Just Starting Golf

[Newbie Collection Agency]

"I've started golf a few days ago, after getting a set of golf clubs for quite cheap, I haven't had any lessons or any advice on anything yet, so could some people give me some basic beginner tips please?

Thanks very much.

[RVAduffer]

Ask Santa for a set of lessons for Xmas. It will be the best Xmas gift you ever received when you start playing the correct way from the beginning! Good luck!

[narshadda]

Joliffe,
I started about 2 months ago and this is what I did:

Bought a used $10 set of Irons a $5 3 Wood , a $10 driver, and a $2 putter.

I went to the range with a buddy to see if I actually liked golf and build some sort of swing. At least to just make contact with the ball.

I ended up taking a lesson from a pro for $50. That helped big time since he set up my stance, grip, swing and got me to where I hit the ball more than 5 feet. :) I had a horrible slice but still.

Shortly after that I purchased a set of Adams Idea G2's Irons, 3 & 4 Hybrids along with a 56dg sand wedge from Rockbottom golf for $150. HUGE DIFFERENCE from the $10 Wilsons.

I have gone to the range at least times a week to work on different aspects and have been reading every magazine, book (Golf for Dummies, and 5 lessons of Golf by Ben Hogan).

I can now hit decently straight with 7 out of 10 shots without a slice and I feel a lot better with the grip/swing piece.

Definitely get a lesson or two, get familiar with the game, the lingo, and learn to blame your equipment for all your problems. Don't try kill the ball when you hit and most importantly don't get discouraged, it takes time but it will come to you soon enough.

Sorry for blabbering a bit there. :)

[Nichols74]

dont peak after you stroke ur putt, count to 2 then look to see if its going towards the back of the cup. trust the club in your hand if your in between clubs, choke down on the longer club to make sure u get it to the green.
do not believe everything you read in the magz....those are pros giving those tips not the average golfers...easier said then done.....


GOOD LUCK


That is just my advice.

[d_golf]

Man...Just have fun. That is the key!

Dont get frustrated.....and "when" you do smack a beauty shot....Take a moment and enjoy. Those are the shots that keep us all going back to the course.

Other then that... I learned my technique by looking at golf magazines and noting the positions of the peoples hands feet and swing paths that they show in mag.

Then golf...golf....golf.

Just know this...once your hooked...man...your hooked!

The quick route is lessons of course and letting your natural ability take over and grow.

Welcome

[d_golf]

Here...Here... I like that comment.

Yes... It is Always the CLUB...Never the Clubber!!

[The Turlock Kid]

Amen to what others have said. I would suggest:

1. Get a lesson or a few of them to get the basic swing down.

2. Hit the range often to get it ingrained.

3. Play lots.

4. Don't worry about all the different ways to change your swing ala Golf Digest or Golf Mag or something yet. Just practice on the basics, get them down, then find out what you need to improve. Then take advice from those other places. I think the biggest problem I've seen with beginners is they try to incorporate every new tip they hear about/read. Usually they're contradictory somehow. Plus, that makes too many things to worry about.

5. Have fun and don't take it too seriously. Remember, you're not in the final round of a PGA tourney! (Although I think most people think they are...)

Fairways and Greens, buddy.

[Ben2]

Just practice on the basics, get them down, then find out what you need to improve.

These two bits are great advice, they are what really helped me a few years back. Also, the site that was posted a few posts ago is a good site, that will help you quite a lot.

[PutterHead]

Great advice...
I can only "play" 5 months of the year because of winter, so to keep things going i hit off mats @ a local club. Eight 1/2 hr one on one lessons, unlimited range, & club storage from Dec.1 to March 31, all for $200. Also, as mentioned before, have fun. Last summer while playing in a men's league, i was paired with 2 of the best golfers in the league. Great guys, but i was so terrible it was stupid. I kept getting more frustrated, and things got worse. Easily my worst outing ever. I told them i was going back to the 19th to drown my sorrows because clearly things were not getting better. One of the guys said, "At some point, the Golf Gods will look down on you today, and you won't be able to get back on a course fast enough." I stayed, and on the last hole, a difficult par 5, i was sitting 18 ft. from the pin, looking @ a birdie. The two fellas stood on the green, and said, go ahead, make this. With them both standing there watching, i nailed it. The fella that told me about the Golf Gods, came over, put his arm around my shoulder, and said, "See, that was the Golf God. Nice putt, see you next week!"
That's what's so great about this game. Anything can happen.

