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What is the best way to teach a complete beginner?


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Hey guys, My friend really wants to learn the game because her entire family plays. She has never really touched a golf club before and she wants me to coach her. I'd love to teach her, but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. Do you focus on one specific thing per lesson or do you try to teach several fundamentals at a time? Where do you start? Grip first I would assume, but what direction from there? I helped my high school golf coach teach a camp for very young junior golfers for 4 years. With those groups, I only got to see them 5 times so I couldn't convey much information in that time frame. With her, I will have much more time than that. In the golf camp we always started with grip, and then taught a very basic 3 step swing. The difference is that the girl I will be teaching is very athletic and in college, so she will be much better at learning than the middle school to elementary aged kids I taught there. Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

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Stand behind her real close and place both hands on her hips. Stay in this position for about an hour each day all the while guiding her body through the swinging motion. You'll get the results you want in no time. Who knows, she even become a decent golfer to boot.
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@Unforgiven93 ,

Film her swing and show her what she is doing.  Show her the swings of LPGA professionals.  If she is athletic, then she will be able to see what she should be doing.

Scott

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I'd begin by teaching her a good impact position, even if that means starting with chip-length backswings, punching the ball, hitting the ground, and make very clear to her very quickly that she can get the ball up in the air with the loft on the club, not by having to flip at it with her weight back.

We train juniors and beginners this way and they begin smashing (admittedly low) draws and hooks pretty quickly.

Of course, show her a good basic grip (fingers, not palm) and some stance resembling those in this thread too: .

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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Stand behind her real close and place both hands on her hips. Stay in this position for about an hour each day all the while guiding her body through the swinging motion. You'll get the results you want in no time. Who knows, she even become a decent golfer to boot.

Uh-

ANYWAYS:

When I started working with my current instructor, we worked very hard on the weight shift. I spun my hips open (though I got my weight forward) instead of sliding them properly. Once we got that part down well, we were able to move onto other things, like going back steep in the backswing and shallow in the downswing.

I think that by teaching to stay centered over the ball on the way back and to slide her hips on the way down she'll be far ahead of most beginners.

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I'd begin by teaching her a good impact position, even if that means starting with chip-length backswings, punching the ball, hitting the ground, and make very clear to her very quickly that she can get the ball up in the air with the loft on the club, not by having to flip at it with her weight back. We train juniors and beginners this way and they begin smashing (admittedly low) draws and hooks pretty quickly. Of course, show her a good basic grip (fingers, not palm) and some stance resembling those in this thread too: [CONTENTEMBED=/t/56069/good-golf-posture layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED] .

I wish I started this way. So much agree with this. I bet The Dan Plan Dan would be so much further along if he began this way.

Steve

Kill slow play. Allow walking. Reduce ineffective golf instruction. Use environmentally friendly course maintenance.

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I'd break out my checkbook and send her to a qualified instructor. ESPECIALLY if I had any romantic inclination towards her. 2 things you never try to teach a woman you like......or want to like you. How to drive a car, or how to play golf! :smartass:

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I'd break out my checkbook and send her to a qualified instructor. ESPECIALLY if I had any romantic inclination towards her.

Yep. I must have missed that the guy was trying to teach a wife or girlfriend.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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Some people say to first teach a new student how to putt and this will get him/her hooked and more willing to learn new shots.

Then teach him/her some simple chipping shots from outside the green, and so forth, working your way back.

May not be a bad idea.

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I'd break out my checkbook and send her to a qualified instructor. ESPECIALLY if I had any romantic inclination towards her.

2 things you never try to teach a woman you like......or want to like you. How to drive a car, or how to play golf!

Especially a stick shift like that cherished VW bug you raised up from the junkyard one spark plug at a time. . .

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I'd break out my checkbook and send her to a qualified instructor. ESPECIALLY if I had any romantic inclination towards her.

2 things you never try to teach a woman you like......or want to like you. How to drive a car, or how to play golf!

I guess I am different.  I taught my wife how to drive a stick and have helped her with golf.  No fights.

Scott

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I guess I am different.  I taught my wife how to drive a stick and have helped her with golf.  No fights.

The exception that proves the rule......

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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We train juniors and beginners this way and they begin smashing (admittedly low) draws and hooks pretty quickly.

I would guess it's much easier progressing from low to high than high to low? Ball flight that is.

Steve

Kill slow play. Allow walking. Reduce ineffective golf instruction. Use environmentally friendly course maintenance.

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I would guess it's much easier progressing from low to high than high to low? Ball flight that is.

Low at least means that they've got the handle a bit forward. Their heads may go forward too, but contact is so much more important than height at first, and if you have them keeping their heads back, and trying to hit it in the air, they leave their weight back and flip to lift.

A 200-yard shot that gets only 10 yards in the air is better than a 40-yard fat shot every time. :) (assuming the hole is 200+ yards away, I mean.)

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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A 200-yard shot that gets only 10 yards in the air is better than a 40-yard fat shot every time. :) (assuming the hole is 200+ yards away, I mean.)

Lol, yes, very important distinction! Those 200 yard lob wedges usually lead to trouble! :-P

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Michelle Wei hit a few of those at the Kraft.  But hers went 230ish.

Scott

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I guess I am different.  I taught my wife how to drive a stick and have helped her with golf.  No fights.

No fights for me as well, but I had to replace my clutch. All our cars are automatic anyway. It's been years since even I drove stick. Except rental trucks.

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"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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Great advice guys, thanks a lot. Going to follow what iacas said, along with showing her some swings. And no "romantic inclination" just want to help a friend... haha. And I enjoy teaching when I know a lot about the subject. Have her break 50 by the time summer hits? Challenge accepted.

srixon.png.c29104d99ab6ca6ecb927e9dd97b26f1.png    Z785 Driver 10.5° Tour AD BB 7x    |    F65 4W Tour AD TP 7x    |    Z765 4-PW Dynamic Gold X100 AMT    |     Z-Star Ball

TM.png.36c3c24d72a4ac809b0def631452f3ba.png    M3 4H HZRDUS Black    |    Spider Tour Putter

titleist.png.c92d01bf6404c1675a5e518a7447f2c6.png  Vokey SM7 50° 55° 60° Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue Black

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Note: This thread is 3636 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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