Be Very Careful; the Internet is Dangerous

The internet is a dangerous place. Especially for golfers!

Add 30mph, really?


I just had a notification on my computer alerting me to a Youtube video that, if watched, will add 30mph to my swing speed. Well, no. For example, I’m 68 years old. My driver swing speed is 95-100mph depending on the day, etc. There is no way in the world I will ever get my swing speed to 130mph! I have mature students with swing speeds in the 70s who will never get to 100. I’m not too fond of headlines that promise X more yards or speed. This game is about how many strokes it took to get the ball in the hole. It’s not about hitting your nine iron 150 yards or any other notion of what you think you should be able to do. Here’s a tip. Do you want to hit your nine iron ten or so yards farther? Please put it back in your bag and hit your eight iron!

We are not them.


The guys on the PGA tour are hitting 300-plus yard drives, wedges from 150, etc. Good for them! Here’s another tip; you and I are not them. If they keep working, I have a couple of students who might hit the ball like that one day. But the vast majority of us? Nope.

How “big” is the course you play?

With only a few exceptions, the courses played on the PGA tour are around 7500 yards, some nearing 8000. Most of us mere mortals play courses in the 5500 to the 6500-yard range. Let’s get real. Is it fun to hit a 60-yard lob-wedge into a 360-yard par 4? Sure it is. It’s as much fun (maybe more) to hit a 120-yard nine iron into that same hole. Why do I say, “maybe more?” Because often, that 60-yard shot will be from the woods, rough, or worse yet, out of bounds. Rarely from the fairway. The 120-yard shot is much more often from the fairway. More fairways mean more greens hit, which translates to lower scores.

We all want to get better.


Working to maximize your swing efficiency is always a good idea. However, efficiency has multiple components. There is much more to consider than speed in searching for your maximum.
To improve, see a certified teaching professional. Remember, the internet is a dangerous place.

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