Tips for my wife who has never played

I am an avid golfer and totally ate up. My wife has decided she would like to play and I want her too. I bought her clubs for christmas. Nothing special, just some used wilson staff with graphite shafts that are in decent shape.

I really want her to enjoy herself and don't expect much. We have been to the putting green and driving range but she just wants to get out there.

Any ideas on how to help her enjoy and improve. We don't have the money for lessons. I have tryed to help her with the grip but I do not want to be telling her what to do when we are playing, I think that is rude.

My only advice for her is to enjoy herself, pick up when frustrated, and try to hit the ball hard.

Any ideas would be great.

Sign her up for some lessons, especially if you can find small group lessons with other women, preferably with a female pro. My wife took lessons that way and enjoyed the camaraderie and the less intimidating atmosphere. I suspect that most lady pros run such a program.

Trying to teach her yourself can cause friction and might help you wind up in divorce court.

That is my concern. We butt heads often. Thanks for the advice.

I would try to get her in a womens league.Most would probably be novices,too,and she could meet new friends,compare outfits,have lunch,ect.I`d maybe help her on the range,but I`d go play with the guys and enjoy myself.Nothing more frustrating to wait to hit my second shot while she takes 10 whacks,excluding "whiffs",and of course has to go thru her pre-shot routine every time.Can you tell I`ve been there,done that? Good luck,though. It`s great she`s wanting to play.

My wife goes and plays with me sometimes on days when the course isn't crowded. She has a pretty good swing to be honest. I don't say a word though. I just let her play her game and hit what she wants to and if she wants input from me she just asks for it. She doesn't care about her handicap so if she wants to improve her lie, go right ahead, I don't care. I just want us both to have fun

Here is what my wife and I have discussed about her recently learning the game:

She is a more visual learner than a written learner, so books with more pictures of positions were favorable to the techincal details behind them. Two links to books my wife liked below.

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Naked-.../dp/0968628907

This first link got her over a bunch of the pre-concieved notions most folks have about golf.

http://www.golfsurvivalguide.com/about_Author_All.lasso

The second link is to an author whos book is a bit more technical but has a lot of good pictures on positions and different types of shots.

Secondly, we got her womens clubs, they are much lighter than men's clubs and easier for her to swing. This made a huge difference for her.

Third, we found out that she prefers to only hit during warm weather, no golf dome for her in the cold.

Fourth, getting lessons, this has been a bit of a sticky point. What worked is getting her to talk with the pro that I take lessons with at a golf show. He made her comfortable coming for a lesson before swinging the club too much. It has been a lot easier to get my wife to practice the things a professional has said then to have her hack away and go through the fusterating process most men do learning to swing the club.

Fifth, for my wife, she prefers to work on something a bit on her own but to have me available to ask questions. It is my job to remember to answer the question clearly and to the point. Then, if there is more I want to tell her I always ask do you understand and would you like to know more? Sometimes it is yes and sometimes she wants to swing a bit more with what I have told her. I always try to limit my own excitement or desire to talk about the golf swing so I don't overwhelm her.

Sixth, she has not totally caught the bug yet, so I don't push it. The clubs have been sitting for a while as we get through the poor spring weather. Also, we have a two-year old so getting both of us out to practice at the same time can be challenging at times. Taking it in stride has been the best method so far.

If I think of anything else I will update.

Regards,
-E

As the old joke goes:

Tell her it's best to start off easy with the #1 iron. Then tell her to make it even easier, take a nice downhill lie, and then swing easily.

Tennis is fun......

I appriciate all the ideas. I know it is a little crazy to have my wife play but if she enjoys it I can play even more. I also have a little boy so time is an issue as well. She understands that I will not always play with her and is fine with that.

Thanks again for all the ideas.

Two tips:

1. Patience
2. Get her lessons.

One thing that can really help is to find another couple that plays together. That way you can play together and not together at the same time. You'll both have more fun this way. Plus, if you all get along well it could turn into her going to play with other woman and you getting to play with the other guy sometimes.

I know you say you don't want to spend money on lessons, but I do think at least one lesson to help her get the basics would be a good idea. There are several places to get lessons in Cincinnati area that are not overly expensive, such as Meadow Links (down from The Mill Course at Winton Woods). I tried to teach one of my girlfriends to play one time and it was like banging my head against a brick wall. I got her a lesson and the guy said the same general stuff I did but she listened and improved quickly (of course I broke up with her before she got better than me because I don't think my fragile ego could have taken that...)

And I also agree with the idea of a woman's league. She'll get some tips and pointers just from watching the others she plays with which can help.

Wife??? Golf???

How old is your son? maybe your son can join you and your wife and putt and chip along.

If you wife is a visual person I have some suggestion on videos on You Tube with the link below:

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21680

tips for your son
http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23428

He is 2 and half. He is interested but just not focused. Thank you for all the sugestions.

My advice would be to just let her have fun. Give her advice or tips if she asks, but dont constantly be showing her what shes doing wrong.
Id also advise you to not keep score. Why constantly remind her of how bad she is at this game? Instead, just focus on the shot at hand, celebrate the good shots and forget about the bad ones.
Basically, you would want to do the same things you would do with anyone who is learning this game. Golf can be a very frustrating game, especially when you are just starting out, so you definetly want to encourage her, praise her for the good shots and give your advice when she asks for it.

Couldn't agree more. I have played with husband and wife and the husband just tell her that she is aiming wrong or whatever and I think that is rude. That would make her not want play. I really don't expect her to be able to play a entire hole for a while (well maybe par 3s). But she can't hit the ball very far and if she plays out a 300 yard hole it will take her 10 or more shots to get to the green. That would not be fun and she needs to enjoy it or she will quit.

Don't instruct her on the course, you are there for fun. Make her go to the range and putting green and be a taskmaster there.

May is free PGA lesson month (

http://www.playgolfamerica.com/index.cfm?action=flm ). It's worth seeing if any pros in your area are participating.