Are YouTube instructional videos ultimately detrimental to your game? Another drill.

[PAndaemonium89]

We've all been down the rabbit hole for a "quick fix" when we know in reality that golf is a very difficult game and there's no such thing. Covid caused an explosion of youtube/FB/IG videos of people claiming fixes to the most common problems of golf. You fix one thing then damage another, ultimately never really improving. PGA pro lessons address YOUR issue seeing YOUR swing, and cannot be replaced by internet youtubers.

 

This leads me to my current problem and finding the following video:

 

My issue for years was the uncommon "late release." I have no issue coming in from the inside, but the pulling of handle toward target led to pushes, blocks, toe shots, thin shots, and flipping. I left face open for a long time and never really rotated the club around. I've been working on my golf coach to get me to square the club and felt this forceful,  internal rotation with trail arm. I like to take what I learned from him and see if there are different ways of explaining the same thing. Of course, I came across the video and EUREKA!, club face is square, beautiful high draws + 10yards distance. The feel of rotation is there. Is this another red flag video that may lead me to start casting? any other pros here to weigh in on this drill?

Edited March 13, 2023 by PAndaemonium89

[ezra76]

I'm not a pro but it's a split grip drill. He just found a way to make it out into a 15 minute video instead of 15 seconds.

Edited March 13, 2023 by ezra76

[Elkhair]

I would say most teachers are teaching the same thing. Just different feels for teaching the same thing. Everyone's body and brain are different. Interpreting what feels are good for you is extremely difficult to do. I would say youtube videos are bad thing to watch. Find one or two things you need to work on, and do it over and over again until it naturally works its way into your swing.

[dfeldss]

I've gone down a dark road with the Youtube videos so i try to stay away these days for the most part.

 

The problem is there's so much info out there, it's hard to self diagnose your issue, find a video that applies to your specific issue, then apply those changes yourself. 

 

Say you early extend for example. You could search for EE fixes on Youtube and find 100 videos that maybe do address why, but which one applies to you? Then can you successfully drill it yourself? 

 

There is a lot of good info out there, but sometimes it leads me to a "paralysis by analysis" situation, where i start thinking about 37 different feels during the golf swing etc. 

 

Just my two cents

[Zitlow]

The downswing happens in .25 seconds, consciously thinking about it slows you and the club down. 

[naval2006]

19 minutes ago, dfeldss said:

I've gone down a dark road with the Youtube videos so i try to stay away these days for the most part.

 

The problem is there's so much info out there, it's hard to self diagnose your issue, find a video that applies to your specific issue, then apply those changes yourself. 

 

Say you early extend for example. You could search for EE fixes on Youtube and find 100 videos that maybe do address why, but which one applies to you? Then can you successfully drill it yourself? 

 

There is a lot of good info out there, but sometimes it leads me to a "paralysis by analysis" situation, where i start thinking about 37 different feels during the golf swing etc. 

 

Just my two cents

I agree.  Like googling for medical diagnosis if you're not a doctor. Even if you read The Lancet. 

[GungHoGolf]

So, straightening of right elbow and lowering of the hands early in the downswing. Sounds familiar. 

[Elkhair]

1 hour ago, Zitlow said:

The downswing happens in .25 seconds, consciously thinking about it slows you and the club down. 

Dude. you say this in every thread and it is not a good take at all. If a golfer does something wrong, they actively need to think about it to fix it. 

Edited March 13, 2023 by Elkhair
.

[otto6457]

Self diagnosis via YouTube is often more accurately described as Self delusion.  The current "cool teacher" describes the latest "cool swing fix" and suddenly millions of golfers have the exact same problem that needs this fix.

 

It's actually sort of bizarre.

[Soloman1]

Lots of videos out there:

 

Never do this.

Never do that.

Always do this.

Always do that.

30 more yards in one swing.

Swing like Tiger.

Hogan’s secret.

What tour pros won’t tell you.

My best tip.

Lose 10 strokes tomorrow.

Smash the Subscribe button.

 

[Denny100]

I think most instructional videos probably just give you some mental positivity to take onto the course.

 

Im gonna miss lots of fairways and greens no matter what "hogan-esque" swing i use.

 

Id rather just develop something that propels the ball forwards and somewhat straight, and work on chipping and putting.

[nitram]

It depends on you and what you're after.

[JunkerJorge]

I really wish YouTube would crack down on this swing misinformation and disinformation. There are so many swing conspiracy theories out there....

