Golf is one of those sports that people take up at various times in their life. If your parents golf they might get you swinging a club before you even go to school, while others might not pick up a club until they retire. Men, women and children all tend to have certain strengths and weaknesses when it comes to golf but this article will try to remain fairly generic and provide some useful golf tips for beginners.
The first piece of advice is to keep things simple. I still remember over 30 years ago heading to the course with just a 3, 5, 7, and 9 iron, a putter and a wood. That’s all you need. If you are just starting out you don’t need 14 clubs that set you back a thousand dollars. After all, you may find golf just isn’t for you.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the basic rules and etiquette of the game. There are hundreds of obscure rules but if you follow a few of the basics like remaining quiet and still while others are swinging you will make out just fine.
Now for the golf swing. Don’t just grab some clubs and head out to a golf course thinking you used to play baseball or hockey and you’ll pick up the game on the fly. You need at least a few practice sessions before attempting to play golf. It would be ideal if you ask some friends to recommend a local teaching pro. For beginners golf instruction can really help with learning the basics.
It amazed (shocked) me the first time I saw a video of my golf swing after having golfed for several years! You may think you are doing some of the moves you have heard or read about but reality can be very different. A second pair of (trained) eyes can be invaluable.
Ok, so what if you don’t want to take any lessons? Well, there are a few basic golf swing tips:
Stance
- feet should be shoulder-width apart
- you should bend from the hips not the waist (feel like your butt is sticking out)
- your back should be relatively straight – not hunched or arched
- most importantly you should be in a balanced athletic position (the common analogy is like a baseball shortstop)
Alignment
- imagine a set of train tracks
- the outside rail runs from the ball to the target (say the pin)
- the inside rail runs parallel to the outside rail and that is where the toes of each foot should be
Grip
- do not strangle the golf club (a tight grip makes it impossible to swing freely)
- for the exact position of the club in your hands I recommend watching this video
Ball Position
- middle of your stance (halfway between each foot) for every club except the driver
- driver – an inch or two inside your leading foot
Swing
- start with half swings until you can make good contact with the ball
- stay centered over the ball and in balance at all times
- swing easy – don’t try to kill the ball (hitting the ball in the middle of the clubface is more important than club-speed)
- remember one thing – golf clubs have different lofts that are designed to send the ball different heights and distances – your only job is to apply force in the direction of the target (you never want to try to help the club get the ball in the air)
This article turned out to be longer than intended. Golf is not an easy game but I guess that’s why so many of us love it. It may take some time before you par your first hole or break 100 but there will always be a few shots in each round that will keep you coming back for more!