The 10 Worst Pieces of Golf Advice

Do you want to play better and lower your handicap? If so, you need to ignore the worst pieces of golf advice that might be hurting more than helping your game.

As this great game continues to evolve, it’s important to revisit old myths and use technology to our advantage. Because chances are, some old tips you might have heard 10 or 20 years ago might be outdated and making it harder to score to your potential.

Today, I’ll help you understand why these 10 golf tips aren’t helping your game and what will lead to lower scores this year. 

Key Takeaways

• We’re in an information overload era, and some golf tips might be holding you back from playing your best golf.
• Some of the most outdated golf tips include “keep your head down”, “lay up to a perfect distance”, and “low and slow on the backswing.”
• Another part of the game that is confused by so many golfers is the importance of speed and its impact on tempo and transition. 
• Not to mention, more speed and strength (from regular workouts) makes it easier to hit from the rough and improve launch. 

Keep reading to avoid the 10 worst pieces of golf advice to play better than ever. 

10 Worst Pieces of Golf Advice 

1. Low and Slow on the Backswing

If there’s one piece of golf advice that has hurt my game more than anything else, it’s this – take the club low and slow on the way back. I did just that for 20+ years… but I also didn’t hit it very far and had a quick transition which led to all sorts of mishits.

Don’t get me wrong, the takeaway is an important part of the swing that sets up the downswing. However, you have to accelerate and gain speed at some point. If you wait until you start your downswing, you’ll likely have a fast transition and inconsistent ball striking.

Once I learned about tempo and sped it up, my swing changed fast and started hitting it longer than ever. Need more proof? Look at professional golfers vs. amateurs.

Pros swing in about one second… while amateurs take 1.5 to 3 seconds. 

Pros also hit it 20-40+ yards past scratch golfers and closer to 100 yards longer than the average player. Other than a handful of players over the years, very few take the club back slowly.

Instead, the majority of guys – especially great drivers of the ball like Rory McIlroy – have a faster backswing. Download the Tour Tempo app to start timing your tempo and improving your long and short game tempo. 

2. Keep Your Head Down 

How many times have you heard that you need to keep your head down during the golf swing? 

It’s one of the oldest pieces of advice but not necessarily one that is helpful. While it’s well-intentioned, it might actually be hurting your game more than it’s helping. 

As Hank Haney (Tiger’s old swing coach) said in Golf Digest, “One of the worst clichés I hear is that you’ve got to keep your head down during the backswing. The same idea applies through impact. Keeping your head down can limit turning. Odds are, this will make you hit it fat.”

Most people hear this advice after the dreaded topped shot. This is when the club hits the top part of the ball (hence the name) and usually a short, dribbler shot that doesn’t go very far. 

In reality, most topped shots happen from coming out of your posture more than raising your head. A better version of this tip might be “keep your eye on the ball” as this might help you stay in your posture longer. Which can help keep your spine angle consistent and make better contact.

Why You Don’t Need to Keep Your Head Down 

If you’re like me, chances are you might need a little more convincing about this concept. Why? Because it’s probably been ingrained in your mind for years (if not decades).

But there are two great examples of players who were extremely accomplished and did not keep their head down. Those two players are David Duval and Annika Sorrenstam. 

If you watch them swing you’ll notice their head is up and looking at the target very early in the downswing. Yet, they never missed the ball and were two incredible players (Annika is arguably the greatest women’s golfer ever). 

This isn’t to say you should swing like them but more to illustrate the point that keeping your head down is not everything. The reason they likely made such good contact is two parts – fundamentals (of course) but also being right eye dominant. 

You can learn more about eye dominance in the golf swing here. 

3. Hit 3-Wood to Find the Fairway  

If you need to hit a fairway, do you pull out the driver or 3W? 

If you’re like most golfers, chances are you pull out the smaller club to find the short grass. But unless you track your stats and know that your 3-metal is more accurate, it might be time to reassess that claim.

Why?

Because Arccos Golf found that hitting 3-wood isn’t actually that much more accurate than hitting a driver. Their database includes more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds using their Smart Sensors (which are a great way to learn more about your golf game). 

As mentioned in Golf Monthly, “You might think that 5 handicappers find fairway after fairway, but the data shows that they actually hit just under 50% of fairways with drivers. Taking a 3 wood ups that chance by just under 3% at 52.6%, showing that maybe 3 wood isn’t always worth hitting compared to driver.”

That’s right – five handicaps, who are well above the average male golfer (which is about a 14 handicap) only found the short grass 3% more of the time. Needless to say, hitting 3-wood doesn’t always guarantee a fairway, but it always ensures you’ll be further back from the green. A longer approach shot, regardless of skill level, leads to a higher scoring average.

This is why it’s a good idea to track your stats and figure out if you’ll benefit from 3W or driver more often. Also, make sure to learn more about the different types of 3-woods here. 

4. Keep Your Lead Arm Straight

Another common piece of advice in the instructional world is that you need a straight left arm throughout the swing. But a lot of times this can lead to a stiff arm and too much tension in your upper body. 

A little bend in the left arm won’t cause you to hit bad shots and actually might lead to more consistency. The important thing is to make sure it gets back to the same spot at impact more than anything else. 

5. Fire Your Hips on the Downswing

If you’re like most golfers, chances are you want to hit it longer and straighter off the tee. A lot of swing advice to help you achieve both those goals is to fire your hips faster. Ben Hogan talked about this concept in length in his book, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons.

And I’m definitely not disagreeing with one of the best ball strikers of all time. However, it’s important to understand that there is some more context to that piece of advice. Yes, you need to unwind your hips… but you need the proper weight transfer as well.

