I’ve seen so many different approaches to golf instruction that some things have come full circle. For every instructor who says keep your head down, another says let it turn. For every pro who has told his or her students to keep their left arm straight, I’ve heard others (including me) argue that it’s better to allow your arm to naturally bend at the top of your swing. Contradictions are everywhere, especially when it comes to golf instruction.

The question is, who should you listen to? Who’s right, and who isn’t? Well, I’m here to explain some of what I consider to be the most common swing myths, many of which have been wrongfully taught for decades by both golf instructors and amateurs alike.

I’m willing to bet you’ve already heard of a few of these, which is why I’m presenting not only the myth but also the fix. Read on and get ready to eliminate swing myths from your golf game and get your game back on track.

Myth #1: Keep your head down
Who hasn’t heard of this one? Keeping your head down at any point during the golf swing is the last thing you want to do. By keeping your head down (see photo to the left), you stifle your upper body’s ability to rotate. A hindered rotation means my hands will get flippy; my weight will either shift too little, too late or not at all; and furthermore, any chance of solid impact will lessen significantly.

In addition to hurting my ability to hit solid shots, keeping your head down can actually hurt you, physically. It puts a tremendous amount of stress on your neck.

On the PGA Tour, they call it “Total Driving.” That’s the stat that ranks players according to how far and straight they drive the ball. Currently, Bo Van Pelt is the Tour’s best all-around driver, but there are a number of top-ranked players on his heels, including Zach Johnson, K.J. Choi and this year’s Northern Trust Champ, Steve Stricker (see the sidebar at the end of this story for more on Stricker’s excellent driving). Each man loves to hit his second shot with a short club from the short grass. Then again, who doesn’t?

In this article, I’m passing on my 10 favorite distance and accuracy tips. Some are old stand-bys, others are ones never before published in Golf Tips, but each one is easy to do and yields immediate results. Practice them and I guarantee you’ll hit the ball the farthest and straightest ever.

Swing In Sequence
Long hitters transfer energy from their body to the clubhead in the proper sequence of actions. Short hitters move all the same body parts, but in the wrong order.

Good downswings unwind from the ground up, through your body: hips, shoulders, arms, hands and then finally the clubhead. Ben Hogan referred to this sequence as a chain reaction that multiplies your clubhead speed so it’s moving the fastest at the last possible moment.

Notice here how my hips already are starting to unwind, my shoulders still are turned back, and the clubhead remains where it was at the “top” of my swing. I’ve just started to unwind, but you can see that what I’m doing is athletic and utilizing all my power.

This story is for you if...
1. You feel uncomfortable playing in wind.
2. You often get nervous or shaky when you putt.

The Situation
The wind is howling. It's not only making full shots difficult to control, you're actually feeling the effects on the green, too. It's blowing just hard enough to make you feel unsteady in your putting stance.

The Solution
Spread your feet, take an extra-wide stance and play the ball between your heels. Choke down slightly on the handle, since the wider stance brings your upper body closer to the ground. These simple changes automatically lower your center of gravity, and the lower your center of gravity is, the less likely it is to be affected by the wind. It's like you're anchoring yourself to the ground. It's also a good move to make when you're facing a pressure putt, where nerves can cause you to shake a bit in your stance.