Watching golf. Does it improve your game?

[Tiger]

Unfortunately I don't have Sky so when The Open was on I recorded all the coverage. I have to say that watching the fluid nature of Oosthuizen and Donald's swings has been a joy, seeing how they play out of those crazy bunkers and also some of their decisions around the green has been a real eye opener. I just wondered if anyone felt that watching regular golf has had any positive impact on how they play?

The flip side to this argument is that watching the pros makes people take on impossible shots and take too long to get round.

 

[garyinderry]

you can watch slow motion videos of their shots all day on youtube. it can only be a good thing!

 

[Imurg]

It can be good to see how they plot their way around the course, where they tee it up etc but I don't think it helps your actual ability to hit the ball.
Every Pro has a different swing - much like us - so watching how Luke, Tiger or Rory swings isn't going to help me and how I swing.
Added to that, the courses we play on, generally, wouldn't be used for a pratice round by the Pros, the set-up is different - they just play a different game. Trying to emulate that is a Fool's Errand as far as I'm concerned

 

[GOLFBALL_WHACKER_GUY]

Ive watched a few luke donald videos on you tube, one in particular has helped me no end with shots on to the green and is probably why ive played some great rounds this year, despite not playing that often.

it was basically how to get more height with your wedges, but it also taught me not to aim for the pin, but use the green and its slopes to get to the hole. made the game that bit more interesting for me.

 

[CMAC]

Live especially, yes

 

[Neddy]

Personally don't think so. But watching Rory chunk that 3 wood the other day/ a pro miss a 3 footer always makes me feel slightly better about myself.

 

[Tiger]

Personally don't think so. But watching Rory chunk that 3 wood the other day/ a pro miss a 3 footer always makes me feel slightly better about myself.

I guess what I was thinking was having more realistic expectations based on witnessing things like this ^^^^ and how to execute shots round the green. Seen a lot of pros bumping the ball into the bank to take the pace off chips rather than flying it to the hole. We have loads of raised greens at my club so have been working on that technique. Definitely more about short game/course management ie accepting they need to lay up out of the rough, hitting irons off certain tees etc

 

[RGDave]

I guess it could help if you can watch certain shots (like short game) and draw some conclusions. It's not often you get a good close up of chipping and pitching though.

I'm not sure full swings are very helpful, unless they get slowed and analysed.

 

[Snelly]

I would say it does although it may also slow the speed of your round down markedly!

 

[Val]

Not a chance, watching the telly won't improve your technique

 

[CMAC]

stand at the practice fairway of a big tourney for 2 hours, you will absolutely learn a few things. TV or video isnt the same

 

[garyinderry]

watching how they play shots around the green does help. you can also see how they play bunker shots too. also seeing slow motion close ups of them hitting hyrbids helps. no doubts about it!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Unless you are able to understand exactly what they are doing and know your own swing so intimately that you are able to know what bits you could use and how to implement them then you have no chance.

 

[Val]

watching how they play shots around the green does help. you can also see how they play bunker shots too. also seeing slow motion close ups of them hitting hyrbids helps. no doubts about it!

No offence mate but that is nonsense, I doubt anyone on here can hit the Tiger stinger and we've seen that often enough on the box to see how it's done. Most players on here are happy getting up and out green side bunkers and have no idea how much sand to take to get the ball within 3 feet from 20 yards regardless of how slow it is shown on telly.

The only thing people can take from watching golf is a bit of course management but even then a pro's game is so much different from an amateurs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If you are going to watch a pro swing my advice would be to go to the range and watch their tempo. No effort or too many moving parts. Slow and effortless compared to the likes of me