If you start your downswing and the first move is opening your hips, it’s easy to leave your weight on your back foot. Which will lead to spinning out, hitting it thin, and likely a slice too.

While you do need to fire your hips, you need to transfer your weight properly as well. When you get your weight to your lead leg, then you can unwind your lower body for a solid strike.

Learn more about using ground force in the golf swing next. 

6. Lay Up for a Perfect Distance 

Another piece of golf wisdom over the years was to always lay up to the perfect distance. 

For example, if you have 250 to a par 5 green and can’t get there in one shot, lay up to a good distance for your approach shot. Which is usually a full swing distance for your lob or sand wedge.

The idea is that if you have a full wedge (not a partial half wedge distance into the green) you’ll hit it closer. In theory, this sounds good, but we have too much data now that says otherwise. Unless you can’t carry a penalty area or OB is in play, get as close to the green as possible. 

Learn more about laying up now. 

7. Stop Swinging Too Fast (Getting Quick on the Transition) 

A saying I heard a lot growing up was “you’re getting quick.” 

Which typically meant my transition move was too fast (to the naked eye). In reality, the only reason I was too quick (and so many other golfers) is that my backswing was too slow.

Remember the first piece of advice to ignore in this article – “low and slow on the way back.” A slower backswing is the leading cause of a quick transition. Speed up your backswing to improve your tempo and transition.

There really is no such thing as swinging too fast. Most golfers simply swing too slow.

In 2016 my average swing took about 1.3 to 1.5 seconds (from start to finish). Now, my swing is close to a second and sometimes .95 seconds.

I’ve also never hit it longer, had more fun, or had more speed. My drives are 25+ yards longer and each iron is at least 10 yards longer too… which makes the game a lot easier.

Needless to say, speed up your swing for a smoother transition and more distance. 

8. Golfer Don’t Lift Heavy Weights

Prior to Tiger Woods, golfers weren’t typically known as athletes. Maybe it was John Daly chain-smoking cigarettes during the round or golfers’ love for beers at the 19th hole. But Tiger changed that once and for all with his insane commitment to working out. 

Now, nearly every player on the PGA Tour has a consistent exercise routine. A lot of them – like Rory, Brooks, and Bryson – also lift heavy weights. 

Why?

Because lifting heavy will help you add more muscle and hit it longer with every club in the bag. 

As Olympia Fitness stated, “Because the average PGA backswing lasts around 0.75 seconds and the downswing is roughly 0.25 seconds, the amount of power PGA golfers are capable of generating in one second is incredible and does not happen by sheer luck.  

The ability to produce such power is enhanced through heavy strength and power-based training because motor-unit recruitment improves.” 

This doesn’t mean you should walk into a gym after reading this article and start lifting heavy. You want to work your way up to heavier weights once your form is correct and you’re in a consistent routine. 

Also, you don’t need to lift heavy before a round. Instead, focus more on flexibility, mobility, and golf stretches to get your body ready for the round. 

9. Look at the Putt from Multiple Angles 

Another common piece of golf advice is to look at the putt from multiple angles. 

This might mean reading the putt from behind the ball, behind the hole, and maybe even a side angle too. Like a lot of advice, this makes sense in theory, but reality might just complicate the green reading process.

You should always read the putt from behind the golf ball first and foremost. 

Mark your ball, bend down behind it, and read the putt. Chances are you’ll see the break a majority of the time (my guess is 80 or 90% of the time). I’ll call this your intuition at work – your first instinct is usually the right one too.

But if you then read the putt from other angles, you might see another break or the putt going the opposite direction. Which can cause a lot of doubt and indecision as you stand over the putt.

Instead, only read the putt from other angles if you’re not sure about the read after checking it out from behind the ball. Otherwise, you might overwhelm yourself with too many thoughts and make it hard to commit to the line. 

Learn more about reading greens here. 

10. Lag The Putt Close 

The final piece of golf advice is to try and make every putt. 

Let me explain… When you’re faced with a 40 or 50-footer, the odds of making it are definitely against you. Even for the best players in the world.

However, too many golfers try to “lag it up” instead of attempting to make the putt. A lot of golfers think that you should try to get it in a three-foot circle to avoid a 3 or 4-putt. That is a good goal, but also a mentality that might be holding you back.

If you try to hit every lag putt inside a three-foot circle, chances are you’ll have a much longer putt if you miss the circle (3-5 footers). However, if you try to make the putt and miss, you can have a shorter next putt on average. Each foot you’re closer to the hole plays a big role in helping you avoid costly three putts on the green.

Dr. Bob Rotella refers to this concept as a “green light mentality.” His book, Putting Out of Your Mind (one of our picks for the best golf books) has tons more wisdom to help your putting too. 

Simply put – try to make every putt so when you do miss, you have a shorter next putt. 

Please note, this does not mean you need to smash every putt by the hole to say you got it there and gave it a chance. It just means you want to stay aggressive and have the right attitude over lag putts. 

My Experience

As you can tell from these 10 tips, I’ve had to learn from most of them the hard way. That’s why I had to share the worst golf tips because I want your success curve to be much faster than mine. 

Also, as you know, there has never been more information when it comes to the golf swing. From YouTube, social media, podcasts, blogs, TV, etc. Make sure to always question everything slightly and test it out to see how it works for your game.

No two players are the same. Make sure to always swing your swing and play your game.

Final Thoughts 

When you avoid these 10 tips, hopefully you can play better than ever.

Don’t forget, there is a direct link between hitting it longer and having a lower handicap. Make sure to learn more about overspeed training so you can add distance to your drives and hopefully lower your handicap. 
Also, if you’re serious about golf, make sure your clubs are right for you. Invest in a custom fitting to get your clubs dialed in to your unique swing.