Robster59
Tour Rookie
A new video from Mark Crossfield.
On the whole, I agree with what he has to say on these, others may diagree.
On the whole, I agree with what he has to say on these, others may diagree.
10 Golf Myths
- Thread starter Robster59
- Start date
Neilds
Assistant Pro
He contradicts himself quite a bit. The bit about keeping your head down - he then stresses turning your head, not lifting or lowering it.
Also, I think the bit about swinging too fast is correct - if you change the words to "too hard" for your technique/physique/capability.
Also, I think the bit about swinging too fast is correct - if you change the words to "too hard" for your technique/physique/capability.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Agree with most of these. A lot of them are basically proven facts now.
Number 3 is a great one - "never up never in" is proven nonsense. I've lost count of the number of times my mate and betterball partner will have a putt for a point or to a win a hole when the half is already secured, and says or thinks something like "right, got to give it a chance" - then steams it ten feet past so it had no chance whatsoever. When I'm putting I never consciously attempt to get it past the hole, or short of the hole - I just hit what I think is the speed to get it to the hole. If you're aiming everything two feet past, you're going to have a lot of six footers to make. If you could centre your dispersion around 6 inches past the hole, that would probably be ideal, but are we good enough to do that? Probably not. Just aim for the hole.
I have caveats to a couple of them:
Number 5 - keep your head down. I get what he's saying, that if you take to extremes it's bad. But I think it's just a short-hand way of getting a beginner golfer to not sway off the ball and not lift their head and shoulders out of the shot too early and top it. So telling them to try and keep their head still hits two birds with one stone. But if you're keeping your head completely rigid then you've simply gone too far the other way.
Number 9 - OK, a new driver won't completely fix a slice, he's not wrong there, but it definitely helps. I've had plenty of times when I struggled with slicing, and the Ping SFT drivers I've had - I've seen them turn a 40 yard slice into a 20 yard slice, which in turn might keep you in play an extra two or three times in a round. But no, it's obviously not going to turn a slice into a draw.
Number 3 is a great one - "never up never in" is proven nonsense. I've lost count of the number of times my mate and betterball partner will have a putt for a point or to a win a hole when the half is already secured, and says or thinks something like "right, got to give it a chance" - then steams it ten feet past so it had no chance whatsoever. When I'm putting I never consciously attempt to get it past the hole, or short of the hole - I just hit what I think is the speed to get it to the hole. If you're aiming everything two feet past, you're going to have a lot of six footers to make. If you could centre your dispersion around 6 inches past the hole, that would probably be ideal, but are we good enough to do that? Probably not. Just aim for the hole.
I have caveats to a couple of them:
Number 5 - keep your head down. I get what he's saying, that if you take to extremes it's bad. But I think it's just a short-hand way of getting a beginner golfer to not sway off the ball and not lift their head and shoulders out of the shot too early and top it. So telling them to try and keep their head still hits two birds with one stone. But if you're keeping your head completely rigid then you've simply gone too far the other way.
Number 9 - OK, a new driver won't completely fix a slice, he's not wrong there, but it definitely helps. I've had plenty of times when I struggled with slicing, and the Ping SFT drivers I've had - I've seen them turn a 40 yard slice into a 20 yard slice, which in turn might keep you in play an extra two or three times in a round. But no, it's obviously not going to turn a slice into a draw.
Neilds
Assistant Pro
And I can't believe he didn't mention the myth that players can feel how soft/hard a ball is through their club 
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Some good ones in there and many I agree with.
3. Thank god someone finally said it, @Orikoru states it perfectly about people launching it past the hole and missing the one back all because they’re scared of leaving it a foot short of the hole because “never up , never in”. I’d have gone further with the addition “missing on the high side is the pro side “ that one winds me up as well guess what you still missed it regardless of the side which means you still misread it!!
4. Swinging to fast again never seen anyone that swings to fast at all. People want more distance but don’t swing fast enough. They might make certain moves to quickly like snatching the transition but generally most are over deliberate with technique.
5. It’s a tough one as everything he says is right but with the language we use keeping the head down is a basic descriptive word that can be used if properly explained by meaning keep the eye on the ball and staying centred for contact. So jury is out on this one for me.
6. Is spot on nearly everyone I know immediately states they hit a 7iron 150yards without knowing if that’s carry, roll out etc it just seems a stock answer.
8. Is depending on the course you play is an overall skillset. I do agree that everyone could lower their scores if they hit it further. Strokes gained with distance will make a difference to everyone. But I’d simply say you need to be long enough to play the course not necessarily a long player if that makes sense.
9. Rubbish we all know buying a new driver solves all issues and it’s worth the money. Why else are we meant to tell our wives when we have to find an excuse to tell our wives why we just dropped a mortgage payment on a new club
10. He nails for me.
3. Thank god someone finally said it, @Orikoru states it perfectly about people launching it past the hole and missing the one back all because they’re scared of leaving it a foot short of the hole because “never up , never in”. I’d have gone further with the addition “missing on the high side is the pro side “ that one winds me up as well guess what you still missed it regardless of the side which means you still misread it!!
