What's the best tip you have ever received, and how did it change your game?

[Middler]

11 hours ago, JerryB said:

Best tip I've gotten is to stop trying to kill the ball.  Doesn't mean I always listen, but when I catch myself and actually rein it in a little, my shots are much more consistent.

That's the battle I always play with myself, I must be stupid. I want to outdrive everyone, even guys I could never outdrive. 

The most valuable lesson to me is play every single hole, actually every single shot as if it's a new opportunity to hit a great shot - because it is. Improves scoring, and enjoyment both. I know way too many people who let a bad hole or a couple bad shots ruin their entire round, and their attitude - which make them less fun to play with for everyone else. 

[StateOfMyArt]

Since I struggle with approach shots I'm chipping a lot. If I'm chipping a lot I'd better be able to get it close more often than not so I'm putting for par more often. The best 'tip' on chipping that changed my game was to get it on the green quickly and let it roll up to the pin rather than try for a high shot and land it close. So to master this without 'chunking', the tip was to use just one club - I use the pitching wedge - then take a 'toe down heel up' grip, weight forward open stance, closer to the ball back in my stance, de-loft the club - cock the wrist - on the back swing and hold the wrist solid thru the swing. I use a wee bit of forward knee motion as I find this helps with timing and feel. Oh, and keep your head still. So pretty much like a long putt only the ball flies to a specific target either on the green or wherever it needs to land to get the bounce so it rolls to the pin. When I keep the target in my mind I find I can land it close more often. Practiced this move a million times so now I have a pretty good idea of how far the ball will go and roll depending on the length of my back swing. I can't tell you how improving this part of my short game helped my confidence around the green. Lately I've worked on a flop shot for those times when I need to clear a bunker or I'm short sided. Saving these short game strokes is fun and creative and when executed can save a bad hole from getting really bad.   

[TSauer]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

Best tip I ever got was actually from my Dad.  He always used to say "Tempo, 1-2-3, 1-2."  If I ever get out of sorts on the course I usually remind myself to check my tempo.  Keeps me from getting quick and starting my downswing before I finish my backswing and helps keep my sequence in check. 

Some times I'll even say it out loud during a practice swing.

I remember reading a tempo tip similar to this, but they used "Er-nie-Els" instead. So, that's what I say to myself when I know I'm starting to rush things.

[Jim Shaw]

1 hour ago, Kevin W said:

If ball striking is off practice chipping and short pitching to get solid contact back on point then do "hard aggressive short pitching" almost like a short swing building solid contact back. It's amazing when I go back to this how effective I can be getting around the course with solid contact and shorter swings. I think of it as full pitches rather than full swing making it easier for the brain to process. I eventually work back to full swing but anytime that gets off track I go back to the shorter swing and the thought that I'm hitting full pitches. It's amazing when your mind thinks of it differently, simpler, it can make it feel easier. I do this with any club including driver. One more thing, stand athletically, taller and let the arms hang naturally.

Have fun!

I have been doing this same thing since I saw Tommy Fleetwood talking about it, I am wondering, if you are in competition do you do the same thing?

[Jim Shaw]

Great posts here, thanks for that.

Tempo, I was taught that at an early age, my dad was a big fan of Gene Littler so he wanted me to swing like him, (sometimes I wish he was a fan of Jack Nicklaus lol) 

K.I.S.S. principle, keep it simple stupid... this resonates a lot with me now as all the social media etc, I try and stay away from going down the rabbit hole.

Grip- the grip was always important to my dad and I am always conscious of that as well, I use the Vardon or Overlap grip however I see a lot more interlock grips nowadays.

 

[TitleistMike]

First 40 years of play never had a PGA pro lesson. All learned from Nicklaus Palmer GolfDigest Golf written lessons. Made it to scratch.

 

Putting training was the best tip as follows

3 balls 5ft 10ft 15ft from hole. Start short and progress out.

Repeat starting long back to short. 

Goal is FEEL the difference in the different length putts.

 

Distance control

6 balls, a ruler or carpenter square better. Use square edges for consistent set up alignments etc.

Make 6 putts with 2inch backstroke.

6 putts 4 inch

6 putts 6 inch, 8,10,12,14,16

Now you know how far ball rolls for a given backstroke.

Now you can't make a bad putt, only a bad read.

[GolfSpy BOS]

6 minutes ago, TSauer said:

I remember reading a tempo tip similar to this, but they used "Er-nie-Els" instead. So, that's what I say to myself when I know I'm starting to rush things.

