# Most common mistake by an amateur?



## white_feather (Nov 22, 2011)

What is the most common mistake that the experts see amateurs make on the golf course/range?


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## USER1999 (Nov 22, 2011)

Under club. Every time.

Until they over club, trying to hit a 3i out of 12" deep rough.


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## bluewolf (Nov 22, 2011)

We need a tumbleweed smilie so that I can put one here while we wait for the "experts" to show up. If you want an answer from a decent amateur then my suggestion would be the fact that most beginners don't realise the importance of lessons. Spend less following advertising promises and more honing a decent repeatable swing.


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## bobmac (Nov 22, 2011)

Trying to hit it too hard
Out to in swing
Scooping
Shot selection
Too much body movement in the short game.
Too ambitious
The armchair shot
Long backswing, short followthrough


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## thecraw (Nov 22, 2011)

The amount of people who don't know how yo take a preferred lie is incredible, it astounds me to see people in winter league ties moving a ball in excess of 10 feet and don't even mark the original ball position!


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## Monty_Brown (Nov 22, 2011)

Failing to doff their caps when the club captain approacheth, my Lord.

Bob, what is the armchair shot?

Oh, and poor set-up.


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## USER1999 (Nov 22, 2011)

It's like the money shot, only sitting down.


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## bobmac (Nov 22, 2011)

It's a name I've given to the golfer who does nothing with his lower half.
His feet dont move and his back foot looks like it's nailed to the ground
He might as well sit down and hit it.


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## bladeplayer (Nov 22, 2011)

Thinking we can play this cursed game


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## Monty_Brown (Nov 22, 2011)

murphthemog said:



			It's like the money shot, only sitting down.
		
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Best get the waterproofs out for that one.


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## daymond (Nov 22, 2011)

Forgetting to pack the golf shoes


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## USER1999 (Nov 22, 2011)

Expectations, and then getting frustrated with not playing to them.

If we did, we would be on telly.


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## Monty_Brown (Nov 22, 2011)

Coming over the top in an effort to hit it harder.

Believing that swing speed is the only way to hit it further, rather than improving the quality of strike.


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## fundy (Nov 22, 2011)

Thinking new clubs will solve all their swing problems


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## Imurg (Nov 22, 2011)

Thinking that lessons will cure all - when they don't practice inbetween lessons......


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## CliveW (Nov 22, 2011)

Leaving putts short!


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## Airlie_Andy (Nov 22, 2011)

bobmac said:



			Trying to hit it too hard
Out to in swing
Scooping
Shot selection
Too much body movement in the short game.
Too ambitious
The armchair shot
Long backswing, short followthrough
		
Click to expand...

Have you been following me around?!!


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## JustOne (Nov 22, 2011)

1) Roll their wrists and hit low hooks... then learn to hold it off and slice all day, by then the damage is done 

2) Too much weight on the right side, hit fat and thin shots all day long and wonder why.

3) Over-estimate how far they hit their AVERAGE drive


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## richart (Nov 22, 2011)

Hit the ball thin with their irons. Take a divot, the bigger the better. Please note I am not an expert and never have been, but it has never stopped me giving my opinion .


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## Oddsocks (Nov 22, 2011)

Thinking you have the game cracked just because you have had a few good rounds. DAM golfing gods use me as they play thing and i dont like it.


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## SocketRocket (Nov 22, 2011)

All the things Bob said + a poor or non existant putting routine.


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## Mattyboy (Nov 22, 2011)

Aiming miles right and having their right hand under the shaft and or chucking the club way over the top to compensate.

And finishing their putting stroke like theve just hit a full 4 iron!


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## chrisd (Nov 22, 2011)

Trying to explain the meaning of "tradition" to a Scot!



Chris


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## bobmac (Nov 22, 2011)

SocketRocket said:



			All the things Bob said + a poor or non existant putting routine.
		
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I didn't want to mention that in case people thought I was trying to sell more V-Easys which are incidentally[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]a great Christmas present for any golfer at a great price 
www.v-easy.co.uk


Not warming up before a game 
Ruining a good score with a bad last few holes. 
Worn grips 
Worn spikes 
Noisey waterproofs
Too many wedges
and finally (for now)....
Trying the spectacular when the simple would do better.


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## Oddsocks (Nov 22, 2011)

chrisd said:



			Trying to explain the meaning of "tradition" to a Scot!



Chris
		
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lol.. i bailed out at around page 8... havent been back since. lol


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## Airlie_Andy (Nov 22, 2011)

bobmac said:



			I didn't want to mention that in case people thought I was trying to sell more V-Easys which are incidentally[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]a great Christmas present for any golfer at a great price 
www.v-easy.co.uk


Not warming up before a game 
Ruining a good score with a bad last few holes. 
Worn grips 
Worn spikes 
Noisey waterproofs
Too many wedges
and finally (for now)....
Trying the spectacular when the simple would do better.




Click to expand...

Seriously stop stalking me!!!


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## chrisd (Nov 22, 2011)

Oddsocks said:



			lol.. i bailed out at around page 8... havent been back since. lol
		
Click to expand...


Best catch up OS there will be a quiz later!


Chris


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## timchump (Nov 22, 2011)

alignment

seens loads of guys line up to hit it in the trees and do exacty that


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## HomerJSimpson (Nov 22, 2011)

For my money it would be casting and coming over the top. Walk down any range and I bet that is the most common type of swing on display


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## Liverbirdie (Nov 22, 2011)

Deffo not clubbing up enough, when I was off about 13 I thought how many times in a year do I go through the back of greens 20, maybe 30. How many times am I short 300-500??? If your unsure, always club up. Probably that and getting more putts to the hole, got me down to 9.


