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Over the years of being online I have received thousands of emails from frustrated golfers who’ve tried everything and still are not improving. I’m sure you’ve heard or read that unbelievable statistic (from the USGA) about how the average golf handicap has not gone down in over 20 years! With all the technology available, golfers haven’t improved! That’s absolutely amazing to me!
I have my theories on why this is happening, but I want to hear yours too, so please comment at the end of this post with your thoughts and ideas of why golfers haven’t improved. I would really like to hear all of your input. Who knows…maybe we’ll have 30 reasons and not just 5!
1. Poor Fundamentals. Many golfers when they first start never learn the fundamentals of the golf swing. I mean the basics like stance, posture, grip, etc… These are critical factors that will quickly dictate if you’re going to hit a good shot or not. Do you agree? If you start off with the improper address position, you’ll never be able to have proper swing mechanics.
2. Improper Practice. How many times have you gone to the range, banged 100 or more balls and left? You didn’t really have a specific reason for even being there! You showed up, hacked some balls, and left. This is not the way to go about improving your swing. Having a game plan every time you go to the range is critical. Maybe it’s doing just one drill for your main swing fault for the entire time to engrain it in your body. Having a reason for being there is the number one goal of any practice session.
3. Lack Of Fitness. This is my arena so I could go on and on and on, but I’ll spare you for that at a later time. Here’s my belief in a nutshell, your body dictates the outcome of your golf game. If you are physically broken, you’ll have no chance at all of ever improving. You’ll only compound the problem. Instead…how about focusing on our personal limitations in your golf swing and eliminating them? For every swing fault, there is a physical limitation causing it. You heard it HERE first! Fix the machine and golf gets easy!
4. Poor Course Strategy. I’ve been there and done that. Not playing smart golf. How many times have you played a whole or a shot, and never really took everything into consideration? Be honest. I’ve done it a thousand times, and the result was horrible! Also, trying to make that 1 in 1,000 shot you’ve never practiced before and you have no confidence pulling it off. Playing within yourself and taking your medicine will save you a ton of strokes…guaranteed! Give each shot more thought. The conditions and what you’re capable of doing.
5. Wrong Equipment. There are so many golfers playing with shafts that are way too stiff for them. Playing with clubs that are for a better player. Not realizing your clubs truly will affect how you play. Hitting a stiff shafted blade iron is for less than 1% of the golfing population, and yet you see a ton of these clubs on the course. Letting your ego dictate the shaft you should have. This is wrong! You will set yourself up for failure every time. Go spend the money one time to get fitter for proper clubs. It will pay off in lower scores and higher enjoyment.
Okay…that’s my 5 top reasons for golfers not improving. What are your thoughts? I want to hear all your comments right here in this post. Click on the comments link below and let me know if you think I’m way off, or if you can add to the list. Let’s see how long we can get this sucker!
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What do you think?
September 17th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Excellent list, Mike. I think that those are definitely the biggest reasons that golfers don’t improve.
I’d add one of my own to the list that’s one of the causes for your #4 item: television. Golfers watch golf on television and start to get unrealistic expectations about their own abilities. Instead of managing the course with the tools they have, they manage the course from the perspective of a tour pro and come up short virtually all the time (literally and figuratively). I can’t think of why else weekend duffers would try and make a 240 yard carry over water or be disappointed that their 7-iron only carries 160 yards.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
“Copy the tour pro”, could be one reason, another more common one, is most golfers base their “normal” club yardages on their “all time best perfect hit”, instead of their ACTUAL average distances.
The tendency these days is for everyone to try and kill every club as well. I’m an occasional golfer these days, with my handicap varying from about a 7 down to a 4, directly related to how often I can play and practice. I only *wish* I hit a 7 iron 160. 140-150 is more like it for me.
Mike
September 17th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
I totally agree Mike! I have been guilty of this. Trying a shot I never practiced, but thinking I’ll make that 1 in 100 shot! Good point!
September 18th, 2007 at 6:29 am
I BELIEVE THE HIGH HANDICAP PLAYER IS TRYING TO PERFECT AN INPERFECT SWING. HE MAY DO SOME THINGS RIGHT SOME DAYS AND SHOOT A GOOD SCORE THEN COME OUT THE NEXT DAY AND SHOOT THE WORSE SCORE EVER. HE NEEDS TO REVIEW THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME CONSTANTLY.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:18 am
All quite true, have you come across the Great Golf Hoax? This is a conspiracy theory that the manufacturers are controlling where golf dollars are spent, primarily with new drivers every year, etc., etc…. The collective PGA (on the teaching side) has allowed this to unravel as they get sales in lieu of a full lesson book. Golfers are buying a fix, not a swing. Poor Fundamentals is the biggest cause for the stagnation of handicaps.