4. Swinging to fast again never seen anyone that swings to fast at all. People want more distance but don’t swing fast enough. They might make certain moves to quickly like snatching the transition but generally most are over deliberate with technique.
5. It’s a tough one as everything he says is right but with the language we use keeping the head down is a basic descriptive word that can be used if properly explained by meaning keep the eye on the ball and staying centred for contact. So jury is out on this one for me.
6. Is spot on nearly everyone I know immediately states they hit a 7iron 150yards without knowing if that’s carry, roll out etc it just seems a stock answer.
8. Is depending on the course you play is an overall skillset. I do agree that everyone could lower their scores if they hit it further. Strokes gained with distance will make a difference to everyone. But I’d simply say you need to be long enough to play the course not necessarily a long player if that makes sense.
9. Rubbish we all know buying a new driver solves all issues and it’s worth the money. Why else are we meant to tell our wives when we have to find an excuse to tell our wives why we just dropped a mortgage payment on a new club
10. He nails for me.
SteveW86
Head Pro
Did people putting top spin on the ball get mentioned?
The one about never up never in I get, there was a video Rick Sheils did with someone who talked about this quite a lot, can’t remember his name.
The one about never up never in I get, there was a video Rick Sheils did with someone who talked about this quite a lot, can’t remember his name.
sjw
Well-known member
Can't remember his name either but it was the guy from Decade golf. That stuck with me as well. The best putters in the world, from 30+ feet, leave 75% of their putts within 10% of the distance their putt was from. If I putt from 30 feet now and leave it within 3 feet. I tell myself that was a Tour-level putt and I'm pretty damn happy with it.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Scott Fawcett, Decade Golf. The one where he caddied for him and Rick scored extremely well. But continues to ignore everything he should have learned that day.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Agree - it makes me laugh when golfers absolutely crucify themselves for leaving it one foot short. Like they'd rather be three foot past the hole. Why? One foot short is a tap-in. When I leave it one foot short, I'm happy I'm not three-putting (usually
). I miss more three-footers than I miss one-footers.
Robster59
Tour Rookie
As I say, I tend to agree with most of these points, but by each:
- Fully agree. For me it's almost a self delusional thing. Why not use all the technology that is out there.
- Agree, comfortably rather than painfully straight. Basically try to avoid a massively bent arm.
- I tend to aim for the back of the hole anyway, if I try to hit it too hard, it too often goes too far.
- It's speed with control. My swing speed is medium low and I hit about 200-210 yards with a driver. As he says, tempo is more important.
- I prefer to say keep your eye on the ball rather than say head down.
- My 7 iron does go circa 150 yards but I know that varies depending on weather, lie, wind, green elevation, etc. You have to take all those into consideration. And my new 7 iron is more lofted than my old so it really depends on the loft of the club.
- Dress codes I leave up to the club and the player. I'm a bit old school so prefer to dress as a golfer rather than a football supporter, and wear clothing that is practical to the conditions.
- Controlled distance is better. A shorter iron to the green is always beneficial. And it feels good to hit a long shot!
- My missus asks do I need another club. My Callaway XR16 is straight and pretty long so why spend £300+ for a new driver that may be no better? Unless someone buys it for me.
- Agreed. Who doesn't think I could have scored better if I had not messed up that shot.
timd77
Assistant Pro
Is it full of AI slop? Haven’t watched him for a month or so now since he introduced all that rubbish, does my head in.
IanM
Journeyman Pro
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- May 18, 2009
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- Monmouthshire, UK via Guildford!
sunshine
Well-known member
Never up, never in is factually correct. You will hole 0% of putts that don't reach the hole. A putt that rolls a foot past the hole will drop if it is on target.
sunshine
Well-known member
Agree - it makes me laugh when golfers absolutely crucify themselves for leaving it one foot short. Like they'd rather be three foot past the hole. Why? One foot short is a tap-in. When I leave it one foot short, I'm happy I'm not three-putting (usually
Depends on the difficulty of the putt. If I have a 10 footer, I'd probably rather knock it 3 feet past than leave it 1 foot short.
For long putts, dispersion is important. I'm very happy to leave it 1 foot short from 60 feet away.
sunshine
Well-known member
And I can't believe he didn't mention the myth that players can feel how soft/hard a ball is through their club
Surely you can feel the difference between a top flite and a pro V1. Don't tell me it's just the sound
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
I’d rather leave a 10 foot uphill putt a foot short that race it 3 foot past and have a tricky 3 foot breaking putt down hill for par.
The never up never in is always caveated by situation and circumstances of where you are in the round surely.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Why? This is dumb. A miss is a miss, and closer is always better.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
And I can't believe he didn't mention the myth that players can feel how soft/hard a ball is through their club
So are you saying you can’t tell the difference between a super soft ball and something like a top flite
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
I would rather the putt go past the hole 2 ft than leave it short 1 ft
Orikoru
Tour Winner
The point is the mentality it creates is wrong. "Never up never in" guys will hit too many putts 5 and 6 feet past and miss the ones coming back. If you are good enough to hit it just one foot past every single time, then all power to you. Most people are not, and actively trying to get it past the hole, results in a lot of putts going too far past the hole. If your dispersion is focused on the hole, then yes you'll leave some short, but overall you will three-putt less.