I may also start using my favorite line from "Shooter" when Marky-Mark is training his protégé Mr. Peña and says "Slow is smooth.  Smooth is Fast."  Not as good as the Er-nie or 1-2-3 for during the swing, but as a general thought about my backswing.

Most of the long drive guys would probably disagree though, they rip that thing back to the top.  Different strokes for different folks right?

[fredsharky]

I used to get really upset on the course - to a point to where I had on occasion to actually throw a club - I was not mad at the game or the course, I was angry because I thought that if I did not hit the exact shot I wanted I was screwing up 

So one day one of the guys I reguraly played with asked me how much money I was making on this round of golf, he also asked what my handicap was (15ish at the time) - once I answered him he said, when was the last time you saw a pro throw a club or get so angry that he could not play for the next three or four holes 

Even though I have seen pro's get angry and toss a club here and there it is very rare and it is very rare for them to let something bother them more than a hole or two - and these guys and gals are playing for real dollars and for a living 

Once I came to terms with that I started playing better because I was more calm amd when I do make mistakes (as we all do) they do not stay with me as long now 

Not saying that this is the reason I went from a 15 hdcp to an 8, but it had a lot to do with it 

Keeping cool under pressure when you are making mistakes can help you focus on what to do next (I would say this is probably good for life in genral)

[TSauer]

2 minutes ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

I may also start using my favorite line from "Shooter" when Marky-Mark is training his protégé Mr. Peña and says "Slow is smooth.  Smooth is Fast."  Not as good as the Er-nie or 1-2-3 for during the swing, but as a general thought about my backswing.

Most of the long drive guys would probably disagree though, they rip that thing back to the top.  Different strokes for different folks right?

That quote has been in my head for the longest time and I always link it to golf, but I COULD NEVER remember where I heard it! So, thank you for posting that

Btw... awesome movie!

[spe1901]

BEST TIP.... (didn't change my game, but my Daughter's)

Coach- to my daughter at a swing session:  Why are you swinging your club like that?

My daughter:  "because my dad told me to do it like that"

Coach: " Stop that, it's not correct"

Coach to me:  (and my tip)...: Stop telling here how to swing the club, that is my job - and you don't know what you are telling her. 

Best tip she and I got.. changed both of our games... hahaha.

 

 

[Gopokes14]

I was going to say always drink at least 4 beers or 2 shots of Patron before you tee off, but that's not always so easy at 8:30 in the morning. so, I will say that an old high school golf coach, I caught up with and played with once, told me to start focusing on GIRs. He said if I could 2 putt most of the holes, 16 or more. Take the number of GIRs and double it and subtract it from 95 and it would be within a stroke or 2 of my final score. It has worked out for the last 20 years or more almost every round I have kept up with it. Example: Hit 10 greens in reg x 2=20 subtracted from 95 is 75. I told him I thought it would be hard to hit more than about 5 a round for me. I was hitting the ball about 250 off the tee, but they weren't always in play. We were both walking the course and he said "there are 4 par 3s, hit 2 of those. There 4 par 5s hit 2 of those. There is 4. You got 10 holes left, how many of those can you hit? 4-5? Lets say you hit 4, that's 8 total x 2 is 16 minus 95, you just broke 80!"

That's gold Jerry, pure gold I tell ya. - Banya from Seinfeld

Edited August 11, 2023 by Gopokes14

[David Staller]

When I was 23, I was playing golf on the team at the local junior college.  My handicap was a solid five.  My biggest issue was distance.  I was only carrying  the ball 240 yards and had great difficulty w/ long par fours and almost never hit par 5's in 2.  I was at the range one day, and the pro asked me if I wanted to hit the ball further.  Of course I said yes.  The tip he gave me was was 2 words,"Hammer Down!" I started swinging my right arm like I was really trying to drive a nail very hard.  I picked up 35 yards of carry in 5 minutes, and went from a 5 to scratch in about 6 weeks due to now reaching many par fives in 2 and hitting 2 or 3 clubs less into long par fours.

[vandyland]

Basically everything I heard at Monte's clinic this past year. Wouldn't really call them "tips" but one that I will share is that you don't move your hips AT ALL during putting. I was surprised to see that I was using my hips to putt which sounds crazy when I say it out loud. 