[MichaelGFox]

i dont think directly applying specific videos or moves suggested to your swing is a lways a good idea however there are excellent teachers on youtube and if you watch enough videos and see what they are saying you can apply their concepts to your game

[GungHoGolf]

33 minutes ago, JunkerJorge said:

I really wish YouTube would crack down on this swing misinformation and disinformation.

Do you seriously think that’s a possibility?

[RainShadow]

Just play a good local teacher.

YT: ya get what ya pay for.

[ChipDriver]

15 hours ago, PAndaemonium89 said:

We've all been down the rabbit hole for a "quick fix" when we know in reality that golf is a very difficult game and there's no such thing. Covid caused an explosion of youtube/FB/IG videos of people claiming fixes to the most common problems of golf. You fix one thing then damage another, ultimately never really improving. PGA pro lessons address YOUR issue seeing YOUR swing, and cannot be replaced by internet youtubers.

 

This leads me to my current problem and finding the following video:

My issue for years was the uncommon "late release." I have no issue coming in from the inside, but the pulling of handle toward target led to pushes, blocks, toe shots, thin shots, and flipping. I left face open for a long time and never really rotated the club around. I've been working on my golf coach to get me to square the club and felt this forceful,  internal rotation with trail arm. I like to take what I learned from him and see if there are different ways of explaining the same thing. Of course, I came across the video and EUREKA!, club face is square, beautiful high draws + 10yards distance. The feel of rotation is there. Is this another red flag video that may lead me to start casting? any other pros here to weigh in on this drill?

Great drill.  But things tend to work until they don't work.  Just remember that that drill itself may cause problems b/c it evolved into a different problem.

 

If everything else in your swing remains the same - this drill ought to work.  That's a big "if".  🙂

  

[Barfolomew]

If you lined up the best 100 instructors and they all gave you swing advice..... you gonna use it all?

 

That's why you've got to be in charge of your swing and dont hand the reigns over to no one..... unless you're completely useless then by all means

[RoyalTroon]

6 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

If you lined up the best 100 instructors and they all gave you swing advice..... you gonna use it all?

 

That's why you've got to be in charge of your swing and dont hand the reigns over to no one..... unless you're completely useless then by all means

 

/thread

[Zitlow]

4 hours ago, GungHoGolf said:

So, straightening of right elbow and lowering of the hands early in the downswing. Sounds familiar. 

Another "new thing" will come along in two or three months. 

[RmoorePE]

I just started up a simulator in my garage, now I have the ability to watch a YouTube, and within a few minutes, I am testing out what I saw. Can affirmatively say, this is the worst combination for getting a good golf swing.

 

I was swinging great a week ago (T-3 in a pretty big tournament), but my stock driver was turning over when I typically play a cut. Wanted to fix it so I did  a quick google search, watched a couple of YouTube videos, 4 hours in my simulator and now my entire game is in shambles. Played yesterday and my partners were like "What happened to you this week?"

 

 

[bonvivantva]

2 hours ago, Barfolomew said:

If you lined up the best 100 instructors and they all gave you swing advice..... you gonna use it all?

 

That's why you've got to be in charge of your swing and dont hand the reigns over to no one..... unless you're completely useless then by all means

 

I've seen three instructors over the last three years, and they all have had drastically different approaches.  Just one example is one guy wanted to severely weaken my grip, while another suggested I strengthen it.  No matter where you get your instruction/help, there will be varying and differing opinions and it will be up to you to sort it out.

 

While I guess anything can be detrimental to your game, lessons included, I agree that it's really on you to try what you want but focus on what works.  The most recent golf coach I had went off on this spiel about, "young guys" (I'm 40), and how they all watch George Gankas.  Anytime he criticizes my swing he's like, "don't do that shallow stuff you saw from Gankas."  He's obsessed.  I, on the other hand, had a former instructor in his late 60s trying to get me to shallow and rotate more, so if my issues are from anywhere, that's the source.  Anyway, my new coach sent me an instagram post to show me what to work on the other day, so maybe he's finally given in to the dark side...

[bonvivantva]

33 minutes ago, RmoorePE said:

I just started up a simulator in my garage, now I have the ability to watch a YouTube, and within a few minutes, I am testing out what I saw. Can affirmatively say, this is the worst combination for getting a good golf swing.

 

I was swinging great a week ago (T-3 in a pretty big tournament), but my stock driver was turning over when I typically play a cut. Wanted to fix it so I did  a quick google search, watched a couple of YouTube videos, 4 hours in my simulator and now my entire game is in shambles. Played yesterday and my partners were like "What happened to you this week?"

 

 

 

You've just described my last 3 years...