September 18th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
i agree to what you are saying Mike. I believe that you have to have a good mental out look on your game and not just go through the motions just because your on the golf course. or just out to get a little excercise. for me at my course it is not a new one but a older one with small greens, some times with a hard surfice. at my age i’m glade to be out golfing. I love the game, and always trying to improve.
September 18th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Hi Mike, I think you pretty much cover the gamut of faulty golf. One thing I might add is I see a lot of male players trying to make up for poor understanding of the nature of the golf SWING by applying brute force to their clubs, typically by overusing their arms. I play gofl with my wife, she is a beginner, but sends the ball some 130 m out with a 5-wood. She is rather petite, but makes up for that with sound movements and lovely rotation of the body.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I agree with all the above…I don’t have the actual stats but, in addition, I think golf is a much more popular game/sport than it was 20 years ago (greater % of population playing than back then)…new players enter at the high handicap levels so you have disportionally more lower skilled golfers, but at the same time the equipment is better so then net handicap is pretty much unchanged.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Great responses guys! I really like all your opinions! JLW…I think you’re dead on! Joern…I’ve been guilty of the brute force:). JP…mental is huge in golf! Garth…well put! Keep the comments coming. This is great!
September 19th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Hi Mike,
I agree with a lot of your comments. I have been playing for just a little over two years and I think my game is coming along well. In the past month I have had a couple of rounds of golf where I shot a 43 either on the front or on the back, but, of course, in this 100 degree plus weather in the south, I fell apart on the other side. But, at least I know I have it in me. When I am struggling with any part of my game, I have no problem calling my instructor that I initially took lessons with and paying to have him “fix it”. I see too many of my friends, my husband included, struggling and trying to fix it themselves, only to make the situation worse. My instructor always reminds me when I tell him I saw something in a golf magazine that I want to try, that not all techniques work for all people. I think that is where a lot of golfers run into trouble. They read it, try it, and it’s not for them. Good comment about the driving range. We are all guilty of working on the long game but not on the short game where we rack up the most points! Practice the short game!
September 19th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Liz,
Wow! You have picked up the game FAST! Shooting in the low 40’s…come on that’s awesome! Guys can think they can do it themselves, but they are only “fooling themselves”.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Hi Mike,
Great list! Probably the three of the five that play the biggest role are 1, 3 and 5. Without the fundamentals, its just not going to happen. The new golfer will struggle for years until they get those down. Lack of fitness goes without saying. Maintaining a consistent swing is almost impossible unless you are at least moderately in shape. And my favorite, the wrong equipment. I wonder how many sales are made to a new golfer of a particular brand of club the week after a pro wins a major championship?
Great site!
Larry
September 19th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Larry, you are SO right! It’s not the clubs, it’s what’s swing the clubs guys! If you’re a single digit golfer, then yeah…your clubs are more precise, but for most amateur golfers, they could play with Target golf clubs and not really know the difference! Save you money!
September 19th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
hi mike . I have a question. do most of the golfers responding have there clubs fitted to them? just wondering if this would give a person a bit of advantage in there scoring.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
JP,
I can’t answer for anyone else, but maybe they’ll answer in here :). Personally I get mine pretty much off the rack, accept my driver.
September 20th, 2007 at 8:32 am
JP,
Your comments and Mike’s regarding equipment are very insightful. Let me share a personal experience with you. For the last couple of years I’ve been playing with a 10.5 degree stiff shafted driver and hitting the ball pretty well with it. Nothing outstanding mind you but not bad either. Earlier this spring I went to a local, off-course shop where they had a major maufacturer of golf clubs in with a Launch monitor.
We played around with different models, lofts and shafts and we started to get it tuned in. I think this is important, at least for me, as the fitter is handing me different clubs to try I don’t look at the shaft to see what it is and I don’t look at the loft, I just hit it with the best swings I can. The bottom line was that I was fitted for a new driver with 12 degrees of loft and a Pro Launch Blue R shaft. The difference including roll on the launch was 24 yards in length, and also key, a 17% reduction in side-to-side dispersion!!!
Any idea how much easier it is to hit a green with an 8 iron in your hand from the fairway than a 6 iron from the rough… or the trees? I am now hitting between 11 and 12 fairways per round out of 14.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Brad glade to see that you looked into seeing what is right for you. having the right shaft makes all the difference in the world.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
[…] with their games nonstop. It’s a different game everytime you play. What are the reasons why golfers don’t improve? Is it there “on course” choices? Meaning club selection, playing the elements, […]
September 20th, 2007 at 5:39 am
I think golfers are not improving because they are not taking advantage of the many technologies that would actually help them. Digital cameras, on course video, etc, so they can see what all the rest of us playing with them see. Most golfers I talk to say they are doing one thing wrong, but when you watch them, it is usually something completely different that is wrong with their swing. Going to the range to work on something that is not the “core” reason, will not help you get better. Until I started seeing myself on mirrors, and video to see the real swing, I didn’t make much progress.