[Javs]

Late to the party and haven’t read all the inputs. I have had several great, good and bad tips given to me over the years. The best few: first play each shot like it’s the last one you will ever hit. Meaning be committed and give your full attention. Second, strike the match. Meaning don’t quit on the shot(especially pitch and chips). Swing through the shot. Third, hands equal the club face. Meaning where your hands are at impact is where the club face is pointing. Open hands equals open club face. Lastly, expect to play well. Negative thoughts kill your game. So, when in doubt fall back to tip number one. 

[TitleistMike]

Second best tip - distance control with any club but especially wedges Think clock face. Ball is at six straight overhead is 12, as you rotate arms, MINIMAL wrist flex, some is natural, what distance trajectory is achieved as shaft arms align to 7,8,9 on clock face.

And then more natural wrist flex at 9,10,11,12 positions.

Now you can hit 4 different clubs, 9 plus three wedges, any distance based on 7,8,9,10,11,12 backswing.

[russtopherb]

"You're not good enough to get mad".

Keeps me more relaxed out there and helps with trying to have goldfish memory.

[Peejer]

2 hours ago, John Marchetto said:

Get it on the green.  When you miss the green and have a difficult chip don't try to make the hero shot just  get it on the green. 

Totally agree, often tell myself - no matter what, give yourself a putt.  The hero shot, for most, rarely works and chunking and leaving it in the rough or bunker leads to doubles or worse.

[TitleistMike]

23 hours ago, cnosil said:

Best “tip” was don’t rely on tips to improve your game; find quality instruction/coaching instead.  

A lesson is a tip. Nicklaus Palmer Boros Harvey Penick writings were loaded with tips. 

I made it to scratch never taking a lesson. Learned from all those tips.

[Firmadge]

I was once instructed when putting to see the line that I want to ball to roll on and then pick a spot about two feet in front of the ball and try to get the ball to roll over that spot. I continue to use that and it has helped me tremendously at hitting the right line. If I can read the break and choose the line then all I have to do is to get it rolling along that line to the hold. You have to figure out speed as well but if you can start it rolling in the right direction then you have a tremendous opportunity to make the putt. And mostly if I miss, then I am a tap in.

[Shlax]

The 3 tips/swing thoughts/psychological tools (i.e., nothing really technical) that I have found to be effective for me are:

1. Have a consistent pre-shot routine whether it's for driver, irons, chips or putting. This helps anchoring yourself in the moment and focus on the upcoming shot by giving you psychological reference points. I'm not talking any elaborate choreographies or obsessive-like mannerism, just a few simple moves or a repeatable address sequence.
2. This one is specific to driver, at least for me. Think "speed at the bottom" and not at the top. This helps me dropping my hands and somewhat shallow the club as I was, and still am, a serial slicer of the ball on occasions.
3. Forget your previous shot. This one is self explanatory. I used to be mad when I hit a bad shot and recognized that the mindset I was in was detrimental to the upcoming shot. No matter how bad or how good your last shot was, it doesn't have any impact on the next one. Of course, a drive that sails right might give you a bad lie or no shot at the green, but once you address that ball, the execution of your punch-out is completely independent of the bad drive before.

[Hook DeLoft]

17 hours ago, Paul Hedrick said:

During a lesson one time, the pro suggested I stand closer to the ball then I feel comfortable doing.  When I remember to do this, my shots are better.

I hit better shots when I stand farther away from the ball than I'm comfortable doing.  Just goes to show that what works for some may not work for others.

  I don't know if it would qualify as a tip, but years ago I took some lessons and the pro had me release my hands as fast as possible from the top of the back swing. It felt like I was casting and flipping my hands.  Because I had spent years trying not to early release and flip my hands, the instruction resulted in hitting the ball first, taking a nice divot that started on the target side of the ball and high, slight draws with a lot more distance.  That is a lesson I have had to relearn over and over.  In the last 4 or 5 months, I have gone back to that swing thought and, sure enough, high draws with better distance.  The irritating thing is I know I will slip back into holding off the release and hitting low bullets and have to start all over again.

What works for me probably doesn't work for many others.

[GRIPITANDRIPIT]

Know when to aim at the flag and when not to......and most of the time don't!  That alone took 3-4 strokes off of my index and allowed me to get to a level that I never thought I would.  It also tightened my score dispersion from round to round as I didn't seem to have the "blow up" holes as frequently.  I haven't dug into Decade Golf but I think they do a masterful job of teaching this and why it's so important.

