Best Way for a Beginner to Practice Golf?

[RickardSwe]

Bit curious on peoples opinions on how a beginner should start practicing.

Everytime I took a lesson as a beginner, and the beginners I see taking lessons at the range, always get instructed to do a full turn and follow through. The approach is always focused around the full swing it seems. 

So basically you go as a beginner, learn to sway around while you turn completely, cast the club and make some sort of contact. 

I dont know what the approach is of more qualified coaches, but wouldn't it be better to just focus on a good take-away, a little bit of hinge and hitting with forward shaft lean. Then when you can do that , just increase the swing a little bit gradually and just keep practicing like that. Focus would always be on impact position and ball contact. Also it would be much easier to stay more centered and not sway around.

Looking back at my early lessons, I think this is how I would have liked to approach it.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, RickardSwe said:

Bit curious on peoples opinions on how a beginner should start practicing.

Everytime I took a lesson as a beginner, and the beginners I see taking lessons at the range, always get instructed to do a full turn and follow through. The approach is always focused around the full swing it seems. 

So basically you go as a beginner, learn to sway around while you turn completely, cast the club and make some sort of contact. 

I dont know what the approach is of more qualified coaches, but wouldn't it be better to just focus on a good take-away, a little bit of hinge and hitting with forward shaft lean. Then when you can do that , just increase the swing a little bit gradually and just keep practicing like that. Focus would always be on impact position and ball contact. Also it would be much easier to stay more centered and not sway around.

Looking back at my early lessons, I think this is how I would have liked to approach it.

 

I'm thinking most beginners make an arm and hand swing, which would explain why the teaching pro is trying to get you to make a (proper) full turn.

Or, at least, the turn you're able to make at your age or because of physical limitations.

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Double Mocha Man

[Vinsk]

Film your swing. Post it here on the ‘Members Swing’ thread. You will get solid advice on how to proceed. You may do some things naturally well, others not. But trying to encompass the entire golf swing at once can be daunting. 
 

The very basics will be grip and posture/set up. You will then get a ‘priority piece’ to work on. Hell this could even be grip and posture/set up. Otherwise you will practice that priority piece with drills that correlate. 
 

Therein lies the journey to this fantastically miserable and most enjoyable sport in the world.

[iacas]

5 hours ago, RickardSwe said:

I dont know what the approach is of more qualified coaches, but wouldn't it be better to just focus on a good take-away, a little bit of hinge and hitting with forward shaft lean. Then when you can do that , just increase the swing a little bit gradually and just keep practicing like that. Focus would always be on impact position and ball contact. Also it would be much easier to stay more centered and not sway around.

Even beginners don't want to just chip the ball. They want to hit it far, too.

I teach a two-set (the third is short game/putting) beginner lesson package where they don't really use their arms at all the first lesson, but they make a whole turn.

Amateurs tend to drastically over-use their arms.