Every time I’m on the driving range I’m reminded of how much bad golf advice there is out there. You can see it in the uncomfortable motions that so many golfers are rehearsing as they practice.
To be fair, it takes lots of study and practice to truly understand how to improve the golf swing. That said, it doesn’t stop lots of unqualified people from giving out swing advice. Most of this advice (as you can imagine) is flat-out wrong.
Below are five common pieces of golf advice you should ignore — and what you should do instead.
1. Tee the ball lower if you pop up your driver
We’ve all hit pop-up drives that sky in the air with very little distance. When this happens, you’ve probably been told it was because you teed the ball up too high. That’s actually not the case. When you tee the ball lower, it tends to create a steeper angle of attack which is typically the cause of a pop-up. If you’re struggling with popping the ball up, you should focus on keeping a high tee height, tilting your shoulders away from the target and then swinging up on the ball.
2. Always use an open clubface in the bunker
Opening the clubface makes the ball travel higher and shorter and there are certain examples where this would be helpful. (For example, on short greenside bunker shots or when you need to clear a tall lip.) Opening the clubface also helps expose the bounce and allows the club to glide through the sand. However, opening the face on every bunker shots isn’t necessary. On longer bunker shots, for example, opening the face is not always recommended. This is also true for players with lower swing speeds. Many golfers can leave the club face square, keeping in mind that the face should not be closed or the shaft leaning forward at impact.
3. Keep your head down
It’s obvious which golfers have been told this advice as they are “paralyzed” in their follow through. Keeping the head down too long inhibits the body’s ability to move and pivot on the forward swing. This often results in fat shots or much less distance. Instead, you should focus on watching the club hit the ball and then allowing it to turn toward the target as you turn your body.
4. Always use a high-lofted wedge close to the green
While hitting a high pitch at the flag is a beautiful shot, it’s not always necessary. Instead of grabbing a sand or lob wedge every time you get near the green, first assess what type of shot is best suited for the situation. Then, make your club selection based on that. Sometimes a bump-and-run with an iron will put you in better position than a high flop.
5. Get under the ball to get it in the air
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but the best way to get the ball up in the air is actually by hitting down on it. When you try to get under the ball, you are not letting the club do its job. At the same time, you’re setting yourself up for poor contact. If you really want to hit the ball well, you’ve got to make ball-first contact — don’t try to scoop the ball.
