Has YouTube made you better or worse?

[Andwgent]

YouTube has helped me especially when it comes to course management, getting to hear how Grant specifically approaches shots has helped me make up my mind a little bit better vs being Uber aggressive everytime

[peterg2000]

Just to add to my previous post, when I try to correct a problem and look at Youtube instruction, what I always do

is turn on the camera and depending on what I correct a launch monitor. I use the camera to see if I'm actually doing what

the Youtuber is trying to teach. Most times without the visual feedback of a camera , I THINK I am making a correction , but the video

shows otherwise.  I might try an explanation from another Youtuber to see if his explanation is easier to follow.

The key is to properly practice to apply the changes.  Don't hesitate to rotate you're Tube coaches as I've found out even the best can't

explain a proper change in EVERY situation.  You can't watch a Youtube and bring that directly to the course. That's what the range is for.

 

Pete

 

 

 

[Kevin W]

I just have fun watching it. I personally am not seeking any swing advice, too hard to translate to your game without a coach in person to analyze your game. I do like the course strategy stuff though, how to play smart and managing your way around the course. I also like watching the golfers play each other and watching them play some of the best courses in the world.

[toncol]

Too much instruction overcomplicates the swing, and can send you down a death spiral.  Jim MacLean comes to mind in that regard.  I like some of the stuff out there ( Clay Ballard for example ) when I want to see a technique for a specific shot.  Even then, I'll blend what I see into my own swing, rather than try to incorporate something new in it's entirety..  As I see it, if I can still maintain a 4 point something index @ 61 yo I can't be too far off anyway.  I stay miles away from any of the "Quick Fix" stuff....they're just BS

[JohnWallis]

Only wish I had it as a kid. I've learned more in 2 years with you tube than I did with twenty years of golf magazine. 

[Professor]

I heard Michael Breed say, “every golf tip is a good golf tip.”  The trouble is getting the right tip to the right person at the right time.

YT golf has changed everything. There are some really good instructors teaching some really good stuff. But I definitely have fallen down the rabbit hole. I think the trick is to only follow one, maybe two instructors to avoid having too many thoughts in your head. Guys like Mike Malaska, Shawn Clement, and Chris Hansen have online programs and that allows you to have world class access to great instruction through an online program. Learning takes place in chunks and the instructors job is to convey the correct concepts to you and your job is to go home and put that concept into practice. The trouble is most people don’t want to spend 10 minutes a day working on their grip, posture, set up, and alignment. Even after hearing the elite touring pros say that those are specifically the things they work on with their instructors.

[Rondozase]

After almost a 20 year hiatus from golf, I started playing again in 2022. I started watching YouTube videos shortly after restarting. It’s easy to go down the online instruction rabbit hole but I’ve found it helpful in three areas. 1. Short game. 2. Speed training. 3. Fitness/flexibility routines. 
 

1. Short game, initially found some short game videos from Danny Maude very helpful and then discovered Dan Grieves “3 Release” short game system which has provided a very effective set of swing methods and strategies for my short game (chipping and pitching). It has been important for me to video my practice sessions to get feedback (in session) of how I compare to Maude and Grieve’s short game instruction. I can analyze this short game aspect of my overall golf swing fairly effectively. That’s not necessarily the case with the full swing.
 

2. Speed Training - watched Padraig Harrington’s speed training videos and loved them. Bought the SuperSpeed Golf speed training system and the training has helped. 
 

3. Fitness/Flexibility - after watching several golf specific fitness/flexibility videos on YouTube I realized I needed to start doing something to get fit and flexible. I’m using Golf Forever’s swing trainer and exercise program to do both at the moment. It’s been very helpful.

Full swing YouTube videos can be confusing because there are so many different swing tips that are given.  You have to be able to analyze your own full swing using different tools (video, swing trackers) to effectively apply these tips. That’s very tough to do, so having a golf pro/swing coach telling you how to make changes in real time is beneficial. 

 

 

 

[MGCWillie72]

Sure, I watch, but mostly the lessons don't apply to me. It's worth it to at least look for the occasional idea that helps my game, the little tweaks, like tips that help getting the right grip, not whole lessons.  Most are enjoyable, if not, delete after a minute or so.

[OldGuyGolf]

No. Find a PGA Pro and build with them. Too many swing thoughts results in no shot !

[aguybadatgolf]

Admittedly I learned the basics by watching YouTube. I started in 2021 and managed to get down to a 16 handicap by the end of last year. If you’re playing for fun and just want to not be terrible it’s a decent route. 
I finally reached the point where I wasn’t getting better and would love to join a league or some tournaments and be competitive. Taking lessons now and it’s helping a ton. Was told the basis of my swing was actually decent just working on more technical aspects of the swing, controlling spin, and finding the middle of the club every time (shout out to my fellow toe bangers). 

Long story short, it helps to a point but if you want to be a single digit handicap get some lessons. I still enjoy YouTube for gear reviews and entertainment just not swing advice. 