[NCGolfer]

1. Get a cheap set of clubs. You can pick up some pretty nice used ones off EBay.
2. Go to the range and just start hitting balls. Don't worry about the outcome, just start feeling what works for you.
3. Get some lessons. Don't listen to the guy on the range who is trying to give you advice...get lessons.
4. Go back to the range and work on what the pro has told you.
5. Play 9 at a muni course or Par-3 course and have fun. Don't take it seriously, yet. It isn't worth it.

You'll quickly learn whether or not you want to take golf to the next level. You'll either be addicted or want to give up.

[Naruto]

if you throw your clubs make sure you do it in the direction of your cart....less distance you have to walk.....

and always throw the cheapest club you have....the higher the club cost the greater propensity it has for landing on concrete cart paths....

seriously though...

1. get a lesson to learn the grip, stance, and other fundamentals

2. watch the pros, their pre shot routine, focus on what their swings look like, in front of a mirror try to get yours to look the same

3. THIS ONES IMPORTANT: NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULTS ARE FROM YOUR SHOTS...NEVER EVER ADAPT A GIMICK TO FIX IT....i.e. you are probably going to hit lots of slices (left to right ball flights...right handed) .....dont start aiming farther left...the ball will only go farther right....just trust what the pro tells you and work it out with him and range time....lots of range time

....REMEMBER DONT GO CHANGING YOUR ALIGNMENT, GRIP, STANCE to fix you're ball flight...if you do, later on you are going to have to retrain yourself how to do it right...and you can ask anyone in here: few things are harder than trying to break a bad golf habit.....

...oh and again throw them at the cart...at the cart...

one more thing....please take some time to learn golf etiquitte...dont want some grumpy old guy missing his 35 foot putt for double bogey to break 105 because you accidentally stepped on his line....it saves you some heartache....GOOD LUCK....

...actually quit now...most of us would quit if we could go through one whole round without hitting one good shot...it's that stupid one good shot that plagues us....HEROIN was easy to quit...this ........the withdrawals...its bad...

[Guest]

Don't get a girlfriend or get married !!!!
Practice, set goals, practice some more, eat, then practice again.

[ricacu]

[LIST=1]

I agree 100%. After my first nine holes i was all hyped and wanted to play more the same day.

[LarryK]

There seems to be a consensus here that you should take lessons. Yep! Absolutely!

Additionally, and in the meantime, work on a smooth, rhythmic swing that relies more on you turning your shoulders rather than just pulling your arms back or manipulating the club with your hands. Don't try to "hit" the ball as hard as you can. Swing through the ball with about 70% of what would be your "full power".

Think nice and easy. Loosey goosey.

[ABPositive]

I started a year+ ago, and (a) took plenty of lessons, (b) spent plenty of time at the range, 3 to 4 times a week, and (c) played once a week.

I agree with most replies... Get the basics, don't follow gimmicks or well-intended advice from other golfers. Take lessons.

To give you a benchmark of what to expect in terms of progress, you can check out my blog at http://www.blogmygolf.com/blogs/aguinebe/home.html . It contains all my stats and a few notes, hope they'll help!

Cheers
--ABPositive

[Konrad]

Just to add to all the advice you're getting, I'd say the most important thing is to have fun, but learn about why the golf ball does what it does. If you know what you're doing wrong, you can fix it. Lesssons are nice, but that instructor cannot be the only person who knows your swing, you must learn as well. Learn why the golf ball slices, and why it hooks, and why you hit your bad shots. That way, you can fix yourself. To me, that's one of the best feelings in golf.