September 20th, 2007 at 5:41 am
I totally agree Craig! What we think we’re doing and what we are actually doing are two completely different things! Getting a video of my swing years ago was the best thing I ever did!
September 20th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Mike,
Your 5 reasons are right on the money. Interestingly, all can be improved with learning, time, and a little money, perhaps, for better or better-fitting equipment.
But, golfers, like other sports participants, need to be motivated to improve. To use the golf analogy of quotes often attributed to Vince Lombardi and Bobby Knight…
Everyone wants to play better golf. Few are willing to do what it takes.
You are a good example. You know you didn’t get in shape by just thinking about it and wanting to be fit. You stretch and you workout very frequently… and you get results. Most of us would like to be fit but we don’t put in the time or the effort.
Nice article.
Dave
September 20th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Hey Mike,
I agree with many of the comments. Fundamental Instruction and equipment are very important. However, I went from a 12hcp to a 4hcp by spending less time on the range and a lot more time chipping, putting, and hitting balls inside 100yds. I still spend time on the range hitting balls, but now I’m working on different shots. Hi, low, left, right. Stretching has also been part of my routine before and during the round. I think this has really helped my shoulder turn and back swing
Thanks John
September 20th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
John, you make a great point. Short game is more than 60% of your score, so it makes sense to spend more time on it! God only knows I could stand to make a few putts:). Congrats on the 4 handicap. Nice!
September 21st, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Nice top 5 list. I’m working to optimize #5 the equipment I use. Question: What happens if your driver is too stiff? I bought a used Taylormade R7 quad four with a stock stiff shaft. My swing speed is closer to a standard. I’m hitting it okay but was wondering if was if I could tell from the ball flight how the shaft was influencing the ball flight. I’m hitting longer than my previous R5 Draw.
September 22nd, 2007 at 4:53 am
ABSOLUTELY AGREE !!!!
Thats what I said to my student now.
Thanks Mike.
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:42 am
Alright!! Glad I’m not giving out bad information
September 23rd, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Hi Mike,
As with all your advice your 5 basic reasons are spot on . Access to a video would help so many golfers, looking from both front and back. On physical limitations, I have total abductor paralysis of my left shoulder due to surgery; went from an 8 to a 20 hcp due to loss of distance.
But with a short backswing and good body turn I am dead straight on all shots except chipping at which I have the “yips”! Cured that ( I cured the putting yips with a “broomstick” putter ); I can get down to 10, I’m sure in spite of the loss of distance. So who needs one of those huge drivers? Keep it straight; get up and down in two; we can all shoot in the 80’s!!
Thanks for all your advice and encouragement. Mark S.
September 24th, 2007 at 4:56 am
Mark,
More and more golfers should focus on swinging within their physical limitations for the short-term and improving them for the long-term to achieve a bigger backswing with more power and distance.
The worst thing a golfer can do is swing beyond his/her physical capabilities. The end result is mishits and a lack of power!
September 24th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I think there is another reason. Golf as currently explained, is taught as being so tough you need special instruction, clubs, etc, before you are “allowed” to play.
Give me a break.
Yes, there are certain fundamentals for golf, the main one being, the face of the club must hit the ball correctly in order for the ball to go forward correctly and with proper distance. But, and sorry if I offend anyone, but there is not “one grip fits all” nor is there “one swing fits all”, yet that is what is taught.
I grip my club cross handed (oh my goodness), and drive the ball 250+ yards straight down the middle of the fairway (in the past month have had two 300 yard drives). I even putt left handed though I am right handed, and my putting average is 18-20 putts per 9 holes, total scoring is 44-47 on 9 holes. My short game is getting better (only really played for about 12 months).
How difficult is it made for children? Not. Give them a club, let them swing and they figure it out. Yes, in order to get better they will have to improve certain things, but they figure out the basics pretty quickly.
We are obsessed about score average, driving distance, and who can we impress with our latest driver. We don’t do this with basketball, baseball, tennis, etc., we treat them as what they are, a game.
Golf is also a game, and for some a source of income.
Golf courses have gotten longer for the few players who can properly play long courses, instead of keeping them reasonably playable for everyone.
No golf is not that difficult. It has been made difficult.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:18 am
This will not be a popular comment, but I feel that drinking alcohol, while playing on the course, affects concentration and muscle memory skills. Save it for the 19th hole, and laugh off the bad shots.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:26 am
I’m glad you said and not be Bill
!! I am trying my hardest to “convert” golfers, so I need to stay on the fence with all my comments 
.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Mike,
I also agree with your assessment, and particularly point #5 is one that’s close to my heart (just like #3 is to yours).
