Golf newb

[doubleparmania]

I just got serious about golf this summer and I love its the only thing you can do awful at and still want to play the next day. I did have a couple of questions though because I have noticed some wisdom amongst people in this forum. I am new to golf so my swing is far from perfect one flaw I think I have is I scoop the ball I never make a divot and if I do its behind the ball and it results in an awful shot, so does anyone know any training videos or tools that could help with this. I saw an infomercial for The tour striker looks pretty sweet, does anybody think it would be good for a beginner golfer.

[doubleparmania]

Also I haven't invested in a set of clubs what would be a good set of irons or a complete set for a beginner.

[carpediem4300]

divot behind the ball i believe is caused by incorrect weight transition, weight should finish on your front font, so perhaps your leaning back on the downswing?

i only concentrate on taking a divot infront of the ball, never the ball itself otherwise i go all scoopy

[NBGolfer]

My adivse at this stage for you would be to get a couple of lessons given you are early in your golf life it would be a good thing to do to establish proper set up, swing and finish.  I don't buy into the training aids that much.  There could be a number of problem areas causing you to hit behind the ball and is hard to guess.  Posture and ball position would be a couple of easy ones to focus on first before getting into the more complicated sections like swing plane.

[doubleparmania]

Well I would love to do that but I'm a broke college kid lol

[parbreaker]

Originally Posted by doubleparmania

Well I would love to do that but I'm a broke college kid lol

I can understand that. (Been there, done that). Without lessons, another way to help improve quickly is to find some people to play with that are better. Ask around through friends or while practicing at some of the golf courses facilities. You can always go out on the course as a single and get paired up with people too. Some of my best friendships have turned out to be from people that I met on a golf course. Having a friend that is more knowledgable makes playing more fun and helps you instigate a bit of competition into it too.

[rsamsing]

I was the same way in college.  What I did was to take a golf class at my university.  It is usually with about 25 other people, but the guy would go back and forth while we were hitting and tell you a tip or two which would usually help tremendously.  They also go over putting and chipping which is a huge part of the game.  When I took it at UF, I think you got 1 or 2 rounds of golf plus you got to hit balls twice a week.  I even took the class again two semesters later to work on my swing some more.  A year after that I was able to get into the eighties which I'm working on getting back down to now.  The reason for this or to have a friend show you some pointers is that you don't want to ingrain bad habits early.

[garrettdennert]

Originally Posted by doubleparmania

I just got serious about golf this summer and I love its the only thing you can do awful at and still want to play the next day. I did have a couple of questions though because I have noticed some wisdom amongst people in this forum. I am new to golf so my swing is far from perfect one flaw I think I have is I scoop the ball I never make a divot and if I do its behind the ball and it results in an awful shot, so does anyone know any training videos or tools that could help with this. I saw an infomercial for The tour striker looks pretty sweet, does anybody think it would be good for a beginner golfer.

A cheap route that you can go is to buy and read instructional golf books.  Lessons tend to run pretty high, but as long as you choose the right book and can apply words to action, you'd be fine spending anywhere from 8 to 15 bucks on a book.  And if money is really tight, I'd just go for used clubs off of eBay or at a local golf store.  I wouldn't say there's specifically a brand you should shoot for, but I'd advise you to steer away from forged irons meant for low-handicaps, and go more for Cavity Back irons, which are a lot more forgiving.  With drivers and putters, just go for feel really.  Hit a couple balls with each while you're shopping and see what you think.  Hope this helps.

Garrett

[FowlPlay]

I just bought a decent set of used clubs on eBay for $50. A bunch of balls and tees with it too. The only club that I didn't get that I may need is the Sand Wedge. I suggest looking around on eBay for a set. Don't be afraid to bid on a set with some visible grass stains. After all, by the time you need to buy a new set, you may just have a bigger budget.

Good luck with your beginning, I am also starting up (again), so I will be watching this thread to find some good improvement advice as well.

[Old1964]

www. shawnclementgolf .com

He has hundreds of videos on youtube.

A pretty clear approach to the game.

And, will allow you to pick out one thing to work on with his on-line tutelage.

[doubleparmania]

Originally Posted by garrettdennert

A cheap route that you can go is to buy and read instructional golf books.  Lessons tend to run pretty high, but as long as you choose the right book and can apply words to action, you'd be fine spending anywhere from 8 to 15 bucks on a book.  And if money is really tight, I'd just go for used clubs off of eBay or at a local golf store.  I wouldn't say there's specifically a brand you should shoot for, but I'd advise you to steer away from forged irons meant for low-handicaps, and go more for Cavity Back irons, which are a lot more forgiving.  With drivers and putters, just go for feel really.  Hit a couple balls with each while you're shopping and see what you think.  Hope this helps.

Garrett

I mean money isnt a huge issue just more needed things at this stage with the fall semester coming around. Do you have any suggestions on books or even dvds that would be good. I think im pretty decent for just having started but I can tell I do need some direction

[tmf9]

One thing to avoid scooping is to lean your hands in front of the ball with your irons and try to make sure your hands are in front of the ball at impact.  To avoid hitting it fat concentrate on your weight shift.  Get your weight shifted to your back foot on the back swing and then to your front foot on the downswing, it someting i have been working on lately and its helped me tremendously.

[doubleparmania]

Well I don't hit it fat very often usually its just accuracy and sometimes I top the ball bad and hit a line drive or it rolls about 20 yards haha but i have noticed talks on here about taking divots and not scooping

[garrettdennert]

One thing that really helped me out back when I started was Tiger Woods' "How I Play Golf," which is a golf book that kind of revolutionized the industry.  Ben Hogan's instructional book gets a lot of praise but I have not read that one... same with Jack Nicklaus's.  I've also watched Butch Harmon's instructional VHS set, as well as Phil Mickelson's recent DVD instruction.  The ones that I've watched/read have helped me in the sense that they all give me an idea of what to do and I build on it, figuring things out on my own all the way.  A book I've published, "Laying a Foundation: A Beginner's Guide to Golf" is meant mostly for beginners, as it brushes on everything.  It doesn't include pictures though, which may be useful for a beginner.  Just do some research and decide what you really need to work on... Dave Pelz is a short game guru worth checking out as well.

[BuckeyeNut]

Like the other people said, there are tons of videos on youtube, etc, etc, etc...but the best thing you can do to get better is to PLAY!!!

If you're at the range, be sure to hit off a grass surface.  You know that you're scooping the ball which is half the battle.  Beat a lot of balls on the range and develop a feel for hitting down through the ball......Unfortunately there is no magic pill to cure what ails you, and the only thing you need is repetition.  Lessons may help, but I don't know if they will because I've never had one...LOL

What I can say for sure is lessons along with infrequent play won't help.  To get better, regular play is absolutely necessary.

[FowlPlay]

This guy has really helped me out so far.

[BuckeyeNut]

HEH...........

I think I am too old!!!!!!

[doubleparmania]

I actually got this book on amazon last week it was only like 4 bucks so I figured why not I haven't made it through the whole thing yet though, it does seem very good though.

Originally Posted by garrettdennert

Ben Hogan's instructional book gets a lot of praise but I have not read that one...