Pretty Girl Syndrome and the Effect it Can Have on a Golf Swing

Beware of the Pretty Girl Golf Swing                 photo ©GolfGirlMedia

If you're in any way attuned to pop culture... or contemporary psychology... you've probably heard of "Pretty Girl Syndrome". It's also quite likely you know at least one or two ladies afflicted with the troubling condition.

The personality traits found in those with PGS are a result of the excessive attention, advice, assistance and unsolicited adoration attractive women receive on a daily basis.

Of course the syndrome doesn't affect every attractive woman, and those who are affected display a myriad of sometimes contradictory behaviors; arrogance, insecurity, a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy and helplessness are just a few.  Women with PGS often complain about being beautiful, claiming that it makes them a perpetual target of jealousy from those less attractive. Their complaints generally garner very little sympathy as numerous studies have proven that attractive people do, in fact, have a quantifiable advantage when it comes to employment and salary. They also receive a disproportionate amount of praise for everyday accomplishments and (women, in particular) tend to get all manner of things for free.


When it comes to perfecting one's golf swing however, pretty girls may well be at a disadvantage.
The theory was explained to me last week at the the driving range by a well-turned-out gentleman in an adjoining bay who seemed to know all about such things.

The day was chilly and overcast. Wearing several bulky layers, my unkempt hair was kept somewhat at bay with an ancient, ill-fitting golf cap. I was working... with less-than-stellar results... on some distance drills I had recently discovered, when I noticed the elegant stranger in his watch plaid cap, looking back at me with a bemused expression.  "I have to tell you", he said, "your swing looks really nice, but you seem to be struggling to make solid contact with the ball."

Okay so I was having trouble making solid contact. I knew that, and was in the process of self-correcting it. "Yes, I seem to have accumulated a few too many swing thoughts." I responded with a terse chuckle that I hoped would convey my desire to be left alone.  Surprisingly it worked... sort of.

"Oh, well, yes of course," my aspiring swing coach agreed, "a beautiful woman like you must be getting unsolicited advice all the time."

Beauty, as we all know, is in the eye of the beholder... and let's face it this was a no-frills driving range in Danbury, CT, not a catwalk in Paris or a high-end boutique on Madison Avenue... so I probably was the best looking (only) woman in the general vicinity.

Mr. Plaid Cap smiled indulgently. "The consistency of your swing is being sabotaged by 'Pretty Girl Syndrome'... you've just got to try to ignore all the that advice you get from local hackers and concentrate on what you've learned from your instructor." With that he poured his nearly full bucket of balls into my tray and left the premises.