Golf's Evil Secret
Mike Wyman
Ever go golfing with someone who is generous enough to offer you personalized tips every time you go to make a shot? You know, the type of golfers who tell you during your backswing that you should keep your head down? If that's not irritating enough, these golfers usually play worse than the rest of us but adamantly claim to understand the theory of golf.
Even if our resident Pro is a decent golfer, it is extremely difficult to maintain concentration and enjoy yourself when someone is criticizing your every shot. It's golf's version of the backseat driver.
While I can't speak for the majority, I personally have enough to think about during my 18 holes besides someone telling me how to change my 20 year old habits. I've come to terms with the fact that I will never be a great golfer. I understand and accept that I have neither the time nor the desire to bring my game to the next level. If I did, I'd take lessons and practice non-stop. All I have to gain from my round is pure enjoyment of the game, the beautiful outdoors, and being with the boys.
On the rare occasion I have had the opportunity to play with some scratch golfers who have either had a unique ability to keep their tips to themselves or simply just didn't care enough to comment. These are the times when my playing gets better. Ironically enough, these are also the times that I get the best golf tips.
The last time I was with a scratch golfer, I was slicing terribly. At about the 5th hole, after I sent my ball deep into the adjacent subdivision, my scratch partner simply said, "slow down your swing." Sure enough, my next drive I kept my swing slow and easy and hit it straight down the fairway. Each hole from there on in got progressively better and this tip has helped me for years to this day.
The conundrum is obvious; do I like being told on the course how to play better golf? No, not really. But in this case, it really helped my game. I settled down after an opening 7 followed by a 10 and managed to squeak out a 103 for 18 holes. The key here, in my opinion, is to limit the golf tips provided by our well meaning partners. When you are told at each shot to try something different, it leads to nothing but disaster. It causes one to think too much. However, throw in the odd tip here and there and major improvements can be made.
So how does one deal with golf's version of the backseat driver? I personally think the best way is to ignore all comments if they keep coming in rapid fashion. Sure, the odd golf tip may help and should be considered. But, a relentless attack on your game leads to nothing but higher scores.
About the author: Mike Wyman is co-owner of http://www.DateAGolfer.com and http://www.puttingforpar.com.
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