[argee1977]

These days i tend to watch the youtube tutorials more about how so many different drills can be the same, and how many coaches can explain the golf swing in such a different way.

 

I gave up on taking any of it on board, bar a few that i tend to use for certain swing issues when they appear, it's just a nightmare to navigate with all the free coaching, i still try and work out if they're saying the same things, on simple things, just look at all the passive vs active arguments, i.e. hands, or body, or hips and so on, or the old lag argument, either throw it from the top, or late release.

 

As others say, get a good instructor, youtube videos don't see your swing, what you think your issue is might not actually be the issue!

[Tanner25]

The worst is when you are a senior golfer and try tips your body can't do and you tweak something. Like, starting the downswing before the backswing completes is one of them.

[Golf_Goof]

1 hour ago, RmoorePE said:

I just started up a simulator in my garage, now I have the ability to watch a YouTube, and within a few minutes, I am testing out what I saw. Can affirmatively say, this is the worst combination for getting a good golf swing.

 

I was swinging great a week ago (T-3 in a pretty big tournament), but my stock driver was turning over when I typically play a cut. Wanted to fix it so I did  a quick google search, watched a couple of YouTube videos, 4 hours in my simulator and now my entire game is in shambles. Played yesterday and my partners were like "What happened to you this week?"

 

 

 

That has less to do with YT and the quality of advice - and more to do with assuming a swing change can yield positive results in 4 hours (unless the video also made that claim).

[PhilsFanDrew]

5 hours ago, Denny100 said:

I think most instructional videos probably just give you some mental positivity to take onto the course.

 

Im gonna miss lots of fairways and greens no matter what "hogan-esque" swing i use.

 

Id rather just develop something that propels the ball forwards and somewhat straight, and work on chipping and putting.

 

Yeah I think looking to rebuild a swing or adapt to a new swing philosophy based off of watching YouTube videos is a fools errand for most.  I actually learn more from on course vlogs where teaching pros talk about each shot and the different options to consider for the next shot.   It's one of the reasons I really like Golf Sidekick's YouTube channel because more of the content is course management and mental strategy and less about technical processes to hit certain shots.  The idea is if you need to work on something technical in your swing, go see a teaching pro and have them evaluate your faults rather than self diagnosis and following overly broad tips and drills to correct. 

[Golf_Goof]

14 minutes ago, PhilsFanDrew said:

 

Yeah I think looking to rebuild a swing or adapt to a new swing philosophy based off of watching YouTube videos is a fools errand for most.  I actually learn more from on course vlogs where teaching pros talk about each shot and the different options to consider for the next shot.   It's one of the reasons I really like Golf Sidekick's YouTube channel because more of the content is course management and mental strategy and less about technical processes to hit certain shots.  The idea is if you need to work on something technical in your swing, go see a teaching pro and have them evaluate your faults rather than self diagnosis and following overly broad tips and drills to correct. 

 

Ya, personally I enjoy surfing tip videos but enjoy some salt along with that. 

 

For example, the AMG video on hip motion was enlightening and even if I can't implement that in my own swing, it's valuable knowledge (man's got to know his limitations and all that)

[buckeyefl]

9 hours ago, Zitlow said:

The downswing happens in .25 seconds, consciously thinking about it slows you and the club down. 

 

Thinking about doesnt slow you down. Trying to physically DO what you are thinking about slows you down. Tell yourself what you want and let eons of evolution do their thing. Thats why "feel like" works better for most people that "do"

[Nels55]

7 hours ago, RmoorePE said:

I just started up a simulator in my garage, now I have the ability to watch a YouTube, and within a few minutes, I am testing out what I saw. Can affirmatively say, this is the worst combination for getting a good golf swing.

 

I was swinging great a week ago (T-3 in a pretty big tournament), but my stock driver was turning over when I typically play a cut. Wanted to fix it so I did  a quick google search, watched a couple of YouTube videos, 4 hours in my simulator and now my entire game is in shambles. Played yesterday and my partners were like "What happened to you this week?"

 

 

 

LOL been there done that!  For a good number of years actually.  I seem to be doing better since I setup a two camera video system so that I can look at every swing immediately after the fact.  This allows me to cut to the chase and work on things in my swing that are blatantly obvious as opposed to thrashing away in the dark blindly trying idiotic swing thoughts I came up with or saw on youtube.  I also recently got a pair of salted smart insoles which seem quite useful.  My pressure trace seems to be a bit better then it was a few years ago when I went to an instructor who used a pressure plate system.  I attribute that improvement to doing the Dr. Kwon drills.