Published by Jack | Getting Better

I’ve been a 12-handicap for what feels like forever. And in that time, I’ve tried every golf tip known to mankind.

“Keep your head down.” “Swing easy.” “It’s all in the hips.” “You’re swaying.” “Quiet hands.” “Tempo, tempo, tempo!”

Sound familiar? If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard (and tried) all of these too. And if you’re like me, you’re still searching for that magic piece of advice that’s going to finally drop your handicap.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of frustration: Most golf tips just don’t seem to work for golfers like us. At least not the way they’re supposed to.

The Problem with Traditional Golf Tips

They’re Designed for Better Players

Most golf instruction assumes you have a consistent, repeatable swing. News flash: if you’re a 12-handicap, you don’t. Neither do I.

When a teaching pro tells you to “shallow the club in transition,” they’re assuming you can control your takeaway, your shoulder turn, your weight shift, AND your transition. That’s four moving parts for one tip.

Meanwhile, we’re still working on keeping the ball somewhere in the same zip code as our target.

They Fix Problems You Don’t Have

I once spent three months working on my “flying right elbow” because I read it was crucial for consistent ball-striking. You know what happened? My scores actually got worse.

Turns out, my flying right elbow wasn’t really my biggest issue. My complete inability to hit anything within 30 yards of the pin – that was my problem. But you don’t see many articles about “how to stop chunking wedges when your hands are shaking.”

They Ignore the Mental Game

“Just stay committed to your shot.”

Yeah, thanks. Really helpful when I’m standing over a 6-iron to a tucked pin with water behind it and my playing partner just made birdie.

Most tips seem to assume you’re a robot who can execute perfect technique under pressure. But golf isn’t really played on the range, is it? It’s played with money on the line, playing partners watching, and that annoying voice in your head reminding you about every water hazard on the course.

What Actually Works for 12-Handicappers

After years of trial and error, here’s what I’ve learned actually helps golfers at our level:

1. Course Management Over Swing Changes

Instead of trying to fix your swing, learn to manage your misses.

I know I’m going to miss some greens. So instead of aiming at every pin, I aim for the fat part of the green and take my pars. When I miss, I’m usually still on the putting surface instead of in a bunker.

This dropped my scores immediately. Not because my swing got better, but because my decisions got smarter.

2. Practice Your Short Game (Seriously)

I used to spend probably 90% of my practice time on the range hitting drivers. Know where I was actually losing strokes? Within 100 yards of the pin.

This is where I have to give credit to Dan Grieve – absolute short game genius who helped me understand that getting good around the greens isn’t just about technique. It’s about having a system and sticking to it.

Now I spend most of my practice time chipping, pitching, and putting. It’s honestly not as fun as crushing drivers, but it’s what actually started improving my scores.

Reality check: You’re going to miss greens. Might as well get good at getting up and down.

3. Play Within Your Abilities

I used to try hero shots all the time. 200-yard carries over water? Sure, why not? Pin tucked behind a bunker? I’m going right at it.

Now I try to play more boring golf. I lay up. I aim for the middle of greens. I take my medicine when I’m in trouble.

Turns out boring golf usually scores better than exciting golf. Who knew?

4. Focus on One Thing at a Time

Instead of trying to fix everything at once, I pick ONE thing to work on for a month. Maybe it’s tempo. Maybe it’s course management. Maybe it’s putting.

One thing. One month. That’s it.

When you try to fix everything, you fix nothing.

5. Accept That Golf Is Hard

This might be the most important tip of all.

Golf is really, really hard. Even tour pros miss fairways and greens. Even scratch golfers have terrible days. And you know what? That’s actually okay.

Once I stopped expecting perfection and started accepting that bad shots are just part of golf, the game became way more enjoyable. And when you’re enjoying it more, you usually end up playing better too.

The Tips That Actually Helped Me

Here are the few tips that actually moved the needle for my game:

“Play one club more and swing easy.” This fixed my distance control issues overnight.

“When in doubt, put it in the middle.” Stopped me from short-siding myself constantly.

“Your next shot is more important than your last shot.” Helped me stop letting bad holes turn into disasters.

“Grip it like you’re holding a bird – firm enough it won’t fly away, gentle enough you won’t hurt it.” Finally gave me a consistent grip pressure.

Notice something? These aren’t technical swing tips. They’re simple, actionable advice that works regardless of your swing plane or shoulder turn.

What This Means for Your Game

If you’re a 12-handicap (or anywhere close), stop chasing the perfect swing. Start focusing on:

• Course management – Play smarter, not harder
• Short game – Where you actually lose strokes
• Mental approach – Managing expectations and emotions
• One improvement at a time – Focus beats scattered effort

I’m still a 12-handicap, but I think I’m a much better 12-handicap than I was two years ago. I enjoy the game more, I have more good holes, and I’m finally seeing some consistent improvement.

The perfect swing can wait. Better golf starts with better decisions.

What golf tips have actually helped your game? What advice sounds great but doesn’t work? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

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