Best Single Tip for New Golfer at Age 22

Hey everybody, I started taking golf seriously roughly a year ago, and I'm a 90 golfer right now. I notice myself getting better, but I don't have time or money to get lessons right now with school and work on my plate.

what is the single best tip you've ever received in your golf life

I hope to get some good answers and I appreciate everybody taking the time to read my thread

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Hey Connor;

That's cool you are getting into the game.  It's a terrible addiction!

I see you have spent a fair chink of change on your clubs.  You really couldn't spare a few more bucks for a lesson or two?  Because that really is the best advice - get some professional instruction as soon as possible so that you can practice the right things now, not after it's too late and your swing flaws are ingrained.

That aside, the best advice I think I've learned over the 30 years I've been playing is that golf is often counter-intuitive.  By that I mean, doing the opposite of what you naturally want to do is usually the right way to go.

If you want the ball to go up, you have to hit down on it with your irons.

In other words, don't try to help the ball in the air.  The club has loft, so let the loft do the work.

Keep in on the Short Grass

Don't marry.

Welcome to TST.

The best tip is never to take advice from strangers, high handicappers, or unsolicited advice from pros. This goes doubly for fly-by advice during practice, magazine articles, or right before a round/on course. Advice on equipment is also subjective and shouldn't be followed blindly.

I know there's inherent irony in that, but I'm serious. All it will do is mess with your head and throw you off; unless the person giving advice is qualified to do so AND has watched your swing and knows your game, politely decline. Most of the tips out there are band aid fixes, tips for certain types of players (ie fat old men), and changes in the swing to give you a certain feel. A single swing thought can help you focus, but a million swing thoughts will kill your game and mental control.

Most people will try and offer advice in a friendly way, trying to be genuinely helpful, but it's best to go it alone unless you have a regular playing partner, coach, or instructor. No matter how long his beard might be, that guy at the range driving the picker is not necessarily right. You risk being seen as a know it all kid, but politely decline the advice.

This applies to swing advice, but that dude driving the picker might be able to give you great tips on how to play the course. Course management tips are worth listening to. But the swing is a delicate topic, so I'd avoid the conversation.

EDIT: The post above me is an exception. This man is a sage.

Thanks for the reply! I can definitely understand what you're saying about not taking every tip from every person. I'll be getting professional lessons soon, but I thought it would be a good idea to just ask other people, besides my friends, what they've learned throughout the years. Thanks again!

Haha I know the clubs look expensive, but I got them really cheap from my uncle. He won the irons in a company raffle and sold them to me for 150 bucks. I got the putter on ebay for pretty cheap and i traded my snowboard for 400 dollars worth of Callaway gift certificates, which I used to purchase the driver and the 60 degree. I paid full price for the woods and hybrid with some of my tax return. I definitely plan on getting lessons soon, dont get me wrong, its just a little tough right now to go spend the extra 50-80 bucks for a lesson on top of the 20-30 i pay to play whenever I have time off from class and work. I LOVE the game and I appreciate your response. Its really cool to hear what other people have learned throughout their years of playing golf.

Thanks Again!

No worries.

I also buy most of my clubs used - except my drivers.

I live in Japan, where golf is quite expensive, so I try to find any way I can to save money.

One other thing I can throw at you, is that you need to groove a good swing plane.

Video yourself and check your plane.

Ben Hogan's book is probably the best ever on explaining the fundamentals of the golf swing, particularly the swing plane.

It's only about 100 pages, but I read it often and always seem to find something new in it.

Get yourself a copy.

Never trust an Irishman's handicap!

The best advice I can give is to get lessons but in the meantime don't listen to advice from just anyone (except me ). The one piece of advice I'd give is to practice a lot on putting and the short game. This is the fastest way to shave strokes. One of my favorite books in this regard is Getting Up and Down by Tom Watson.

Lessons, lessons, lessons!

I spent years trying to teach myself to play and never made any real progress until I gave up and started taking lessons.  My wife and I just signed up for a beginner golf class that is part of our school districts community eduction program.  Really cheap and lots of fun.  You might see if there is anything like that available to you.

Having somebody watch you hit balls and correct your specific flaws is sooooo much more productive than trying to do it yourself.  If you are going to do it yourself at least use a video camera.

Love it! I'll add that there is no right way to swing. There might be guidelines to follow, but we all have our little quirks. If a pro tells you he teaches only one way to swing, run fast.

Best single tip? Read this thread.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/55426/introducing-five-simple-keys

Keep up.

I think I know what you mean, and ive learned to "come down" on the ball i think. My friends and people I play with tell me i have a nice swing and I take really nice dollar-bill sized divots with iron shots. thanks for the advice!

Hey i liked your response. I am pretty stubborn i guess but I am definitely going to get lessons. It seems to be the most popular tip. thanks again!

My best advice to you would be to take lessons.  Without taking lessons you dont know what you dont know and cant possibly hope to know why you hit bad shots.  You will merely be swinging blinding hoping to make good contact.