“Knowledge without Practice is useless, Practice without knowledge is dangerous”.

Inside the quote: “Knowledge without Practice is useless, Practice without knowledge is dangerous”.

Let’s break this one down a bit.  The first part is so true.  I often hear from players that they have taken golf instruction or read a book or whatever but they can’t seem to shoot lower scores.  Then, after a few more moments of discussion, I find out that they have not practiced at all since that lesson.  That is not going to help the game.  In fact, it probably is worse because now your on the tee ready to play golf but your mind is racing about a swing thought you have that you havn’t practiced.  Your better off trusting your “old” swing for the round.  It’s like your car mechanic telling you that you must change your oil every 3,000 miles or your car performance will decline.  So, of course, you change it every 6,000 miles.

Second part is very true as well.  You have to know what your doing in order to improve.  If you didn’t know how to drive a car the first time you stepped into it, would it be safe to be on the roads?  If nobody taught you how to swim properly, would you be confident to be in the ocean?  If your trying to improve your golf game by “tweaking”  your swing plane having no idea where the club is actually positioned for your body type and build, do you think you will see improvements?

All these analogies work one in the same.  Don’t make your golf swing complex and hitchy because you try to use some quick tip you saw.  Make sure you understand exactly the steps necessary to improve your golf swing, or putting stroke, mental game, or….etc.   The goal of the game, remember, is not who can hit it the farthest, or the straightest, or chip the best.  It is the person who can put the ball in the hole in the least number of shots possible.

Find your strengths, build on them.  Know your weaknesses, and improve them to strengths.  Have a thirst for the correct knowledge and you will become a better player.  There’s no question about that.