Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Bio , you are so right, it has stirred me to write this article.
Numerous times authors are expressing their interpretation of a photo. How the photo was shot can be very deceiving as per my attached example. It appears as if the hips (Pelvis) are tilted, as in one recent “rubbish” article about Ben Hogan. However when actually simultaneously photographed & measured as per the animation, the Hips (Pelvis) is actually level (0 degrees Side bend.) Recently when we presented this type of evidence to a prominent and respected coach in Melbourne,he replied in jest, ” I feel like contacting all my students who I have taught over the last 10 years, and giving them their money back.” !!

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Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Just a thought.

My favorite author said he was grateful to golf pros and probably golf magazines for keeping golf alive.

It is my first thought that he meant keep it from dying rather than promoting it to abundant prosperity.

I may be old and cynical but that is the way I saw it.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I love the useless tips in all the golf mags. It keeps my lesson diary nice and full with confused pupils…Te he he ;-]

Hey Bio, you know it’s really funny, one of my best friends – and good golfer – was an instructional editor for golf world and he was always asking me to do some instructional articles but I always refused, on the basis of what you just mentioned. I was also acutely aware that if he didn’t fill his pages he was out of a job and he had 3 kids to feed. so although he knew full well that a lot of the articles were going to hurt some golfers it was at the end of the day about “selling” rather than “learning”. It’s the world we live in, and it will never be perfect……Bit like the golf swings we see every day!

Hey AlexS .. you are one of the few truthful ones.
Every dog has its day

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I like Golf International as it has a big section on Amateur golf in the UK/Ireland and the big events in Europe.

Like others have said the tips I usually bypass but there are always bits in the News sections of a product that could give you the edge in competition.

The one I just got helps you keep your hands dry during wet or humid weather, Its a great product that I only found cos they did an ‘In the bag’ article with Stewart Cink. At the scratch Cup on Sunday I’m expecting it to be wet, if I have an advantage thanks to the product then the £4 for the magazine will have been worth its weight in gold!

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Interesting topic. I purchase golf mags but not for the instruction, more so for articles previewing majors, articles about golf courses and that is about it. A crossword is also handy in one when you have time to kill on a flight or journey. Speaking of crosswords, been reading the latest “Pacific Golfer newspaper” freebie that comes out each month up in QLD and the damn crossword has a question about tennis? I like doing the crossword but can never get it out! Maybe I should of finished school? Apart the the usual advertisements in it, it is a good read about local things and some humor I reckon.
As for using golf magazines when you run out of toilet paper as someone has mentioned, I do not believe that a glossy’ finish would be the best option in that situation but if you have to, go for it.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I buy them. I like to read about the last major tournament story and equipment reviews etc.

As for tips I suppose its the same as what club you use to get out of a bunker, use what works and itch what doesn’t. The trick is to see if something isn’t working and dump it straight away.

Personally I don’t follow everything that is said, but what I do take on board is certain fundamental elements that I recognise that I’m not doing. Stance/weight etc.

When I started playing golf first thing I did was read a couple of mags and look for the basics then within a week I started taking lessons. I find it easier to take in through doing than reading r looking at pictures about it, athough pictures domake it esier to visualse (funnily enough), hence the reason why I was in support of Admns stickying of the Ëls etc”swings in Huru’s section.

My current problems in golf are because I haven’t had lesson for about a year and as such I think I’m stuck on a plateau.

The problem for most golfers in my mind is that they don’t take lessons, but learn golf merely from magazines and their 25 Hcp playing partners.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

They are good for when you run out of toilet paper!!

That’s about all they are good for come to think of it!!

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Kyc,

Fair point, the Tiger articles are always worth a read. I’ve seen some really useful articles by him, harmon etc. Its just selecting wheat from chaff!

As for the stuff on fitness! Just walk through a gym and play spot the golf magazine reader, doing a fitness drill that is way beyond them and bound for a night in the infirmary!

OC

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Basics is sooo right. We know the readership of the Golf School stuff is pretty large. The mail I get from it is usually along the lines of “that made so much sense”. To me the LCD is not the reader but the principles behind whatever topic is being portrayed. It makes KISS itself simple – I am not that smart in the first place!

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Swing tips in generic publications need to adhere to the KISS principal. This applies to any generic publication, not just golf. When editors get desperate for copy and stray from this, then they tend to get into trouble. A classic example is articles in Motorcycle publications about “Getting the Knee down in Corners!” Looks good, sounds great but can really cause problems.

You could also call it LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) writing, which is espoused to most Journo’s time and time again. Arrogance will creep back into it with some Journo’s. This is when they assume that everyone reading the article has read and understood their stuff for the last ten years…it goes over the average readers head.

