Should we give tips to beginners?

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shanker

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I enjoyed a game this morning with a ''new golfer''. I noticed that he gripped the club very low (i.e. he was almost holding the shaft instead of the grip.) He also took it away nicely for 12 inches or so and then lifted it almost vertically. I mentioned his faults and he took my comments well but was I right? Comments welcome.
 
Absolutely, I am relatively new to photography and take tips any time I can get them. Id say everyone but the most egotistic learner would do the same in any discipline.
 
I wouldn't call the first bit a fault after all Kim grips in a similar fashion and it hasn't done him any harm.

Nothing wrong with the odd tip if a)you know what you are telling them is in fact correct or b)they can intake these tips and it helps to improve them.
 
I think its dangerous territory if you dont know your stuff.
If someone asks you for help, you may tell him the wrong thing and confuse him even more.
In the passed I have taught people who have been given all sorts of advice, alot of it wrong.
One student came to me with his ball position almost off his back foot for a 5 iron.
At one stage he was duffing all his shots and someone told him to move the ball back in his stance and boy, did he !!!
As it turns out, his ball position wasn't the problem, he was leaning back at impact trying to hit the ball up, causing the big divots.
If you're not sure you can give good advice, dont give any.
 
Scenario
You are in the bar at a golf club and a chap comes up to you for some advice.
He says 'I've got this really bad pull to the right. I'm missing everything by 15 yds, not bending in the air, just going straight right.'
What advice would you give?
 
If you're not sure you can give good advice, dont give any.
Click to expand...
Yes, Bob. You're probably right. I've never been a very good player (lowest handicap 3) but I can't resist pointing out the most obvious faults.
 
Bob as a kid I had several lessons from Roger Jennings who coached me at county level,he was some sort of EGU main man where coaching was concerned and a bit of a legend apparently....anyhow I always remember he was a right one for getting the ball well back in the stance be it with a wedge or a 3 iron! I can still hear him 'get it back,further back,c'mon back and squeeze it into the ground!' I still think he's why I hit such a low flight!How folks teaching styles differ..
 
When I took up golf relatively recently I found the only people to give tips on my game were the people who were not that great themselves. I don't mind taking advice from anyone on things such as etiquette or rules but if someone starts giving me advice on my swing, stance etc then it completely messes up my head and makes me quite annoyed, even if I have not taken any notice of their advice. My dad is one for doing this and as a result no-one wants to play with him in any of our society days.
 
I try not to give advice but recently on the range there was a fifteen year old lad in the next bay. He was thrashing frenetically at the balls and getting nowhere. As he was about to hit his last ball, I suggested he swing at no more than half speed. He did so and the ball flew nicely. "I'll go and get another bucket of balls" he said and dashed off into the shop.
I felt quite proud. :rolleyes:
 
Scenario
You are in the bar at a golf club and a chap comes up to you for some advice.
He says 'I've got this really bad pull to the right. I'm missing everything by 15 yds, not bending in the air, just going straight right.'
What advice would you give?
Click to expand...

Is this bloke left handed?.....is it a trick question?

I only ever make suggestions for problems with direction at the range, never on the course......

I think it's fair game to point out obvious faults; bad posture, poor alignment, weak/strong grip, overly upright or flat plane...but also, I don't mention it during a game....

As for the swing itself, I would never comment save one situation, and that is if I see a swing on video and can spot something that I've struggled with. If I have no personal experience, I keep well quiet.....
 
Scenario
You are in the bar at a golf club and a chap comes up to you for some advice.
He says 'I've got this really bad pull to the right. I'm missing everything by 15 yds, not bending in the air, just going straight right.'
What advice would you give?
Click to expand...

Go and book a lesson with the pro ;)
 
All teachers differ but the one thing a good teacher will do is see whats wrong and give the right advice for that individual.

Anyone can teach from a book without any teaching ability or knowledge of the subject,likewise from experience, the end result is what is usually left in need of help when mistakes are made.

I never offer advice unless asked and its always general advice not likely to have negative affect on the individual, this forum is a place where the questions are asked, but I am always careful of what I say and how I say it.

It is best left to those who teach the subject for fine detail and comprehensive advice/instruction. I could give lots of advice but as I am not a practiced teacher in this field I may well make lots of mistakes passing that info on. Its not that I dont know the faults in a given situation or dont have enough Golf experience, but teaching someone something new or correcting in detail is a job for those who do it all the time. It is so very very easy to make a simple mistake that can cock up a players game or confuse them.

In conclusion, I wouldn't say dont give any advice, but I would say becareful what you advise. Telling them to see someone who teaches all the time is the best way forward.

Here is an analogy......
An Instruction book was sent out to Africa with a load of motorcycles to be used as charity transport over rough terrain. The part about how to set off was interesting.....

Engine running, Pull in clutch, engage 1st gear, twist throttle to increase revs, RELEASE CLUTCH! :eek:

Whats wrong here then???? :D

Teaching is for teachers. ;)
 
Ah but have you ever met 3 teaching pros who dont have 3 different approaches to the same issue?
 
Ah but have you ever met 3 teaching pros who dont have 3 different approaches to the same issue?
Click to expand...

Thats a fair point. I have heard two different pros given conflicting advice on ball position for example. One says you keep the ball a constant distance from the left instep and move your right foot away more the longer the club. The other says that its middle for mid irons, off the left heel for driver, and then somewhere in between for woods and long irons. WHich advice do you listen to ?!
 
Why is it a fair point? A teacher should be able to adjust their teaching method to suit the pupil, different in a class of many, but on a one to one, a good teacher should be able to try many different approaches to get the best result from the pupil, it doesn't mean they are particularly different from another teacher in producing results, if you only know one way to teach something to someone, you are not really a teacher in my book and you will only ever have a limited number of clients able to understand that single method.Every single person who picks up clubs are different in physique and mental application and understanding, thats why you will see differences.
 
From a pedagogical point of view, I'm surprised at the way golf coaching works and peoples attitude to it.
For most teachers there are things to be learned and things to be avoided. There are some hard and fast rules vs. less clear areas and plenty of topics still up for discussion.

If a "bad" golfer offers some comment that I know is correct, I thank them for their input and consider it. If a "good" golfer offers a comment that is above my understanding or a very technical assessment, I thank them and then "store" the thought until my next lesson.

What I don't like is when I read comments along the lines of "keep at it, everyone swings differently and you'll be ok". To me, this is wrong. The quickest way to improve in anything is to "aspire" to the ideal technique and only accept deficiencies once you have exhausted every effort to put the bad elements within the parameters of current thinking.

For years, I improved by going to the range and taking lessons. There was a lad there who was dead keen and never took lessons or advice. He should have got better quicker than me (being young) but he didn't. I could see (in his swing) many things which I'd tried to change to make me better (under advice from my pros). I never offered any advice to him. Playing with a poor grip or terrible posture or dodgy alignment is something that all of us can see and comment on.

In most of the areas I work in, tips to beginners are not only accepted but encouraged. Folks should feel able to comment on simple things and then leave the "proper stuff" to the pros.

I guess the difficulty is working out where to draw the line.
 
A teacher should be able to adjust their teaching method to suit the pupil, different in a class of many, but on a one to one, a good teacher should be able to try many different approaches to get the best result from the pupil, it doesn't mean they are particularly different from another teacher in producing results, if you only know one way to teach something to someone, you are not really a teacher in my book and you will only ever have a limited number of clients
Click to expand...

Well said. I will add that a good teacher also knows when to leave something alone (because it will suffice for now) and when something really needs "fixing" to have any hope.

My experience of pga pros is that they are some of the best skilled at this aspect (compared to other sports).
 
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