One of the neat things that I encounter from teaching golf as well as hosting an all golf instruction radio program is the many questions that come from golf enthusiasts who are hungry for more information and help for their game. The majority of golfers who are on this quest to shoot lower scores find themselves reading and listening to countless golf tips and instruction articles. Yet the majority of them come away with a lot of great information but their scores don’t reflect all the extra knowledge they have. Here are a few suggestions to help all of you taking more out of the next Golf Magazine you pick up and to help you lower your golf handicap by the end of the season.
“Know your tendencies”. Picking up an instruction magazine and trying everything in it would be like walking into a pharmacy and taking one of everything on the shelves. Everything in the pharmacy is there to help you if it for the right symptoms or illness. There are some things in the pharmacy which could make you feel worse if it is for the wrong illness or symptom. Golf instruction articles are the same way. Everything in the magazines comes from the best teachers in the world. All of their information is valid and helpful if you suffer from the correct problem. If you really want to improve at golf find out what the tendencies in “YOUR” golf swing are. It is important to know what your biggest flaw is and what mistake it can cause. This information will help you find the right article to help you work towards a better golf swing. Not every article is for every golfer or every swing. Know what needs fixing on you and then you can get help for your swing.
“Know where your strokes are going” If you want to play better you should be using some type of round tracking system to keep track of where all the strokes are going in your golf game. For example one player might off the top of their head assume that they do not make enough birdies therefore they need to hit more greens. Without further analysis this player might waste a lot of time working on their iron play on the practice range. However after deeper analysis the player might find that they hit the ball out of play far too many times which causes them to have to play out of trouble or short of the green. Armed with this information you will be able to find the right information in Golf Magazine to help you improve your accuracy off the tee. Know where your strokes are going so you know what to read and try.
“Play better not just swing better”. The pages of magazines are filled with great articles from the best teachers on different philosophies on how to swing the club. Most players I know really want to shoot lower scores or lower their handicap. Some of the best information and help found between the covers of a Golf Magazine is help on how to think you around the course from the great players and teachers of the game. Learn management and playing strategies from these great players and apply them to your game. It is quite possible that you can shave strokes off your game simply by learning to think and plan your way around the course more like a tour player.
“Use as a supplement to your instruction program” No teacher has all the answers and yours doesn’t either. Most of the best ideas I have used on my students have come from the interviews I have done with the great teachers I interview each week on the Dewsweepers or from the articles I read in Golf Magazine. If you read a magazine article which you feel like is a fresh look or a new approach to help you with your swing tendencies or to help you fix your scoring issues do yourself a favor and take the article to your teacher. As teachers sometimes we get too close to a situation or wrapped up in what we prefer to do that it can very helpful to have a fresh approach or idea brought to us. Hey, you might not only help yourself but you might bring an idea to your teacher that helps out some other struggling golfers as well!
The best advice I can give you for getting more out of reading an instruction magazine is to not use a shotgun approach but rather narrow the scope of the information you are looking for. You can become a better player from understanding your swing and your game better. Then you can pursue the information articles written to aid in these areas. Instruction articles can be a great way to help you along the pursuit of making your game better!
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~ Tony Ruggiero