Articles like tips need to be fun, short punchy and obvious. You’ll be surprised how positive readers become with this sort of stuff. When I was working at Women’s Golf Australia clients loved the articles and wanted more. They were focussed and positive, basic stuff, things that most here wouldn’t even consider useful, but they were tips with a point, the point was aimed at the beginner, the LCD… they can and do work. And the fact is, we are all going back to basics with our game time and again…

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I read some genuine Tips like from Tiger, Watson, Harmon…i think David LB’s tips are hard to digest !

the rest are arugable

Also the Interviews
equipment
whats in the bag
and other lifetsyle articles are worth going thru
so Not totally BS….

i guess it’s just like penthouse hustler or playboy in the porn mag world

or GQ of men’s fashion and happenings
just analogies

some BS and sone good stuff…..

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

opti: That is the nail on the head in terms of a brush stroke for all golfers. Once size does not fit all to kick on with the fashion theme.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

A slight quandary from someone who stopped reading golf mags a while ago for the very reason bio mentioned. Is the problem the information? Or is it the choice of information applied by the reader that causes such issues. For example, I used to pick up tips for various aspects of the swing in magazines and apply them…. But, with no expert informing me of which one to apply it was pot luck and as Bio says extremely damaging. Just a different approach to it. Surely not all information in golf magazines is evil!

And Styles I’m with you, the golf fashion is paramount!

OC

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Come on, you buy them for the crosswords:)

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I agree with all that has been said.

I do buy magazines but mainly for news and fashion as well as new products.

Most of the time I gloss over any ‘tips’.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I love the useless tips in all the golf mags. It keeps my lesson diary nice and full with confused pupils…Te he he ;-]

Hey Bio, you know it’s really funny, one of my best friends – and good golfer – was an instructional editor for golf world and he was always asking me to do some instructional articles but I always refused, on the basis of what you just mentioned. I was also acutely aware that if he didn’t fill his pages he was out of a job and he had 3 kids to feed. so although he knew full well that a lot of the articles were going to hurt some golfers it was at the end of the day about “selling” rather than “learning”. It’s the world we live in, and it will never be perfect…...Bit like the golf swings we see every day!

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

I think it was Mr.C, Davego or some other intelligent being on this forum said “I keep clear of all the golf mags” – me too!!!

Good and true post there Bio, and while I don’t have your expertise and knowledge I have to agree with you – this time ;-)

I was getting nowhere until I logged onto ISG and found fact without crap, (this is not a suck up as I don’t need to).

ISG members, the brains trust, the comments and the articles have set me on a journey of good golf. ISG has intrinsic worth!

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Tips are OK from the mags only if they help you produce the engineering that works based upon Laws of force and motion.

I feel that all of the writers in the past have tried their ‘bestest’ to get something that works for them or their interpretation of what worked for others onto the pages and photos for us all. But a tip written in singularity and without an overall basis of engineering for the reader to fall back upon is only ever going to be a tip that has its fleeting moments.

If any tip you happen to pick up in here works one day and not the next you can always refer back to Freddy the Down and Out to see which bit has gone AWOL.

I have seen good articles, great ones and some shockers. The advantage I have as a reader is I put them up against Laws of Physics and Geometry and if they fail then the eyebrows rise and I feel rather like Bio’s opening remarks. And you can see those who read the mags trying it all out.

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Maybe I might spark a few flames here, but I not scared to speak out,
In the 90’s the world average score was 99 and now in 2008 the world average score is 100,
Every time I pick up a golf magazine and read the tips, I read in disgust, of miss leading information and made up garbage. which leads me to beating my head against a brickwall, realising this where all the misconception of the golfswing is coming from.
The tips written in magazines are effecting and destroying alot of golfers games.
Golf Magazine Industry is an 800 million dollar market, So each month to get people to buy their magazine they bring out a new style or method of teaching, which are 95 percent bullsh..t and maybe 5 percent truth,
if the truth was told there’s really only three imperatives and three essentials, and you have a golfswing, the magazine industry would go bust.

I can scientifically prove this using measured science, but guys like myself they won’t allow to do forums, we would make them broke, if we spoke the truth

Couldn’t agree with you more. When I first started playing I improved in leaps and bounds just by playing and playing. Then when I started reading golf magazines and tried to implement the “tips” into my game, many of the strengths of my game disappeared! I wish I had ISG around back then to rely on instead, I may have become a much better player than I am today. Although now I have found ISG I hope to turn that around also :)

Topic: Rubish Written In Glossy Magazines

Maybe I might spark a few flames here, but I not scared to speak out,
In the 90’s the world average score was 99 and now in 2008 the world average score is 100,
Every time I pick up a golf magazine and read the tips, I read in disgust, of miss leading information and made up garbage. which leads me to beating my head against a brickwall, realising this where all the misconception of the golfswing is coming from.
The tips written in magazines are effecting and destroying alot of golfers games.
Golf Magazine Industry is an 800 million dollar market, So each month to get people to buy their magazine they bring out a new style or method of teaching, which are 95 percent bullsh..t and maybe 5 percent truth,
if the truth was told there’s really only three imperatives and three essentials, and you have a golfswing, the magazine industry would go bust.

I can scientifically prove this using measured science, but guys like myself they won’t allow to do forums, we would make them broke, if we spoke the truth