[Peejer]

17 hours ago, Paul Hedrick said:

During a lesson one time, the pro suggested I stand closer to the ball then I feel comfortable doing.  When I remember to do this, my shots are better.

Same for me, it feels uncomfortable to get close, but I definitely hit the ball better.

[Goober]

I got a message on here a year and half ago from a poster. He told me to run don’t walk out to see Mr Martin Chuck at his tour striker academy. Best golfing decision I made since changing from persimmon to steel headed woods. Hahah. His academy and staff make the game (with the work put in)so enjoyable for everyone. Can’t wait to go back in April for a 4 th time 

[Shlax]

15 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

"You're not good enough to get mad".

Keeps me more relaxed out there and helps with trying to have goldfish memory.

Gold.

My girlfriend told me something similar no latter than this week. I came back from the range and was somewhat depleted as I couldn’t hit driver (i.e., badly sliced the ball whereas I was hitting draws on demand the week before after having worked on this aspect for wayyy too long).

She simply said: « Golf was never supposed to be THAT to you. » (implying that I take it too seriously). She was right.

I returned to the range the next evening, without any expectations, and BOOM: Draws are back on the menu!

[TalkBirdie2Me]

1. Self taught tip - for all wedges, irons and hybrids have the same swing - With my swing that I've developed I know the distances of each of my wedges/irons/hybrids and I can hit that distance 90% of the time. Basically it's more club, less swing - never swing 100% (except for DR and 3W). It's surprisingly accurate. I've made it to a 2hdcp with this swing. 

2. Aim for the middle of the green - Jon Sherman wrote an incredible book that every golfer should read called "The Four Foundations of Golf". In the book Sherman evaluates data collected from various platforms covering millions of shots and he notes that MOST amateurs come up short on their approach shots by a large amount. If Ams could get it in their heads to aim for the middle of the green they're going to be putting sooner and keeping big numbers off the card. Keeping big numbers off the card = lower handicaps. 

3. Sherman notes that "3 wood for safety" is a myth. You are only 1-5% more accurate with your 3W over your driver but you're losing 20-30 yards with your 3W. That loss in distance isn't (in general) worth it. This combined with the approach of Scott Fawcett (founder of Decade Golf), get comfortable with your driver and it's Driver off every tee unless proven otherwise. If driver is going to get you in trouble with full distance, fine pick up the 3W - otherwise the person closer to the hole and in play is going to shoot lower scores (typically). 

4. Breath work - Keep your heart rate consistent through your breathing. Controlling your breathing will help you keep your head on straight when your staring down a 6 foot birdie putt to win (90-scoring golfer 6 foot make rate is 40%). Check out 

 

5. If the pros only make 40% of their 10 foot putts, adjust your expectations accordingly. Don't get mad if you miss a 15 footer, the odds are you were going to miss it anyway. When you get to the practice green try making putts from 8 feet and in and then take one ball and lag putt for distances ≥ 10 feet. I'm not saying give up on the 15 footers but if you can improve your lag putting and be 2 putting everywhere outside of 10 feet, you're going to get better. Why outside of 10 feet? Well Sherman explains that from 100 yards tour pros are on average 15-18 feet from the cup... again adjust your expectations accordingly. We're not pros so practicing those longer distances would yield greater results in the long run. (Side note - Putting should only be about 20% of your practice time at most)

[TJ Hall]

When my dad first introduced me to golf, he showed me a couple of pointers (grip, stance, etc) and the said go figure out the rest…spent many hours in the yard hitting plastic balls but it made me own my swing

When things start going wrong on the course it helps to get things turned around since I had to figure out my swing. 

[bertler1]

Never got tips. But while I was a instructor the best thing I did was to correct alignment and grip these two things will help a lot of beginning to intermediate players

[DymnDog]

1 hour ago, TalkBirdie2Me said:

Aim for the middle of the green - Jon Sherman wrote an incredible book that every golfer should read called "The Four Foundations of Golf". In the book Sherman evaluates data collected from various platforms covering millions of shots and he notes that MOST amateurs come up short on their approach shots by a large amount. If Ams could get it in their heads to aim for the middle of the green they're going to be putting sooner and keeping big numbers off the card. Keeping big numbers off the card = lower handicaps. 

I'm listening to Sherman's Book on Audible during my morning walks and it's really great. But he refers to so many illustrations I bought a physical copy too to look at when I get home. I know the Audible Book comes with a pdf of illustrations but I like the full physical book. 

[Jack Jordan]

try tennis!