I was at a dinner party a few weeks ago and the conversation with a friend moved to golf. Inevitably, because I am a fairly serious golfer, new golfers will want to tell me stories of their first par or first birdie. I will listen and think back to when I started playing golf and when it was a big deal to finish the round with the same ball. That was always a big accomplishment when I started!
The friend will then start to tell me about their game and they will ask me, “so, how do I get better at golf?” The traditional answer is be find a local professional and start taking lessons, or go work on your short game. After years of answering friends this way I have stopped, mainly because I think that is wrong answer.
Of course, there are numerous ways to get better, and no single piece of advice will work for everyone. I also ask the person how serious they want to get. Getting good at golf requires a very high level of dedication. Take “The Dan Plan” as an example. Dan is testing the theory that 10,000 hours of dedicated practice can make you a master of a given profession. Dan is just shy of 3,000 hours in and is about a 10 handicap. The 3,000 hours has equated to about two years of just practicing and playing golf. When you look at the average person who has a job and a family, they likely only dedicates about 3-4 hours a week to golf. I find most casual golfers spend only about 3-4 hours in a month. Their rate of improvement is going to be very slow.
So the question I find myself having to answer is how do I suggest this golfer spend his 3-4 hours per month in order to enjoy the game more. If we go with the conventional answer of short game, then I can improve his or her overall score pretty quickly. I can teach them to avoid three-putt holes by working on distance control and some basic green reading skills. For beginners, though, speed control is typically the largest problem.
For me, though, having fun with golf has little to do with putting. So while this friend might score 103 versus 115, are they really having more fun three-putting less?
I think the best way for the beginner to get better is with the driver. With today’s equipment the driver is far and away the most exciting club in the bag. That was not always the case. When I was starting out persimmon drivers were really really hard to hit. In the beginning I could not hit the driver, and I learned the game playing mostly with a 3-wood. This hurt my development because I caused me to hit much longer irons into greens and caused me to develop a killer short game, but put a ton of stress on that short game. The drivers of today have enormous faces and are much easier to hit.
The biggest thing is not hitting it far, but instead about controlling the spin axis. Most beginners slice, and even with the advances in balls that do not curve as much, the beginners I play with can still hit some doozies.
Early keys are usually a sound set-up, because the ball is either too far forward or too far back in the golfer’s swing. From there I teach them to avoid the big slice and I find that most of them enjoy the game a bunch more. So my general advice to beginning golfers is to work on the range to fix their slice. I will often recommend a local pro in our area but I’m sure to tell the pro to first work on fixing the slice with the driver.
I actually believe that PGA Professionals would do well to make that the first lesson with any beginner. This is of course based on the prerequisite that this beginner can make decent contact with the ball. Some true beginners have trouble even contacting the ball so they likely need to start with that as the first lesson.
As golfer gets further along I typically will suggest a few books, I will suggest they sign up for The Sand Trap, and my main advice is to avoid tips in golf magazines. Golf Digest is full of one liners that simple make you worse in the long run. I suggest to avoid them at all costs.
Right now golf needs new golfers and the game is difficult enough as it is. If you have the time and want to get better with a more methodical approach my suggestions would be totally different but usually that sort of obsession typically develops in us after a few years of playing the game.
Your Take
Now, for sure I am not a golf professional and I am certain that everyone will have an opinion on to make someone better. I would like to hear some of what all of you think about how to make the casual golfer, who only has a few hours a month, to make the game more enjoyable.
(1.) The casual golfer needs to move up to a much, much shorter tee box. Typically the Red/White tee’s at most municipal/resort courses are fine. Moving up a set of tee’s to make the course shorter, should help the casual golfer shorten the course considerably – which will help them get the ball into the hole quicker.
2.) I’d also suggest a casual player to take a beginners putting and chipping lesson. Most beginners want to start with the full swing – but really the object is to get the ball into the hole as quick as possible. Knowing how to putt and chip is key to cutting strokes off of your round. And having the proper technique around the green will ensure as they practice their putting/chipping before they go out to that first tee on the weekend – that what they were practicing was indeed correct as they learned it from a professional.
3.) Lastly, if you are playing the game casually – don’t get caught up in the score so much. Enjoy being outside, getting fresh air. Know the games etiquette, and play ready golf. Lets face it… If you shoot a 110, 105 or 98… You’re not going to be competing in a major championship anytime soon… So just go out and enjoy your day. Golf is a great game because players of all skill levels can enjoy it. But if you focus too much on scoring – then the casual player may not find it as enjoyable.
This is an interesting approach to learning the game – a reversal of the traditional method of learning to hit the short clubs first. Actually, my 12 yr old daughter is 1 yr into the game, and in spite of the fact that I spend a lot of time with her on her short game, the driver is by far the club she hits the best, and, as you said, it gives her the largest ‘yeah!!’ factor. I would caution, however, that even though a beginner may find enjoyment in hitting drives straight consistently, they still might not find it much fun to chunk 3 pitches, blade one over the green, chip it to 30 ft, and then 4-putt for a 10. So, I would conclude that the short game is still essential to learn.
Appart from the overall approach to learning, one specific technical skill I think cannot be overemphasized is keeping the head still. As time goes by, I am more and more amazed at how difficult this seems to be for beginners and experienced hackers alike. Over the years I have coached many of my buddies, and now I am coaching my wife, son, and daughter, and not one out of that whole group can manage to keep their head still throughout the swing. It’s probably numbering in the millions the number of times I have told someone “You gotta keep your head still on your backswing and through impact”, and the very next swing, the head goes back, then down, then up. Everything is moving all over the place, and they really expect to make clean center face contact?!?!
