Beginner advice

[stewy23]

Hi
I just started gold but i'm not very good and i want to get better, what do i need to practice to get better. Im really into the game and want to play it a lot
but i don't know what i need to practice. What is the right swing and grip for a beginner?

[Undr Par]

I know from personal experience that when I started I used the old fashion baseball grip, my main goal was and still is just making good contact (club to ball).....don't worry about distance right away, that will come with time.

I would suggest that you play some Par3 courses alot, or if you have them smaller courses in your area just to get comfortable with your swing. Also, if you'd like take a lesson or 2, it actually does work.

I hope this little pointers can help, but the main thing I can tell you is, have fun, and stick with it, you will get better with playing more.

Have fun....

[gaz d]

My advice would be once you can hit your drives on off the fairway pretty well,maybe after a lesson or two, just work on the short game then. 80% of shots in a round are within 100 yards of the green.For Most beginners thats where big problems start 3 putts,fluffed chips and so on. So short game is the key i think.

[gotgolf?]

As a beginner I would build a sound foundations with regular lessons for about a month or two. This may be expensive but it will be worth the time and aggravation you might endure if you just wing it and build a working but flawed swing. Meaning, it is possible to hit the ball well with a poor swing, but you will hit a wall and will not be able to improve beyond a certain point. I think 2 or 3 lessons every two weeks will give you time to absorb new lessons and let your body adjust to any changes you and your coach set out for you.

While taking lessons I recommend these sites (golftipsmag.com and golf.com). Not only do they have hours of entertaining information about all aspects of golf, but you can read up on lessons. I would mainly stick to the basics. There are dozens of ways to teach each point and between learning with a coach, practicing and reinforcing similar lessons from a different point of view from an online article will help you improve quickly. (Basically its better to teach yourself after you know the fundamentals than to teach yourself initially and try to reverse engineer the fundamentals.) Just try not to get TOO addicted.

Hi

[Ospi]

I also recommend a lesson or two. I didnt have a clue how to even hold a club then i had 2 lessons (1 hour all up) and the improvement is astounding to say the least. I think its a great way to get the basics right and then you can work on the rest with practice yourself with the odd lesson here and there i guess.

[Spectrums]

A lesson is key. Have a professional look at what you do now and then he's fix you right up. But some other things:

1. Keep your head down.
2. Once you get your long game working, work like crazy on short game.

[stewy23]

Thanks for the comments. I have looked at a few of the lessons on youtube. They showed me the right grip and stance for driving, they helped a lot I'm hitting much straighter now with the new grip. I am using the overlapping grip i think that works best for me.

About the short game i practice outside trying to chip it in a bucket and have a putting area in my house that my dad uses.

[ERichardson]

Two words: Take Lessons.

I went for years golfing with bad habits that I picked up and compensated into my game only to live with a lot of frustration and high high scoring rounds. Within my first lesson my instructor eliminated a lot of my bad habits and I enjoy this game much more.

[stewy23]

I want to get lessons but they will cost a lot and i don't think my parents will want to pay for that. Would the local driving range be a good place to get lessons?

[Shindig]

I want to get lessons but they will cost a lot and i don't think my parents will want to pay for that. Would the local driving range be a good place to get lessons?

You will certainly find all sorts of people on the driving range willing to give lessons, but I'd say hire a pro for a lesson. You'll get far more quality advice than from whatever person is standing around.

Or, if your dad is a low handicapper, he might be able to get you started on a few things. Demonstrate interest in golf to your parents, and see if your dad is willing to pay for a lesson for you.

[ERichardson]

I paid $130 for three indoor lessons at Golf Galaxy. If you have a side job, save the money and at least get a beginner lesson. The thing I liked was that he videotaped my lessons and e-mailed them to me which I then transferred the video to my Samsung Blackjack. The cool thing is when I am having a bad day on the course, I pull out my phone and watch my lessons as a brush up.

[Ospi]

wow $130, thats heaps. Im paying $20 per hour lesson with the pro at my club, its been fantastic so far, 2 down 3 to go but iv alreadly learned so much. YOu really cant go wrong with getting lessons.

[stewy23]

You will certainly find all sorts of people on the driving range willing to give lessons, but I'd say hire a pro for a lesson. You'll get far more quality advice than from whatever person is standing around.

thanks.

my dads not a low handicapper. I diddnt mean anyone at the driving range i meant the people that work there. There is a pro there that gives lessons and seeing its a driving range it should be cheap.

[gaz d]

Dont think it makes a difference where you go, over here in ireland every pro charges roughly the same, €30 for 1/2 hour €40 for an hour

[Shindig]

thanks.

You may want to find out how much the pro charges, both for single lessons and dual lessons (you and your dad). Perhaps your dad could use a lesson, and the two of you could practice together. Good bonding time and he'd improve too.

The worst case would be if he figures people don't need lessons because he didn't. Then you may have to sneak around on the lessons or something. You may want to consider a side job. If you're good in school (and I seem to have the impression you're in MS or HS), consider tutoring on the side. It's good, easy money while you're that age and can turn into real spending money real fast.

[alf174]

I want to get lessons but they will cost a lot and i don't think my parents will want to pay for that. Would the local driving range be a good place to get lessons?

Look around for group lessons, they can save quite a bit.

[Leek]

Hi

If I were you, I would learn from the hole backwards. Learn to putt with a flat left wrist. Then learn to chip with some wrist hinge and a flat left wrist. Then learn to pitch with: a pivot, wrist hinge and a flat left wrist. Finally, learn the full swing with lag, pivot, wrist hinge and a flat left wrist.

If you want an article on how to grip properly, PM me and I'll email one to you.

[DDBowdoin]

just one tip, and I'll be in the minority here... but lessons are not always the answer. I know many good golfers who have never taken lesson and are feel players. I had a lesson once that lasted about 4 minutes, the professional started talking about wrist angles and angles of attack... all useful information but I found it annoying. I analyze my lie, determine my distance to the flag and step over and hit the ball. I've seen friends had to overcome the habit of becoming to technical while standing over the ball. Just a word of advice