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If you’ve played golf enough times, you’ve definitely been given some swing advice that you did not ask for. When you approach a teacher or friend and ask for their advice that is one thing. That means you aren’t completely comfortable with what you’ve got at the moment and would like their input. If they help you, great! But what about those people who are always giving you their input on your “weird swing” while you’re playing with them? That’s where you need to draw the line.

I have a few friends who know my game pretty well and I don’t mind them chiming in every once in a while IF my game is off. But other than that, any advice I’m given goes in one ear and straight out the other. And that’s the way it should be! When someone gives you swing advice, they are essentially questioning what you’ve got going at the moment. If you’re comfortable and confident with what you’ve got, then you must block out this advice. It will only make you begin to question your swing, and this self-doubt will hurt your confidence in a major way.

I can recall one instance where some unsolicited advice messed with my putting for an entire year. I was young, about 16 years old, and putting reasonably well at the time. Nowhere is confidence more important than your putting. I had missed a couple short putts in a round at this local tournament. One of my playing partners (a better player than I was at the time) seemed to notice my ball position in my putting stance. It was well forward just inside my front foot. He said he didn’t know why I would play it so far forward. At the time I didn’t really know why either, that’s just the way I did it. But he got me thinking about it and I decided to try and move the ball back to the middle of my stance. Needless to say the remainder of that round was a mess for me. I switched my ball position back and forth and it never felt right. I tried to play the ball in the middle of my stance for the rest of that year. I was a mess on the greens. Not only did it feel strange when I had the ball in the middle, but now it felt strange putting the ball forward where I normally had it. After some time off in the winter I decided to go back to my original ball position just inside my front foot. I built my confidence back up and I still use that ball position today.

So how can you avoid getting caught up in someone’s advice?

Here’s what works for me. Every round I have only one swing thought. Many times it’s the same thought from my previous round. It doesn’t have to be anything mechanical either. When I’m putting I just think of that sound the ball makes when it lands in the cup. I get so caught up in that sound that I forget about any mechanics. That works for me. It’s important to have just one thought. If you have more than that, it is too confusing for your mind and muscles to handle. Keep it simple for them.

Swing advice is good, when you need and want it. Otherwise do not accept it. It can have serious repercussions. Also, make it easy on your friends; don’t give out any advice unless they ask for it!

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Source by Sandy Mackay

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