bad advice

well, dont assume that im going to change my mind, i have absolutely no reason to. and when you say that advice is take it or leave it, i say that practicing bad advice will be more detrimental than anything because you are practicing bad technique. (and i know, when i said to strengthen or weaken the grip that can most definitely be bad advice; i shouldnt have said it that way, but i mean, if you have an average player with his thumb straight down the shaft and hes slicing or four of his knuckles showing at address and hes hooking, it would help to change the grip; and yeah, teachingpro, give me a whacked out grip and ill hit it straight too)

also, i meant no disrespect to teaching pros, i have no doubt that you guys help peoples games more than any swing aid or book. for that matter, i also meant no disrespect to this site in any way, just so that is all cleared up

and no, teachingpro, i will not change my mind when i say that a pro shouldnt teach what they are working on in their own game. i understand that youre a much better golf teacher than i am, but i think the advice that is working for us came at a good point in our game and was right for our mind, our swing, and our body type. you cant tell me that you should teach the swing plane method you were just working on yesterday to a 15+ handicapper.

one more thing: you guys dont thing an average player should be working on their mental game? is this not the very heart of golf? not to mention that a good mental game will lead to a better swing. when you can find yourself over the ball in a relaxed and confident manner, chances are youre about to make a good shot.

mcdizzle,

I notice you have not entered your h/capp in your profile, this is always a tell tail sign of a players true ability, the reason I would look is that if a player who consistantly plays to 10 over par for example, but cannot get down to scratch, must be mental.

Yes you can practice putting, yes you can work on your chipping, I do both all of the time, just the same as many others I take regular lessons and I swing perfectly on plane back sometimes a little from the inside coming through. All in all I have a good swing, I don't need anyone to tell me that........however why am I not playing off less than 5? I have shot par on every hole at my course and birded nearly everyone, so why can't I do it in one round?.

May be bad luck.........but we practice how to escape any that comes along!
May be poor greens.......but someone always putts well!
May be a few poor swings......after all that practice!

The list can be endless..................Let me give you my experiance(take it or leave it) The list is in your head,

If you think bad luck,OB etc......you will go there
If you complain about poor greens.........you will putt c**p
If you think your swings out.........it will be.

So you see what we think is what we are............

The 28 h/capper who clears the water from the 8th tee for the first time for example has just mastered the mental side of a 28 h/cappers game, next time he/she plays the 8th it will become easier, this I have no doubt.

I am just begining to shoot some low/mid 70s for the first time in my life, now I have acheived it a few times, I have stopped blowing shots the last few holes simply because I am doing something I have done before and it is no longer a barrier.

My closing comments are that no matter what level of the game we are at, everyone who plays Golf plays the mental game regardless if they know it or not.

Good luck in your own game and as you say the Mental Game is at the heart of every golfer.

Ian.

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Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................