Hoaxes, Scams, and Data Manipulation in the Golf Industry

When I scroll through Instagram, I get bombarded with golf drills and practice plans that claim to fix all types of golf games. As a long-time competitive golfer, and someone who goes through constant swing changes, these often catch my attention. But as it turns out, most of these are misleading marketing and a prime example of digital manipulation. 

The main goal of these scams are to make money selling overpriced “secret techniques” with limited time deals so that people buy quickly without question. These scams rely on psychological tricks and manipulation of swing videos to exaggerate the “successes.” For example, only pured shots are shown and not the hundreds of mishit ones. The video testimonials also claim unrealistic improvements and often stretch the truth of the product. Only selective information is displayed and thus this is a form of data manipulation. 

These videos often have several warning signs that allow me to determine if the product is fake or if it is actually beneficial. The major sign is a too good to be true claim. If a product claims to improve someone’s swing in under 7 days it is likely a scam. Swing changes and improvements often take weeks to master. Another dead giveaway is having no credible coaches or golfers endorsing the product. 

The best way to avoid these scams is to do research. Look for reviews of the product from customers and check and see if any top 100 coaches are using this product. If both of those things are positive, then proceed with purchasing the product but if not, do not purchase. 

It is very easy for scams to target people based off of their interests. By using edited content and selective results scammers can make a product appear that it will lower one’s handicap dramatically. Being aware of these tactics is the first step in saving money while getting better at golf.