| There are good golf tips and bad golf tips. | | | | |
| The question is, "how do you decide which | | | | The suggestion was well meant. However, for a |
| golf tips to listen to?" | | | | player who had a well grooved habit of |
| | | | swinging slightly over the top of the ball, |
| This question has been brought home to me | | | | as Arnold Palmer was wont to do, it proved to |
| recently because a good friend took up golf | | | | be one golf tip too much. He became so |
| about two years ago. He has really caught the | | | | conscious of his right elbow that it threw |
| bug and plays several times a week. He also | | | | the whole of the rest of his swing out of |
| has lessons and practices frequently. | | | | shape and it took him months to get it back |
| Whenever we play together he is constantly | | | | again. |
| asking for tips and advice about his swing. | | | | |
| | | | The point is that the golf tip didn't fit in |
| It is my belief that you should only give a | | | | with the rest of his swing. |
| player a golf tip if you are sure that it | | | | |
| will fit in with the rest of his swing. I | | | | This is a mistake that many golfers make. |
| have seen far too many players lose their | | | | They listen to all the golf tips out there |
| swings when trying to adopt a golf tip which | | | | and try to adopt them all in their desperate |
| simply does not fit in with everything else | | | | search for a good swing. It is my belief that |
| that goes on when they swing the club. | | | | your aim should be to groove a golf swing |
| | | | that will give you streams of straight and |
| OK, I know, there are certain golf tips which | | | | long golf shots by modelling your swing on |
| are universally sound, like, "keep your head | | | | one set of advice. Then you should develop a |
| still." But equally there are plenty of other | | | | mind movie of that swing so that you can |
| golf tips that can be ruinous even when given | | | | reproduce it whenever you play a shot. |
| with the best of intentions. | | | | |
| | | | Think how long some of the most famous |
| In particular I recall a good player with | | | | partnerships between players and their swing |
| whom I'd played many rounds who always drew | | | | coaches have lasted. Think of Jack Nicklaus |
| the ball right to left, usually with good | | | | and Jack Grout, Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon, |
| control. One day when his draw was a bit | | | | Nick Faldo and David Lead better to name but |
| exaggerated, his partner suggested this | | | | a few. All these great players relied on one |
| perfectly sound golf tip: "You know, if you | | | | coach's vision of their swing to keep their |
| were to keep your right elbow well tucked in | | | | mind movie in shape. They did not go asking |
| on the downswing you would lose that nasty | | | | for golf tips from other players. |
| hook." | | | | |