I listen only because you never know when someone might offer up some usable advice.

Now if the person is spewing garbage, and being annoying, I have no problem telling them to take their show on the road.
 
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So funny story.

I was at a driving range working on partial swings as part of working on the knee-to-knee zone. So think 30% driver swings just to get the right feel before I pull back to full swings. Guy in all decked out brand new gear and fancy dress ( I was in sport shorts and a t-shirt as I had just an hour to hit balls before a Vball game ) shows up and gives me a once over and proceeds to tell me that I need to take the club further back on my back swing. I look at him and smile and explain I am working on a drill. He doesn't seem to grasp the concept and starts to give me "better drills" to run. I stop him mid sentence, ask him could he hold on a second, and proceed to rip it and lace a drive over the far net ( ~280-285 yards away ) straight with a slide draw. I watch it land, turn to him and ask him which drill does he recommend to hit a ball better than that. He mumbled something under his breath, tried to say something and eventually just wandered off and moved to a hitting bay 4 down from me instead of right next to me.

I smiled my ass off and went back to hitting my drills. I am so glad I didn't completely duff that shot or I would have been really pissed and I am not sure if the same opportunity showed up, I could pull it off again but for that instance, it was deeply satisfying.
 
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I have a pretty bad swing and am new to the game and very rarely deal with this. I'm surprised so many people get unsolicited advice, that would drive me crazy!
 
I intentionally turn into a golfing idiot. Swinging out of my shoes, missing the ball, intentionally skulling it, the whole time asking "you mean swing like this? Is this the right way?"
 
I played a few weeks ago and this guy kept telling me that I was lined up wrong. It was driving me insane.

lol This is about the only thing I'll get on occasion. I don't think I've ever heard the word 'wrong', but I'll get, you were lined up 'way over _________'. Especially part of last year when I really had to have a closed stance to rotate at all on my backswing. Once or twice I had to say "I'm not actually aiming where my feet are lined up at." People really have trouble with that, visually.

Most of the unsolicited advice I get is about clubs. Everyone's a salesman for what works for them.
 
what I don’t understand is what goes through ones mind to want and give unsolicited advice?
 
One of the managers at my local Edwin Watts is a near scratch golfer. He just won the club championship at one of our most prestigious courses in the area. Sometimes when I'm in the store, I'll watch him hit shots on the sim. On this particular day, a customer who frequents the store came in and for roughly thirty minutes he proceeded to coach the manager on his swing. Of importance to note, is that this customer is a 13-15hcp and I've seen his swing. :cautious: I watched in disbelief and suffered through him referencing everything from Ben Hogan and Sam Sneed tips to modern swing techniques, while the manager was piping 2 irons 265 down the middle repeatedly. I walked away shaking my head. When the customer left, I walked over to the manager and told him he had the patience of Job. If this had been at the range, that would've been interesting, to say the least.

So....how do you handle unsolicited golf advice?
Lol what. I can't even imagine honestly. I've personally never received advice, but I've actually received the opposite. "I didn't expect that swing to do THAT" haha (and not in a good way)
 
I just try to ignore it for the most part. I try not to give it either unless asked, and then I'm still hesitant.
 
and then I'm still hesitant.

Yeah. I get the mentalities that lead to unsolicited advice, but how by giving it you're assuming partial responsibility for an outcome you have zero control over doesn't deter more people I'll never understand.
 
I intentionally turn into a golfing idiot. Swinging out of my shoes, missing the ball, intentionally skulling it, the whole time asking "you mean swing like this? Is this the right way?"
This would be hilarious to watch!
 
If I'm playing with guys that are way better then me & they ask me if they can give me some advise I will listen. If it's my normal group of friends that I play with then I'm like.
 
Really depends on who's giving it.... One tip this past weekend from someone helped me out immensely. If it's someone who approaches it the right way, I'll definitely listen. If it's gone about in a preachy way- you're likely to hear me say thanks but ignore it.
 
I play with the same group of guys 99% of the time and nobody gives anybody unsolicited swing advice. When I've encountered it in the past, I'd first give a dismissive "Uh huh, yeah, thanks", then go back to whatever I was doing. If it went beyond that, I'd say something like "Thanks, but I need to work through this myself", and that took care of it.

One friend is actually a better teacher than he is a golfer. He worked with me a couple years ago and gave me some useful tips that really helped my game. But when he and I would go out on the course, he would ask me before the round "Do you want me to pick on you today, or do you want me to leave you alone?". If I said leave me alone, he always respected it and wouldn't offer a word of advice unless I specifically asked for it.
 
Really depends on who's giving it.... One tip this past weekend from someone helped me out immensely. If it's someone who approaches it the right way, I'll definitely listen. If it's gone about in a preachy way- you're likely to hear me say thanks but ignore it.
This is my take as well. There's always a way to approach someone and if it's done right, I'm all ears. I just would never waste time trying to offer advice to someone who obviously does it better than me.
 
I am not against it, but really depends on their delivery and approach of it. Two people can say the exact thing but if you are in complete opposite tones and attitudes when saying it to me, one might actually make me try and if it works I may get the next drink for them. The other gets the dumbfounded eye-roll.
 
I ignore it and tell them I'm working on things with an instructor, so I'll leave it up to him.
 
In general I don't mind getting feedback or comments on my swing. Sometimes playing partners see things that actually are helpful for me, like the time I was literally aiming 50 yards right of my target. :oops:
 
I like never receive unsolicited advise...My standard response would be....Whatever...
 
Unless I know the golfer and his swing, I say very little. Example, good friend who I’ve played 300 rounds with is snap hooking. I see his grip is different today. I’ll say something. Otherwise, don’t ask, don’t comment. If I see a consistent miss I’ll ask someone if they want me to stand behind them and see their alignment.

Sometimes something is so obvious it’s hard not to say something. Once, a guy I was playing with had his sunglasses hanging from a rope thing off his neck. So when he swung, his arms looked like they were trying to avoid hitting the sunglasses. On the third hole I just said something.

As far as receiving it, I just tell the person the first time “I got this” the third or 4th time I’ll say “I appreciate the help, but if I’m thinking of a different swing tip and you’re giving me one, my dumba** gets brain overload.”
 
I had a guy once give me advice (which made no sense) as I was working on a drill with my swing coach present... I just looked at my coach and shook my head. it was incredible.
 
I think relationship has a lot to do with how the message could be received. My friends can say things to me and get a different response than a stranger would.
 
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