Your Best Advice For a Beginner

[mcanadiens]

I'd simply tell him to be patient. Improvement doesn't happen overnight or by coincidence. There will be some lows. If he sticks with it, those lows will make the highs all the better.  

 

[Pete F]

Buy a set of clubs on Craigs list

Take out everything but the 3wood, hybrid, 5, 7 and 9 irons, sand wedge and putter.

Buy a bunch of used balls, you won't know the difference.

Buy a bag shag

Take a lesson

Buy one how to video by Butch Harmon

Don't watch a  ton of videos on youtube

Read about efficient practice and do it
Have fun

Play, walking is good for you, you are not in a hurry, twilight is a good time for beginners

Have fun

Practice

Have fun

Remember you are a grown person, hitting a ball, going to it, hitting it again, until you get it close to a hole, then after you get it in the hole, you take it out and hit it again. Have fun, it is only as hard as you want it to be and only takes as much time as you want to commit.

[newtogolf]

Take lessons right from the start so you avoid developing any bad swing habits.  Practice with purpose.  Don't invest in expensive clubs until your swing is somewhat consistent and you can be properly fit.

[acetoolguy]

Don't start on the tee, start on the green.

[x3nt0n]

Do not learn to hit balls off a mat. I'm sure there are people who find practice from a mat useful, but for a beginner do not learn this way.

[9wood]

keep your head down, don't peek, follow through on your swing, but more importantly don't try to clobber the ball. 

Don't try to clobber the ball. Keep your head down and don't peek, then follow through on your swing. 

[The Bogey Guy]

Do not learn to hit balls off a mat. I'm sure there are people who find practice from a mat useful, but for a beginner do not learn this way.

Agreed!! I find hitting off the mat to be nothing more then a pain in the neck and if you swing wrong the club head tends to bounce off the mat as where on real grass it does not. 

[9wood]

Quit. Sell you clubs and buy a fishing pole instead.

After you Master fishin, then take up an even tougher challenge and try golf.

[pganapathy]

Get lessons from a good pro.  If not, learn the game yourself completely (like Bubba Watson did) but never stick to getting advice from a hundred amateurs and friends.  You will get too confused and wind up making a bad thing worse

[CoachB25]

Find a golfing buddy and golf on twilight rates if your course has them.  You might only get 9 in but it can be a blast.  That's how I first started so many years ago.  One of my good buddies started the same with me.  He'd get home from work and we'd take off. 

[onthehunt526]

Take lessons, be patient, pick up a copy of Lowest Score Wins. Have fun, and again be patient.

As soon as you realize, perfection is unattainable in our great game, that's 60% of the battle.

Most of all..  Don't ever give your spouse Golf tips... It's one of golf's Ten Commandments.  Finally, read Golf For Dummies... It will get you started it's a good basic book for Beginners that is easy to understand.

Have fun.

[Tat14]

Grip has been mentioned already, so...

Every new player I've been around has one club that he or she takes too more easily. Build some fundamentals around that club - grip (again), address, etc. 

The rest of the clubs can work their way into the bag as progress is achieved.

[14ledo81]

I am not really qualified to give a lot of swing tips.  I would probably direct them to TST and tell them to read and start a swing thread.

Advice from me though would be, "Remember it is just a game, the point is to have FUN"....

[mdg74]

It all depends on the personality of the person taking up the game. I'm highly competitive, so what got me hooked is my friends betting me I couldn't hit the fairway at 100 yards. After I was humbled I was hooked. If the person is frustrated easily, then the best move is to take them to a clinic and then play an easy par 3 with plenty of beer and good times.

[Pretzel]

Have fun, and remember that if you move the ball closer to the hole than it started that is a good step in the right direction.

So many people get too frustrated by it at the start, you really have to learn to laugh at yourself to be a beginner at golf.

[Mr. Desmond]

I would advise you get basic equipment, used brings great value, and remember the magic is not in equipment (this is saving your marriage and your life advice).

Concentrate on fixing your body and your swing.

#1a Get in Golf Shape - start with JoeyD's Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing, which starts you with golf specific exercises

#1b Learn as much about the golf swing as you can - this site is the best on the 'net for assisting you. But supplement this fine work with a real instructor, and/or sources here where you post your swing, etc. Keep learning.

#2 Go to our review thread and find DVDs and Books that may help

#3 Avoid Golf Magazines - they will set you back

[Dean Josh]

You have to enjoy the game,create a passion for it and then all will come from themselves,working hard ,learning new things experiencing and all that good stuff that makes a pro golfer be a pro

[Return2Golf]

On 4/11/2015 4:10:42, Pretzel said:

Have fun, and remember that if you move the ball closer to the hole than it started that is a good step in the right direction.

So many people get too frustrated by it at the start, you really have to learn to laugh at yourself to be a beginner at golf.

This is essential in my view (the ability to laugh at yourself).  I don't get how frustration gets tied into the game of golf. Being upset about putting and just missing the hole should really only last a second if the game is not to get the better of you.  It's a bit like fishing for trout. The enjoyment is the decision to get off one's butt and getting out there to take in the surroundings: catching a fish is a bonus.  My advice from a rather ordinary golfer but pretty good putter is to get a few private lessons from the outset.