How YouTube is Killing Your Golf Game

The golf world has been the beneficiary of many technological advances over the last few years. 3D analysis in your pocket, affordable launch monitor technology and GPS data tracking are all tremendous things that didn’t exist when I was taking up the game. Perhaps the biggest thing to come to the golf space, and coincidentally the most damaging, has been the advent of YouTube golf instruction.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then feel free to click out of this article and go get caught up on the latest episode of your favorite TV show. If you know what I’m talking about, you probably feel a little called out right now and should keep reading.

Over the last few years, I have had many golfers on my lesson tee pledge to “get clean.” This doesn’t mean giving up a recreational drug, this means they were promising to stop consuming YouTube golf instruction content. I’m going to spend this article going through how countless golf swings have been ruined by coaches that a player has never even met.

The Overload of Information

The first of many problems is the endless supply of content available. The average golfer needs concise information in very small doses, backed up with endless amounts of application and feedback. Keep in mind, I’m talking solely about YouTube in this article, not even considering Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. The algorithm on YouTube will reward consistency of uploads, engagement with the content, and the amount of watch time. What this means is there are lots of coaches trying to please the algorithm each week, and posting videos with little regard for continuity of their messages.

In this endless sea of online information, there are bound to be countless situations where conflicting ideas are presented in a player’s feed. Should I swing around a fixed axis or should I shift my weight back and forth? Should I use the bounce on my wedge or do I need to increase my angle of attack? What the landscape of YouTube has taught golfers to do is search endlessly for “the video.” The magic video with the right coach, saying the right thing, the right way, that will fix all of their issues.

Naturally, with content creators becoming more and more effective, the consumption of these videos has only gone up with little to no effect on a golfer’s actual skill. Without a filter to sift through the information and discern what is applicable to their issue, golfers will only consume more content, unaware that this is only making their problem worse.

Most damaging of all, there aren’t any qualifications required to providing instructional content online. That means that Bob, your 27-handicap buddy, can start his own YouTube channel next week, providing swing tips to anyone that will click on his video. All you need is a catchy name, a slick outfit, some of the right words and you too can start helping the masses online.

Lack of Personalized Feedback

The traditional model of golf instruction involves seeing a qualified instructor for 30-60 mins., your swing is recorded on video, and data from the ball flight and club delivery is captured and analyzed. From this analysis, a plan is put together by the instructor and presented to the student. Through a drill or two, the student works toward a solution, able to ask questions of the instructor to gain clarity on the what, the why and the how.

After the lesson, the student leaves with a personalized approach to correcting their issue and playing better golf as they continue to practice.

When a golfer goes to YouTube for instruction, the process looks a little different. It starts with the golfer self-diagnosing their own swing issues. Whether it’s hitting the ball thin, slicing their driver, or lacking distance, they need to figure out first what the problem is.

Now the challenges really begin. They type their issue into the search bar and wait for the list of videos to watch. One major problems is the video this player chooses doesn’t take into account the other factors of their swing. If the video is about reducing the over the top move, the solution may be different if your normal shot shape is a fade versus a draw.

Another example of how a personalized approach is mandatory are the considerations of assembling your grip. Teaching one standard grip is a common trap that a newer, or less experienced coach can fall into.

In the above picture I have placed Dustin Johnson on the left and Jon Rahm on the right. These two are both Masters Champions and former number one players in the world. The placement of their hands on the club varies by close to 70 degrees in terms of the rotation of their hands on the grip. There is no “one grip” for everyone. YouTube can’t see what grip a player has and certainly can’t accommodate for that when delivering the solution for their problem.

Long Term Solutions vs. Gimmicks and Promises

What makes these videos so attractive is the promise of an easy solution that delivers an enormous result. I searched, “how to hit my driver further” on YouTube and took screenshots of some of the videos that popped up.

Above are just a few examples that I grabbed quickly, but there are literally thousands of videos out there with the same promises - an incredibly easy solution that delivers a tremendous result. It’s like trying to win the lottery for your golf game.

Back in 1990, Florida State psychology professor Anders Ericsson pioneered the 10,000 hour rule, stating that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to master a skill. The example below is backed by the claim Ericsson made:

Let’s look at reality. At the time of publishing this blog, the average age on the PGA TOUR is 31. I would wager that 98% of players on the tour hit their first golf shot before age 10. So that is 21 years of development, give or take. By the age of 15 they would have made golf their focus, devoting a minimum of 12 hours per week during the school year and probably closer to 25 hours per week during the summer. That averages out to 728 hours per year. From age 15 to 31 is 16 years. 728 hours per year for 16 years is 11,648 hours.

To improve at something, let alone master it, takes thousands of hours of diligent practice, consulting with an expert to find a solution personalized to your game and your goals, and putting your work to the test on the course. There is no cheating this fact. There is no binge diet for your golf game. You can’t liposuction your slice.

Now tell me why you think that finding a video on YouTube will make all your golf problems go away?

Psychological Impacts

One of the hidden problems with going to YouTube for your golf instruction is the comparison trap. Watching coaches and players display perfect technique, shot after shot, can be a little demoralizing. What you don’t see with these coaches are the thousands of hours they’ve spent on the range working on their swing. They didn’t just get the magic tip on the right day and their whole game changed.

This look of perfection often makes golfers want to cut corners in an effort to make up for lost time. What needs to be stressed is a step by step approach to applying any of the information contained in the video. Feedback from an external source (a coach, video camera, training aid or a practice station) lets the student know how they are progressing with making the desired movement.

Conclusion

Before I put this topic to bed, I should say that I know a number of the top coaches on YouTube and think that they act with the students’ best interests in mind when they share their information. For many of these coaches, the free content online is an appetizer to help the student understand how the coach communicates, before they choose to join their coaching program.

The real issues lie with the average golfer turning to YouTube as a first solution for their problem, not knowing the damage they could be doing to their game. An overwhelming amount of information paired with a lack of understanding is a lethal combination that can be hard to undo.

I have thought for years about creating a YouTube channel to help grow my online coaching business, but haven’t been able to figure out how to not fall into the trap of posting endlessly trying to please the algorithm and becoming another subject of this article.

If you are truly interested in trying to improve your game, I encourage you to find a coach that delivers information in a manner that you enjoy, whether it be in person or online, and go all-in. Get good information that is tailored to your swing, and work on the solution until the problem is solved. The more you take information from different sources and try to piece it together on your own, the more damage you inflict upon yourself and your scorecard.