Completely raw newbie here

[Crash11]

Alright guys I have a great opportunity here. I'm 28 years old, and I have barely any golf experience. About 7 years ago I played 9 holes a couple times with some guys I worked with at the time. I just shared clubs and didn't learn a thing. So essentially I have never played golf, but I'd like to start learning. I don't want to invest a ton into it yet, because I'm still young enough to enjoy other sports I like better right now(motocross, soccer). Tell me if any of this advice is correct:

1 - Have a pro teach you to swing before you develop bad habits that are hard to kick.
2 - Spend a lot of time at the driving range developing a consistent swing and figuring out distances for each club.
3 - Practice swinging with a sickle.

I have a coworker who is a scratch player and is willing to spend some time with me at the range. Also, my house is on a lot of land in the country where I have areas I can use a sickle.

I guess I'm curious if anyone has any words of wisdom, pointers, or golf etiquette that I may not know. My father-in-law and brother-in-law like to pretend they are avid golfers, but they basically use it as an excuse to get outside and drink. They keep giving me crap because I smoke them in Wii golf all the time. Now obviously Wii golf is nothing like the real thing, but I'd like to get a lot of practice in before I go play a round with these guys.

[pxc]

The first 2 sound like a good plan. I have never heard that about a sickle. Good luck, it's a lot of fun even when you're bad.

[sacm3bill]

Yeah, the sickle thing is a new one on me, and I thought I'd heard them all. Seems like a sickle is swung on a much flatter plane than you want to swing a gofl club on...

Also, I wouldn't be too concerned with getting distances on the range - range balls don't generally fly the same distance or trajectory as real balls (because either they're true range balls and were therefore designed that way, or because they're so old.) My recommendation would be to just work on the swing if you're just starting out - you'll figure out your distances as you go.

And try to practice off of grass, not mats, if possible - mats will disguise a myriad of swing faults.

[iacas]

Find an instructor you can trust ( this article should help) and don't use your friend. He may be a good guy but he probably doesn't even know his swing as well as he thinks, let alone someone else's swing OR how to convey things to that person.

I assume the sickle stuff is a joke. Plus, wouldn't you mean a scythe? Anyway, really not terribly relevant.

[sean_miller]

Tell me if any of this advice is correct:

1.) Take advantage of the scratch golfer friend until he tells you to F-off (jk)

2.) Only if you're doing it right 3.) Yes, with a disclaimer. When I was young, and working at a local tree lined course, trimming saplings with a grass whip helped me develop my golf muscles. I could really rip into a ball - whether it was straight or not depended on other factors. The disclaimer: You should look into a grass whip, rather than a sickle. Either way, you could lose some toes before you get your swing grooved - using this at your own discretion. You probably don't literally want to be a " completely raw newbie ". http://www.golfwithmehlhorn.com/tips.htm

[Crash11]

Yeah scythe is more accurate, but generally people think of a scythe when you say sickle. Anyway, the point of it would be to develop golf muscles. I'm in good shape, but having never golfed. There are tons of tiny muscles that probably aren't very strong right now. Every sport/athletic activity develops different muscles, and I think that was the point of recommending a sickle/scythe. I like sean's idea even better though. I think I'll search around for a grass whip.

[sean_miller]

Yeah scythe is more accurate, but generally people think of a scythe when you say sickle. Anyway, the point of it would be to develop golf muscles. I'm in good shape, but having never golfed. There are tons of tiny muscles that probably aren't very strong right now. Every sport/athletic activity develops different muscles, and I think that was the point of recommending a sickle/scythe. I like sean's idea even better though. I think I'll search around for a grass whip.

Good luck, and people from my generation don't necessarily think of a scythe when you say sickle.

When I hear "sickle", I think of the "hammer and sickle" from the USSR flag - raised many many times at international sporting events. And I know what a scythe is, because my father showed me how to use one, and I'm currently waiting for a vist from someone cloaked in black carrying one.

[joepro23]

I have a friend who has played occasionally, but is still a beginner and a little further along than you. He was getting serious about the game this winter so I tagged along several times at the range to see what I could do to help before he gets real lessons. The biggest thing I could do was to get him to switch from the baseball (10-finger) grip to overlapping. I videotaped his swing and could diagnose what he was doing wrong, but I have no idea how to fix it. Even though I am a 1.7 handicap, I am really not knowledgeable enough about the swing to be in a good position to make any other changes. He needs a real instructor from here on out, or could get books/dvd/etc to teach himself perhaps.

Good luck to you and smart to get lessons early if you are serious.