Case in point: I got teamed up with an older gentleman of 62 years of age. He is reasonably fit for his age and has been playing for eons. He keeps complaining that his handicap is stuck at 17 for many years.
Now here’s the reason: he doesn’t touch his woods (although he carries a driver and a 3 wood, both in pristine condition!) because, so he says, he can’t hit them. Instead he plays his irons, and all of them are stiff shafted!!
And it gets worse: he told me that he has to soak under a hot shower after a game because his body hurts.
I told him to change to regular graphite shafts or even senior flex lightweight steel. He said he may consider, others had told him the same. I think it’s his ego, or the denial that he is no more young. And I’m sure there are many like him…
Not only is the wrong equipment counterproductive to ones game, it can be an outright health risk as seen in the above example.
Frank
October 5th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Boy Frank…I see and hear that scenario all the time. Wrong equipment and a broken body
! Not a good combination! Fix the body, and the swing will take care of itself. If golfers have taken lessons, hit balls and play without improvement, there’s ONLY one thing left…their BODY!
…and don’t play with equipment that’s beyond your physical capabilities!!
October 6th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Mike, there is often one more culprit responsible for poor golf scores. And that is bad advice from those who are not qualified to give it. Too often, a struggling player will ask his golf buddies what he or she is doing to cause mis-hits or slices and/or hooks and are then confused by the myriad of advice given on the fly.
If you want to improve your game, get advice from a club pro or at a teaching facility. These people are trained to see what is happening during your swing sequence and can recommend the proper course of action to enable you to correct the problem. And lessons are not expensive. Usually one can purchase a 4-pack for about $125 to $150 dollars. That’s cheap when you consider the enjoyment you will get out of learning to play and score well.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Mike:
I think good instruction is key to making practise and your golf game better. Your buddies can’t help you fine tune your game. If you find a good instructor, you need to share your goals with him/her. If the instructor will buy into your goals (so that you are not just another $50 of pain), you can make real progress together.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
All the comments are spot on Mike.
The biggest hinderance I have had and has resulted in my handicap being stagnant for a long time was having been sold incorrectly fitted clubs, even when they were sold to me by so called proffesionals.
I recently was able to afford to buy a set of irons that were fitted to me by a certificated course professional; what a difference!
Seems all previous fittings were just to get the money in, quickly! I now have 1.5 inch longer shafts and jumbo sized grips. When I come off the course my hands are no longer tired and sore, I could go and play another 18.
I am sure these golf shop “pro’s” have done more damage to golf than anyone else! As a weekend player, as most are, you are none the wiser when sold incorrectly fitting clubs until a “real” pro sets things up the correct way and only then can we improve! Since getting the new irons my game has improved considerably and I am having a ball. Just sad it took until I reached 60 years old to afford to get fitted correctly
October 15th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Have you read the book, The Four Magic Moves to Winning Golf written by
Joe
Dante. It is the first book that explains the golf swing that makes
sense to
me. It explained to me why i slice and without seeing my swing had me
nailed.
This book was written in the 1960’s!
i would be curious to hear your opinion. I also found this link where you can download the beginning of the book. http://www.golfswingsecretsrevealed.com/downloadfirstmove.htm
PS, i just moved up to your advanced DVD workout, what a workout, the
stabilty
ball situp is a killer, you definately have made my core stronger,
October 17th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
[…] Mike Pedersen wrote an article last month about the Top 5 Reasons Golfers Don’t Improve and he listed some good reasons why the average golfer is not improving. […]
October 17th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Mike,
The “lack of improvement statistic” story, seems to have been around forever, and while it may in fact be true, there’s a saying about statistics can be interpreted any way you want, or some such variation.
IMO, the statistic would be more meaningful if it was applied to only those golfers who were actually TRYING to improve their games.
Short answer :
Only a few golfers dedicate the time and effort to improve their games.
Most weekend golfers, are content to just play occasionally, and have no real desire to “work” at their games.
Long answer :
You inspired me to post a response on my blog
:
http://www.greenposse.com/why-isnt-the-average-golfer-improving/
Mike
October 17th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Mike…that is an excellent analysis :smile:! Statistice can be misconstrued very easily and get blown out of proportion. I’m glad to see you part of this community, as I will be yours!!
October 27th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
[…] Mike Pedersen golf site, i do enjoy i game of Golf and be honest i don’t go and play as often as i should and thats probably cause i busy with this blog. Probably found the reason why i not improving my Golf in this article. […]
November 10th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Here is another reason:
#6 THINKING THE SAME THOUGHTS - The definition of insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result!” Yes, you need the right equipment, proper instruction and play within your means. But if you keep thinking “I hate this hole” or “I’m not good at bunker shots”, your going to keep getting poor results. In order to improve at golf you must practice and think about what you want vs what you don’t want!
Just a bit of Mind Power FYI.
Randy