[chadly86]

Guys like Jake Hutt, Dave Fink, and Good Good Labs or Grant Horvat's instructional series have been really helpful and have helped me improve, without question. 

It's the new school and I've found it more beneficial than any instructional series on the Golf Channel.

Edited April 19 by chadly86

[Dbaker]

I have found some help through you tube. However the help is more related to strategy around the course and how to think about the game rather than specific swing tweaks. 

[UDUB1861]

Honestly, it has done more harm than good for me. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good information out there, but I got to the point where I was thinking about so many different things over the ball that I forgot to just golf. Once I stopped thinking about the overload of info on the internet that I was looking at to get better, my game came back to me.

[Tom c]

I would say if you truly know your issue with your swing (as in an instructor has seen your swing and told you) YouTube golf is solid to find some extra drills to work on. 
 

I think the biggest benefit my game has seen from watching YouTube golf (and I watch a lot) is the vlogs from guys playing their rounds (I.e. ricks break 75 series). I’ve learned to better navigate the course and plan my shots a lot better like these guys do. 

[atmikeyp]

YouTube golf for entertainment is fun. I've been playing this stupid game longer than I can remember, and at this point I know enough about my swing to pick and choose what to pay attention to from the YouTubers. For the most part, I choose to ignore anything swing related. It's enjoyable to watch the fun videos (love Random Golf Club from Eric Anders Lang) and pick up on mental things. Swing tweaks? No way. YouTube is the modern version of my grandmother learning to play golf from Jack Nicklaus in Golf Digest's instruction articles. "Jack says if you do <<something>> then you'll hit the ball longer with a slight draw!"

That all being said, I think for a beginning golfer, if you can find *ONE* YouTube instructional channel that you like and enjoy, then it could be very beneficial to get a start that way. Too many people giving you tips and tricks will just wind up conflicting at some point in your swing.

OFC, if you have the $$$, get lessons out of the gate before you develop habits that will take years to fix.

Edited April 19 by atmikeyp

[higherplane]

It is my belief that YouTube golf instruction will never replace actual lessons and practice, however for special shots can give you a method that can really help.  Examples include putting- Aimpoint Express, shot set-up routines and alignment,  hitting out of fairway bunkers.  Years of pros have figured these out and yes wish I had this tool in my twenties.  

[ollieb]

I use YouTube for instruction tips and equipment tests. Like MGS a lot of the equipment tests are non bias and independent, I feel like I’m not getting a pitch but real data and playability opinion. I’m not married to specific brands. The golf equipment world is so competitive that the quest for differentiation has become overwhelming. The mainstream golf media doesn’t do the best job of separating fact from hype, they pander to the ad revenue. If I’m looking for a specific change in my bag I sift through the YouTube library to get multiple opinions related to what I’m looking for. 
I access YouTube instruction videos regularly. I do have a swing coach that I work with but I also find that referencing other instructors can help me interpret a swing thought. One of the more confusing aspects of golf instruction is that different instructors can say the same things but the dialogue is not consistent. Accessing YouTube helps me find little cues that might be helpful to master a new swing thought. My go to guys are Steve Pratt and Clay Ballard.

[Beakbryce]

I don't watch much. I watched Quite the Chap for awhile. One minute lessons that made sense. Not sure what happened to him. Looked at Facebook and the site talks about a lot of channels but I didn't see the lessons right off the bat.

[Shifty]

Yes, I've gotten better from strategy and course management videos.  Swing tips videos probably not.

[cbpicker]

I really enjoy You Tube golf videos.  There is so much now that you have to find a few people and follow them.  There is a lot of equipment information, course management and swing tips.  Obviously you don’t want to constantly try new tips but when you have something you’ve identified as an issue I’ve been able to find videos addressing the same issue and find success in lowering my handicap.  Trying to improve and practice also keeps me interested in golf in general.  

[Thomas 2024]

Yes, I watch Danny Maude, with his tips I have better contact. Still working on my swing though.

[MP215]

New golfer (2 years) here.

I do not find any value in YouTube instructional videos. It is way too easy to go down a rabbit hole and get your mind congested with conflicting swing thoughts. Really easy way to sabotage your game. I fell into this trap last summer, and it took a lesson and proper instruction to dispel the information overload.

I also feel YouTube instructional videos go for a more “one size fits all” approach, but you cannot universally apply those techniques to all golfers. All golfers have different levels of flexibility, conditioning, motor skills, etc. so it is impossible to take something from a YT video and universally apply it. It might work for some, but there’s an equal probability it won’t work for your particular game.

If you are truly serious about improving at this impossible game, take lessons from a local pro and go into each lesson with a plan/goal. Then play or practice as much as your schedule allows.

[Ragtop27]

I found some interesting topics on YouTube that I'd say have helped my game.  Burt you need to be picky there is too much info out there and it could mess you up!