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## HomerJSimpson (Nov 22, 2011)

Liverbirdie said:



			Deffo not clubbing up enough
		
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Is that really the biggest mistake. Surely a lot of this not reaching the green is as a result of hitting distance robbing huge slices into the rough as a result of OTT swings. How many golfers hit the ball left to right without meaning too. If Bob could market a two sponge practice aid (a plastic carrying bag, two sponges and a photocopied instruction sheet - Â£15.99) then so many golfers would hit further by hitting better


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## pokerjoke (Nov 22, 2011)

looking up too soon.
Duffed chips


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## sawtooth (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm not an expert but my guess is probably too much unhelpful body movement.


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## Smiffy (Nov 23, 2011)

Playing Anthony Lawrence for money


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## Pull (Nov 23, 2011)

I'd have to say not playing the percentage shot.. It's one of the things i'm trying to avoid.

I've often been guilty in trying the one in a million shot and like many amatuers it never pays off and ends in a big number. Play sideways, backwards, lay up etc and take the bogey rather than the tripple that more than often would happen.


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## ForeRighty (Nov 23, 2011)

Leaving Putts short is a killer for every standard of golfer but I do believe Putting sorts the men out from the boys.

I am a wee boy


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## theknife (Nov 23, 2011)

spending a small fortune on clubs n gear that theyve never going to get the benefit of.....spend it on lessons.


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## StrangelyBrown (Nov 23, 2011)

I've nodded at pretty much every post in this thread.

Except I don't know who Anthony Lawrence is.


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## Smiffy (Nov 23, 2011)

StrangelyBrown said:



			I've nodded at pretty much every post in this thread.

Except I don't know who Anthony Lawrence is.



Click to expand...

TXL
Bandit from Surrey
Looks a bit like Biggles.


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## bladeplayer (Nov 23, 2011)

Standing too close to the ball ... after youve hit it


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## kev_off_the_tee (Nov 23, 2011)

bobmac said:



			Trying to hit it too hard

Too ambitious
		
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have you been watching me play,or what ??? 

after gradually getting rid of these bad habits I'd agree with Bobmac, and also add this importance of a few lessons. It took me over 2 years but now I have eventually had some I've seen positive and fairly quick results


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## Mattyboy (Nov 23, 2011)

Having a chipper in their bag. 

Ooopppsss - the worms are escaping from the can I have just opened!


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## srixon 1 (Nov 23, 2011)

Buying a grands worth of clubs without testing them out first. Just because thingy on the tour has some then they will make me play better too, or maybe not........


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## Liverbirdie (Nov 24, 2011)

HomerJSimpson said:



			Is that really the biggest mistake. Surely a lot of this not reaching the green is as a result of hitting distance robbing huge slices into the rough as a result of OTT swings. How many golfers hit the ball left to right without meaning too. If Bob could market a two sponge practice aid (a plastic carrying bag, two sponges and a photocopied instruction sheet - Â£15.99) then so many golfers would hit further by hitting better
		
Click to expand...

Fair point, but I think some of the big things are to do with attitude, approach, course management. These things you can easily change for the better. Swing changes, correct equipment all take lots of time/ability/money. The others are all free, and pretty much commonsense. 

I take your point though.


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## grumpyjock (Nov 24, 2011)

white_feather said:



			What is the most common mistake that the experts see amateurs make on the golf course/range?
		
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Picking a club up!


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## HomerJSimpson (Nov 24, 2011)

HomerJSimpson said:



			Is that really the biggest mistake. Surely a lot of this not reaching the green is as a result of hitting distance robbing huge slices into the rough as a result of OTT swings. How many golfers hit the ball left to right without meaning too. If Bob could market a two sponge practice aid (a plastic carrying bag, two sponges and a photocopied instruction sheet - Â£15.99) then so many golfers would hit further by hitting better
		
Click to expand...




Liverbirdie said:



			Fair point, but I think some of the big things are to do with attitude, approach, course management. These things you can easily change for the better. Swing changes, correct equipment all take lots of time/ability/money. The others are all free, and pretty much commonsense. 

I take your point though.
		
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Surprised Bob hasn't jumped on the sales opportunity to market the sponge drill


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## StrangelyBrown (Nov 25, 2011)

Smiffy said:



			TXL
Bandit from Surrey
Looks a bit like Biggles.
		
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That made me giggle a little too much


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## DaveM (Nov 25, 2011)

Starting to play this damn game in the first place.


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## MadAdey (Nov 25, 2011)

Thinking that shiny new Â£300 driver will lower his handicap......just as he reaches for the Â£5 sports direct Donnay putter...:lol:. 
Or that replacing last years Â£300 driver another Â£300 driver will help him find the fairway as it is the club not the player that makes the ball go out of bounds 3 times a round!!!

SPEND THAT Â£300 THIS YEAR ON GETTING SOME LESSONS FOR GODS SAKE AND STOP BLAMING YOUR DRIVER!!!!!!!!!!


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## sev112 (Nov 25, 2011)

Buying Nike Tiger Woods branded golf apparel that you are not allowed to wear on a golf course ...???


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## sev112 (Nov 25, 2011)

Buying PRO V1 (or sim. eq.) golf balls and playing with them themselves


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## A1ex (Dec 23, 2011)

Spending money on top of the range gear hoping it will fix swing faults.


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## DaveM (Dec 23, 2011)

HomerJSimpson said:



			For my money it would be casting and coming over the top. Walk down any range and I bet that is the most common type of swing on display
		
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Agree with Homer 100% on this one:fore: ..


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