New to golfing. Need basic practice tips.

[Liko81]

On 4/27/2016 at 9:43 PM, golfmoor said:

Gonna pick up some golf clubs for the first time next week. I intend to play strictly for fun, but do wanna learn the game properly. Ive never picked up a club. I think im gonna start at a local golf range near me which has everything but a putting tee.  What are some basic practice tips that i could use? Again, im totally new.  I KNOW its a broad question, but just wanted some input on what people did when they first got started. Thanx.

First, get a lesson. The pros know how to swing, and how to teach that swing. Most of us are not pros; we might have a decent swing, but all we can really do for you from the other side of the aether is parrot what we've been told to do, or point you to helpful videos. A pro will show you how to swing at the ball instead of flailing at it like so many newbies do, and more importantly, a good pro will be able to explain the method behind the madness.

Second, develop a routine. About 90% of the entire game is about doing exactly the same thing that worked for you on the range or on the putting green, over and over, between 70 and 100 times (from experience, if you're taking more than 100 swings at the ball over 18 holes, they aren't all the same, and that's the problem). If you watch the Tour pros, they'll have a routine to create the proper grip on the club, set up their address of the ball and settle into the proper stance. It may look silly or even annoying to watch them do it 70 times a round, but it's a bigger part of the reason they only do it 70 times than you might think.

Lastly, get fitted. You will almost certainly buy your first clubs at a garage sale, but If you take them out to the range as they are it'll be a crap shoot as to whether they'll encourage or discourage any bad habits. Properly fitted clubs are more important for the beginner than they are for a pro; the pro will know how to adjust for the desired result with clubs that are too long or short or flat or upright. You will not, and starting with clubs that are any of these, you'll learn bad habits to compensate for what those clubs do with a proper swing. Get a fitting, then have whatever clubs you buy adjusted to match. Make sure they have new grips, too; you'll save yourself a lot of blisters, worn-out gloves and general frustration with new grips that fit your hands.

[Kalnoky]

FWIW, I started playing last year. Lessons are the biggest thing... Lessons seem like a lot of money, but if you play for any length of time, it is money really well spent. Somebody finally convinced me to take lessons this Spring and it made an enormous difference... I wish I had started with an instructor from the get-go. You don't need a PGA pro either, just find an instructor who you feel comfortable with.

The other thing is, don't waste a bunch of money on fancy gear. As long as your stuff was made in the last 6-8 years you'll be fine for now. Game improvement irons and woods with plenty of loft are best. That expensive gear does work by the way - for people who already know how to play. For guys like us not so much.

 

[rehmwa]

One thing fixes everything - Swing harder

......no, even more than that

 

(seriously?  start with a few lessons on the basics.  Do this before even considering buying anything nice)

[Joey G]

Great tips for newbies! Thanks

[Duffer Waldorf]

On 6/30/2016 at 6:10 PM, alienator said:

4. This goes along with number 3 and this was my AHA moment, I seriously went from hitting 10-15% greens in reg to 40-50% overnight by just doing this. Hold the club nice and loose through the entire swing. I like to feel like its going to fall out of my hand almost on my backswing because you will grip it tighter on the downswing anyways but that way its still a loose maneuverable swing. Loose hands allow the clubface to close and work properly and help gain a lot of swing speed and momentum.

5. Take half back swings. Take the club halfway back and really concentrate on contact and finishing on the toe of your trail heel. A lot of coaches think that one of the biggest things amateurs mess up is taking too long of a backswing and I believe its true. You can be in perfect position and the take the club back just a bit too far and knock everything out of position.

 

These 2 are so key.  Too tight a grip and too long a swing will throw everything out of whack.

When I started playing again earlier this summer, I couldn't touch it consistently with any club.  Good shot, bad shots, and worse shots in seemingly random order  So, for the first time in my life (been playing since I was a kid; 25+ years now), I recorded and actually watched my own swing.  I expected to see a lack of flexibility or rotation on the backswing only to discover a wretched overswing.  I cut that down just a bit, and the improvement was near instantaneous.

On 9/7/2016 at 10:35 AM, golfmoor said:

I'm also a lefty. I'm using a 10 finger baseball grip. I don't believe my grip is a issue.

It may not be right now, but I think a proper overlapping or interlocking grip makes the hands work more as a unit.  I think a baseball grip is more prone to inconsistency, such that it is easier to get the hands too far on the underside of the grip.

Don't give up so easily!  This is a hard game.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Duffer Waldorf

[golfmoor]

On 9/15/2016 at 6:01 PM, Duffer Waldorf said:

These 2 are so key.  Too tight a grip and too long a swing will throw everything out of whack.

When I started playing again earlier this summer, I couldn't touch it consistently with any club.  Good shot, bad shots, and worse shots in seemingly random order  So, for the first time in my life (been playing since I was a kid; 25+ years now), I recorded and actually watched my own swing.  I expected to see a lack of flexibility or rotation on the backswing only to discover a wretched overswing.  I cut that down just a bit, and the improvement was near instantaneous.

It may not be right now, but I think a proper overlapping or interlocking grip makes the hands work more as a unit.  I think a baseball grip is more prone to inconsistency, such that it is easier to get the hands too far on the underside of the grip.

Don't give up so easily!  This is a hard game.

I'm about to start over again.  I miss getting out and trying to learn this game.  I gotta read back through these posts and remember some tips.   I appreciate all the advice in this thread and will not let any of it go to waste.  Thank you...

[golfmoor]

Went out today and took some swings. It was pretty good. 😀

[Vinsk]

33 minutes ago, golfmoor said:

Went out today and took some swings. It was pretty good. 😀

Awesome. In all the sports I’ve played nothing is as gratifying as a well struck iron shot. And just when you think you’ve hit a buttery blue ribbon shot, you hit a better one. Always able to do better. It’s like no other sport. 

[Carl3]

There are some good tips here so I will share some information that should make your overall early experience better. Your first course experience should be at a par 3, executive course once you are able to hit a ball at least 100 yards consistently with good, repeatable contact. Etiquette is important. When you feel you are ready to go to a course you should go with someone who knows about the game. Fix your divots and ball marks, don't look for a ball more than a minute or two, keep up with the group ahead of you or let faster groups play through. Yous should probably pick up your ball if you have hit it 4 to 6 times and have not reached the green yet. Then drop in near the green, chip it on and then put out. This advice would be for when you are just starting out and before your skills solidify.

[golfmoor]

3 hours ago, Carl3 said:

There are some good tips here so I will share some information that should make your overall early experience better. Your first course experience should be at a par 3, executive course once you are able to hit a ball at least 100 yards consistently with good, repeatable contact. Etiquette is important. When you feel you are ready to go to a course you should go with someone who knows about the game. Fix your divots and ball marks, don't look for a ball more than a minute or two, keep up with the group ahead of you or let faster groups play through. Yous should probably pick up your ball if you have hit it 4 to 6 times and have not reached the green yet. Then drop in near the green, chip it on and then put out. This advice would be for when you are just starting out and before your skills solidify.

Thanx for the advice. I'm gonna continue the driving range for another month or so, then try the par 3 course. Thanks again.