[GolferXY]

I'd say it's a mixed bag, but I have gained some nuggets here and there.  I think that beginning golfers tend to get frustrated because of the quick fix nature of most of the content.  Realistically, the only way to improve is to practice.  So if you do find something that you think may work, you shouldn't assume it will be a 15 minute fix, no matter what the game improvement tips may be.

If you're really interested in getting better, find an instructor who you can work with on the driving range.  If you can't afford that, then find a guru online that you trust, and stick to that game plan. 

Good luck, a toast to better scores <clink!> 

[CLARKSON HARRIS]

IT HAS RUINED MY GAME WAY TO MANY SWING THOUGHTS.......

[Andrew T.]

My one golf epiphany came via a YouTube video.  I watch half-a-dozen different channels.  Most content is nothing new or earth shattering, but does reinforce that what I'm doing is correct.  The epiphany came via a James Robinson Golf video with Pete Cowan.  He had James "wring" the grip with his hands (like he was wringing water from a towel) throughout the entire swing.  He said it almost guaranteed a squared club face at impact.  It worked!  Been using that swing thought ever since.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

a little, more for new drivers on the market.  Mickey Wright is the best swing though, and I think there is only 1 short "film" of her.  Even tho our equip is more powerful, her mastery of the swing is tops.  Very few of us can swing out of our toes, like Justin Thomas, Scottie, Tiger, Bryson, or Lexi Thompson.  Any reader here might, maybe, know 1 personally.  

[bogeyon]

   I started playing again after a 30 year hiatus and was amazed by the amount of information out there. There wasn't much available back then. Its enough to make one dizzy.   

It  is much the same as the internet itself. One has to know what to ask. Then like human interactions, experience level and experiences must mesh. Like speaking English is not enough we must be speaking the same language. Feel is a tough thing to convey. Good teachers do it pretty well and then there are others. Shawn Clement has been mentioned a few times in this topic and would fit into the good teacher category.

   I would say half, maybe more are well intention-ed and the rest are trying to sell you something, a program or just racking up the likes. I've gone down a rabbit hole or two but now I use it to go back to basics. I've found a few that do that well. One good thing I've found on you tube is the realization that most of us are just plane lost and left to a our own devices. Full of want to and no where near enough how to. And unless one has pockets full of spare money we are left with you tube. Hence a ripe and fertile place to be P.T.Barnum-ed. Much like life itself.

All in all Golf is hard and will remain so. But will challenge the challengable and supply all the historical ambience one could ask for.

Edited April 19 by bogeyon
forgot something

[SputNic]

YouTube has helped me significantly, but I must offer a caveat here. YouTube led me to Shawn Clement and Wisdom in Golf and Shawn has helped me understand the golf swing with his method of task-oriented teaching and the specificity with which he describes dynamic motion vs. static positions. I began following Wisdom in Golf in 2007 and it was a total epiphany; I understood things I'd been taught and tips I'd been given for years and years but had never truly registered before. It was a major leap forward in my understanding and aptitude. (...and confidence!)  

So, with that stated, YES, YouTube has been a tremendous help to me personally. I would, however, suggest a high degree of discernment to anyone searching for a quick fix or random tips on YouTube. Instructors and influencers are interested in producing content to generate revenue and that may well come at the expense of clarity or adherence to a trusted methodology or philosophy in deference to quantity. YouTube golf instruction has its share of pitfalls to be sure, but there are some real gems to be found out there! 

[ArizonaLogan]

YouTube golf has made me way better. I'm tying my opinion pretty closely to my approximate handicap during my 4 years of high school golf.

In my freshman year, I was probably around a 36 handicap (about double bogey per hole), and I don't think I scored below 100. I had a pretty flat handicap during my sophomore and junior years, at about 30 for the sophomore and 27 for the junior.

In December 2022, I decided to get super serious about my upcoming final golf season. I was watching a ton of videos while also comparing my swing footage (GoPro high speed) to PGA Tour Pros to find out what moves to make and not to make. With all of the extra practice and swing changes, I was able to drop about 7 strokes in one month and enter January 2023 with an estimated 20 handicap. I booked my first ever lesson in late January and mid February of 2023. I did make some improvements, but not at the same pace as when I could learn as fast as I was able.

My senior season was upon me, so I didn't make any more swing changes. I sarted and ended the 4th season with about an 18-19 handicap.

When the season was over, I decided not to take anymore lessons after the first two, and I instead bought a Garmin R10 launch monitor. I went back to my schedule of thousands of shots with high speed footage and YouTube, but also with the aid of swing data. The ability to see data like club path, club speed, and attack angle made my handicap drop again by 5 strokes to 13 in two months (July 2023).

TL:DR My handicap dropped by about 1.2 strokes per month in the past 16 months, mainly due to YouTube.

I ended last year with an 11 handicap, but recently I've been scoring only 6-7 strokes over par. So, if I continue this trend to a single-digit handicap, I might end up being a college player that was coached exclusively by a GoPro, YouTube tutorials, and later a Garmin R10.

Edited April 19 by ArizonaLogan