Answering this question is obviously hard because the word “beginner” is so broad. But if i look at three categories of beginners, 1) never touched a club, 2) learning how to play, plays casually 5-10 times a year, occasional range visit 3) learning how to play, dedicated, more than 10 rounds a year, and will practice a significant amount of time, then I think the advice to each is different if they all want to improve.
If we all agree lessons will help, then beyond that I would say the following:
Group 1: Most important is fundamentals. Most newbie golfers I see have already developed bad tendencies. I think I would stress how important things like stance, grip, weigh shift, etc are and have them practice that in some sort of routine (maybe using video tape). I would also have them working on some very basics of the swing but more importantly, stress early on for new golfers the importance of short game and putting. These are the feel parts of the game that take the longest to develop. They can also be practiced at home, indoors.
Group 2: Assuming Group 2 has all the basics of Group 1, and as it relates to the swing, has a basic movement that is good and just needs to be improved and honed through repetition, I would focus them on making good contact and grooving a swing. I agree that overall, a driver is probably easier to make contact with but certainly is not the easiest to hit. The shorter irons, obviously, have much more loft and 100 yards and in will be extremely important to scoring. I would tell Group 2 to work on 9 iron through sand wedge. I think if you learn how to hit these clubs well, you may still have a slice swing but it will not come into play nearly as much and you can still make many good shots. Putting is of course also important but it takes so long to become a good putter who can routinely 2 putt that i think most beginners will get it around the hole in 3 putts and probably just pick up a bunch of close putts (not a good habit btw but true) that the scoring impact from one beginner to the other.
Group 3: I would still stress what was done in Group 2, but I think you add to it equal time hitting woods. And i would completely stress making it about accuracy not distance. 100 yards in the fairway is better 100% of the time then 175 yards and in the woods.
As for putting, this may sound crazy but I think a strategy for putting is more around learning how to read greens. Spend 10% of your time on that. Then practice your putting stroke at home while your watching the Celtics beat the Heat. I think the biggest jump for a beginner is in the repetition of the stroke and the feel of making 5 foot, 10 foot, 15 foot, and 20 foot swings. I don’t even think you necessarily need a ball as much as create a guide that roughly measures out those swing distances on a mat with the putter. Again, from my perspective its not that putting is important, I just think that skill becomes much more important when you becomes scoring conscious and your ability has improved learning the feel of golf, at which point I think you can take your putting to much greater levels.
I like your thoughts. I just took up the game with any level of seriousness about 2 years ago. First season and a half was very casual, several mulligans per round, didn’t keep true score, etc. Last year started really counting every stroke and broke 100 last Sept. after playing about 16 rounds over the summer.
This year I’ve just been playing a lot more, and started walking almsot every round. 14 rounds so far this summer. Broke 90 a few weeks ago, which I was insanely stoked about, and promptly followed it with a 115. D’oh!
The thing is for me, I *hate* practice. The range is just so, so, SO boring. A lot of what I love about golf is being out amongst the grass and trees and sun and water; being with friends; taking a long walk. None of that is found on the range.
I hit about 50% of fairways and really need to dedicate some time on the range to straightening out the driver. I miss a bit more to the right, but seem to go left almost as often. I need consistency. Never had a lesson but again, really need to try that out.
Anyways. First post. Love the site and liked this blog post. 🙂
Rob
I think that it makes sense for beginners to focus on the driver, or whatever club they use from the teebox. My philosophy is that it’s hard to play (and enjoy) golf from the trees. Most mulligans and lost balls seem to occur on the teebox, and if someone wants to enjoy golf they probably will by losing fewer balls and having fewer “WTF?” type shots. A great place to start fixing those is on the teebox.
I’m still working on fixing my slice 17 years later. I had it pretty well under control last year, but at some point this year one of the tips you were talking about NOT to take brought the damn slice back. But without a doubt, getting off the tee box 200+ yards in the fairway would make every beginner feel a hell of a lot better about their games.
Playing par golf requires a certain mental aspect that few people possess. The only answer to your question of “how do I get better” is DEDICATION! You actually said it best before you gave your “focus on the driver” answer… you have to get damn serious about golf.
I made my biggest leaps forward in golf when I immersed myself in the game. I totally withdrew and played mostly by myself. I incorporated golf into every hour of my day, every day of the week. I played or practiced literally all the time. It really wasn’t fun because it had become so serious. Unless you are willing to go there mentally, you don’t have what it takes… just my opinion.
Having played for nearly 20 years now, I am just now taking the game a little serious. I have come and gone from the game several times but the one thing that I have been good at was reading a green and making a nice bending 10 footer. Sure crushing a drive nice and straight feels great but the whack a mole effect after that is infuriating. Personally, I tell new comers to work on clubs they feel good hitting inside 100 yards. If they can get within 10 foot 50% of the time, they should be able to 2 putt from there and usually fall into bogey golf. Bogey golf is just fine to me. You get the occasional pars and birdies, even a rare eagle! Those are the holes you’ll remember and want to come back!
You make a lot of good points. At least half or 2/3 of my blow-up holes start out with a big sliced drive on the tee shot and I bet that’s the case with most other higher handicappers.
I also agree about golf magazine tips. Most of them are written in golf pro jargon and are far from a model of clarity. A lot of the points may be 17 different ways to skin the same cat, but some of the points seem to be contradictory between two articles or tips Out of more than a dozen years subscribing to at least one golf magazine, I think I have readily retained only four points from their instructional columns:
1) Hitting a draw by aiming at the right edge of the fairway but swinging the clubface parallet to the middle of the fairway;
2) Estimate how much break there is on a green and then double it.
3) Work on distance in putting so that most of your putts will go only maybe six or eight inches past the whole – that way if they clip the sides of the hole, they may just die and topple sidewise into the hole.
4) For pitches, stand with feet closer than shoulder width apart and then hit down on the ball, letting the club’s loft pick it up, rather than some sweeping action.