Top Golf Swing Myths
There are a lot of different ways to swing a golf club. Just look at the guys on the PGA Tour; no two swings are the same. Not only that, but there’s no universally correct way to hit a golf ball. So, it would make sense that not all golf instruction is right for all people.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard an amateur golfer give his buddy a tip that he heard from someone else as if it’s the gospel truth. Some tips have truth to them, others are just plain wrong. Let’s talk about the most frequent “tips” you probably shouldn’t listen to.
Head Down
You’ve probably heard someone tell you, or someone else, to keep their head down at some point. The phrase is almost as ingrained in golf culture as slow play and failing to fix ball marks. (Side note: all three need to go.) The problem with those four words is that it’s not nearly specific enough. When? How long? Why?
Typically, none of those answers are given when the advice is delivered, which means the “student” attempts to keep their head down all the time, the whole time, and just because. Sure, you should probably keep your eye on the ball in your backswing, downswing, and near impact, but that’s about it. Your head should absolutely come up later in the swing.
My guess is that the “advice” originated from a guy who used to take his eye off the ball in his backswing and started looking at the target before his downswing even began. Most amateur golfers don’t do that, so the advice is worthless.
Arm Straight
This next piece of advice typically refers to a golfer’s front arm (left arm for a right-handed player) in their back swing. You might even heard that you need to lock that elbow to make sure it doesn’t have any flex at all. I’ll be honest, I have no idea why anyone would give this advice.
Sure, a lot of golf swings have a front arm that stay fairly straight, but that’s sort of irrelevant. In fact, most swings appear to have a fairly straight arm, but they actually have a little bend in them. Even if you did have a significant amount of bend in your arm, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
I’d much rather see my students have a relaxed arm than a straight arm. Most of the time, when you try to lock your elbow, it tenses up the muscles, and they are less flexible.
Get Under the Ball
This might be the one that makes the most sense of all these false tips, but it’s actually the most incorrect (for iron shots). In theory, you’d think that hitting the ball from the bottom would make it fly up in the air. I guess that’s true, the problem is that it’s almost impossible to do. In order to hit the bottom of the golf ball, you have to go through the ground first, which slows down your club head speed and brings in foreign objects in-between your club face and the ball.
What you actually want to do is hit slightly down on the ball. The dimples on a golf ball act like wings on a plane and create lift. Hitting down on the golf ball gives the ball backspin, which lets the ball rise into the air and gain distance. Even if you were to get under the ball and lift it into the air, it wouldn’t fly nearly as far as a ball that’s struck down.
Honorable Mentions
“Keep your back straight” and “Keep your front heel down.” I put these two as honorable mentions because I think they are good pieces of advice at least SOME of the time. Often, they are irrelevant and unnecessary though, so be cautious when hearing them.
Conclusion
So, be careful about the advice you accept. Some of it will be good, but if it’s not meant for you, it could easily make things worse.