Some Golf Swing Advice that Is Simply Wrong

As it relates to advice on the swing, it seems everyone is an authority, even when they do not know what they are talking about.  Well-intentioned people grab something they imagine they heard from another "expert" and will be more than willing to pass it along as being fact.  If you take the erroneous advice and try to apply it, clearly it will send your game backwards.  The following are a few among the things that we have been told to do but should never do.

1.            Slow down your swing.  We create distance out of club head velocity; consequently to slow down our swing means reduced club head speed, and lower yardage.  Good coordination of the golf swing is essential for maximum efficiency for generating club head speed; however that does not mean slow the whole swing down.  Good golf swing rhythm often calls for slowing down some areas of the body to keep correct timing with other areas.  For many golfers this usually means slowing down the arms, which is what you don't want to do.

2.            Keep a rigid left arm.  Even among professional golfers, the straightness with the left arm varies.  But it should not be a rule for every golfer.  Problems start with nearly all amateur golfers because of stiffness in the swing.  By relaxing the body they'd create more club head velocity as well as a more dependable swing, but a body that's rigid throws everything out of whack.  And often that may be the result of attempting to keep a rigid left arm.  Obviously you can't bend your elbow excessively in the course of the swing.  But try to keep the left arm softer and more relaxed, and if some bend occurs, it will not cause any trouble.

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3.            Keep your head down.  This is probably confused with maintaining your eye concentration on the golf ball; however one of your true golf swing killers is keeping your head downward.  A person's head is quite heavy, weighing between 8 - 12 pounds, and if it remains down in the course of the swing it can make a person top heavy and ruin the entire movement of the swing.  To keep a suitable turning motion in the swing, it will be necessary to keep the head more upright, but always maintain eye contact with the ball.  This really is why those with bifocal glasses often cannot see the ball properly unless they angle their head too far down.  But keeping your head downward is a swing fault that will throw you from balance.

The golf swing is very personal, which means one tip does not work for everyone equally.  But when you hear guidance like that listed above, keep in mind that it has to apply to your swing, and all-encompassing advice very rarely applies to everyone.