New Guy w/ Basic ?

Hi I apologize in advance if this is in the wrong place or if there is a sticky that deals with this question.

Basically I am brand new to golf <2 weeks.  I got into it because I was asked to particiapate in a golf outing at work and I could not say no.  I had my nephew (who played golf in High school and college and plays weekly) give me a crash course and we played a few 9 hole courses and we went to the range a few times to get me ready for the outing.  I had a great time both learning and at the outing and I absolutley love golf and I think I am hooked.  I love how hard and challenging it is and love being outside so I want to learn this sport.  My nephew is really good and he has spent so much time with me but I feel like a burden asking him so many basic questions and asking him to show me stuff all the time.  He has never said no, but I want to ween myself from him and try to learn on my own.

My question is what is the best way to learn the fundamentals of golf?  I live so close to so many ranges and courses so I can practice a lot but I don't want to practice the wrong way or get used to bad habits.  So how do I learn a good solid stance, swing etc.

My nephew got my started but I don't have access to him all the time.  Also, do those swing tool clubs that bend if you swing wrong help?

thanks

I would suggest getting some lessons from PGA Professional.  I know a lot of teachers will do a package like 6 lessons for the price of 5, they will get you on the right track.

The best way, as the previous poster suggested is to get a series of lessons from a PGA professional. If money is tight, buy a book.

Don't waste your money on swing tools. For example, some great golfers swings would cause the Medicus hinge to break every time!

Welcome to the insane, demented, cruel, and unspeakably beautiful game of golf my friend.

In addition to getting lessons, immerse yourself in other ways. Get a couple instructional books. Hogan's Five Lessons and Harvey Penick's Little Red Book are timeless greats. Watch golf on TV and observe etiquette, strategy, demeanor, and, of course all the different swings out there (that's how I started out teaching myself). The ladies in particular are great to watch for swing tempo. There's also some decent instructional shows on the Golf Channel (I like School of Golf and On the Range).

And of course, find a great online golf forum. I'll let you know when I find one...

Ditto on the other replies.  Find a good PGA Teaching Pro near you and start lessons ASAP.  Do at least a couple of months and if they are reasonably priced on it request that one of the lessons be on the course so they can help you with how to handle different situations and trouble.  I find that I am a phenomenal range player in front of a pro and yet a course will quickly find and showcase my weaknesses.  Because of that, my playing lessons with the local pro were invaluable when I was starting.  I still try to play 9 with him at least every 3-4 months to keep me sharp.  Not only do I learn stuff from his comments to me, but will also pick up on things that he does in certain situations and learn from his game as well.

Definitely get Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and read it at least once (i've probably read it 5 times).  There may be more wisdom in that book than any other sports-related book ever written.

Wow thanks for the replies, lots of good info.

Did anybody say lessons yet?  All kdding aside - I wish I had gotten lessons from day 1.  No better bang for your buck (if you have a good teacher, of course).

Lessons for the beginner should be a personal requirement. You don't have to take a ton of them. Group lessons can save you some $$.

Then, practice!

I would be careful to avoid over immersing yourself in books and study of the golf swing. Many times it doesn't help much without someone to show you what it means. At least, not when your beginning.

I found that last year I was studying golf swings trying to improve upon mine it got me nowhere. In fact, I probably regressed in countless attempts to do something that I didn't really understand very well. Heck, it wasn't until this past weekend that I finally discovered my error when using a new and lighter driver. (See Avatar). Darn thing wouldn't let me hit the ball well unless I swung it on the much desired plane.... Which I finally discovered how to do... And it didn't come out of a video.. I had a Golf Epiphany! :p

This is why I stress PRACTICE!!

:) Nothing replaces it besides a lesson to point you in the correct direction. :)

I know in my area, the local golf stores occasionally have free group lessons that teach the basics.  I would highly recommend that.  The Golf Galaxy by me actually had a free five session instruction that culminated with free golf on a private course, which was great.

After that, as others said, go with lessons.  I picked up the game a few months ago and have hacked for hours at the driving range, and finally just decided to get lessons.  I thought I could teach it myself...I got to a fairly acceptable level, but used a significant amount of time to get there.

I would restate that as:

I would be am careful to avoid over immersing yoursel myself in books and study of the golf swing. For me, Many times it doesn't help much without someone to show you me what it means. At least, not when your I was beginning.

Speak for yourself. I started out pretty decently reading Hogan and watching golf on TV, and without lessons I achieved an 8 HC. We all have different athletic abilities and hand-eye coordination. That being said, I still recommend lessons for a beginner to speed the learning curve. And, I must admit, I did get a subscription to Golf Digest and the overflow of conflicting advice screwed me up royally for a while until I had the common sense to eschew that crap and go back to listening to myself.

Get Lessons or you will end up like me an ugly swing that works only some of the time and have to work 10 times as hard to break bad habits.

Get lessons for sure. Not sure how old you are/retired? But if you have the time (I did the following as a young teen)....

I used to practice wedge shots in an open field. Maybe a run down soccer field, etc. And brought 20 or so balls and would just practice "hitting" the ball.

Bring a PW, 9iron, maybe 8iron if long enough. And just spend a few hours learning what if "feels" like to hit shots. You'll know when you hit it good, try to repeat it.

Unlike years ago, there are also courses with great practice facilities....30 bucks all day. Have a day off? Spend 4,5 hours hitting short iron shots, pitching, putting.

Then you can tackle the long irons and driver. For now, i would learn to hit the ball. Easiest way- short irons.

My .02 cents

.02 Cents?!  Come on, you can give more of an opinion than that.  That's only 2% of one penny

I'll give you my advice:

1)  Get lessons

2)  Buy the beginners series from Shawn Clement:

http://www.wisdomingolf.com  (under the "store" link)

He also has 250+ free videos available on YouTube.  However, the beginners series is only $9.95 and will present the material in a logical order.

I've been playing golf 35+ years and no instructor has done as much for my swing as Shawn.  I'm striking the ball better than I ever have and my scores are dropping.  If I can get my 100-yard-in game in order, I'll really see improvement.

The thing I love about Shawn's teachings is that they're based on how the human anatomy works in relation to the golf swing, and the physics of the golf swing (gravity, momentum).  I don't think in 35 years of lessons, I ever had an instructor mention gravity to me.  Everything was based around club manipulation (cock your wrists earliers...take the club back more inside....lead with your hip...).  For me, understanding that the golf swing is about putting your body in the proper position (setup) and then letting gravity and momentum do their job was a huge revelation. I came to the realization that for 35 years, I'd been swinging the club, trying to muscle the ball out there, rather than letting the club swing and letting the physics of the golf club work.  Huge difference.

Note however, that I still recommend you take lessons.  Especially as a beginner, you don't have enough feel for the game to know if you're doing things right or not.  Letting gravity work won't help if your setup is poor, you sway on your backswing, etc.  That's where having a pro watch your swing can really help.

3)  Learn to practice effectively

Watch the good players at the range.  You'll notice they don't immediately pull out their driver and start beating balls as fast as they can, like 90% of people do.  They start with their short irons and go through their routine with every shot.  They have a plan for practice.  You should do the same.  Work your short irons more than anything.  Focus on consistency - not distance.