Need Advice to Learn Golf

[adampaul]

Hi, 

I am living in my village in Florida and looking to learn Golf tips that can make my game more stronger. Any help on that?

Thanks!

 

[Dresilved]

3 hours ago, adampaul said:

Hi, 

I am living in my village in Florida and looking to learn Golf tips that can make my game more stronger. Any help on that?

Thanks!

 

Find a good golf pro, get some lessons and most importantly, spend more time on a golf course than at a driving range. 

[Sidehatch]

Go to your local municipal course and ask who teaches. 

I played poorly for about a decade before signing up for a lesson 6-pack that cost about $180. Take one lesson every 3-4 weeks and go to the driving range at least twice a week, minimum 45 minutes each time. And go play a round at least 1-2 times a month, preferably on weekday afternoons when it’s empty so there is nobody rushing you.

If you decide you like the game, you can get all spendy with new clubs. But I would go with used clubs at the start just in case you don’t like it.

Regardless of what clubs you buy, I highly recommend getting new grips for them. You want the same exact style of grip on every club (except putter can be different). This will simplify the learning process.

[Dresilved]

I have said one thing about the ratio of range time > golf course time and Sidehatch has said something completely different. This is golf in a nutshell, you will always hear something different. I have even heard a PGA golf pro say "The back swing is not important". Personally for me, I lack discipline at the range, I set off with the best of intentions but after about 20-30 balls I start rushing, before i know it Im hitting all kinds of funky shots. I would go so far as to say the range can be damaging to my game, but I'm completely the opposite on the GC. Find whats best for you, however, and no offense to Sidehatch, Ive never heard anyone say "practice 8 times per month and play once or twice per month. You will experience a much greater variance of shot types on a GC than you will not experience at a range, especially if its an artificial surface your hitting off, there is no substitute for grass, uneven stances, downhill, uphill lies, sometimes the craziest abnormal ground conditions becomes the greatest learning moment.  

Edited May 8, 2018 by Dresilved

[Patch]

Swing a club everyday if possible. Set a side s few minutes every day to do something golf related.  There is a thread on here about 5 minute practices every day. Read through that thread, and see what others are doing. 

You can do alot of swing drills at home. Search You Tube for drills you might like. Start with the basic stuff like gripping the club. Body alignment. Posture. Stance. Look up the "one piece take way" to start your back swing. 

You can carpet putt in your own home. Even short chips can be done at home. 

If you live near a course, utilize their practice areas on the days you don't actually play.

I won't say golf is hard. Difficult yes, but not hard. You tell someone something is hard to do, and they may just take on something easier. Look at golf as a fun, educational journey that's never ending. 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Patch

[Sidehatch]

4 hours ago, Dresilved said:

I have said one thing about the ratio of range time > golf course time and Sidehatch has said something completely different. This is golf in a nutshell, you will always hear something different. I have even heard a PGA golf pro say "The back swing is not important". Personally for me, I lack discipline at the range, I set off with the best of intentions but after about 20-30 balls I start rushing, before i know it Im hitting all kinds of funky shots. I would go so far as to say the range can be damaging to my game, but I'm completely the opposite on the GC. Find whats best for you, however, and no offense to Sidehatch, Ive never heard anyone say "practice 8 times per month and play once or twice per month. You will experience a much greater variance of shot types on a GC than you will not experience at a range, especially if its an artificial surface your hitting off, there is no substitute for grass, uneven stances, downhill, uphill lies, sometimes the craziest abnormal ground conditions becomes the greatest learning moment.  

The reason why I did that is I was implementing 3-5 New swing tips after each lesson. After one lesson, I hit 200 shanks the next two times at the range before finally learning that new skill. For me it worked, for others it might not. 

[cooke119]

There are some good books out there that can inform you about golf etiquette to start with, also others about virtually everything else you could ask. But while you are reading go get some lessons from a pro. (BTW it took me three tries before I found a teacher who I really liked and learned from). On another thread I said I never give advise, but if you are just starting out and have friends who have played for a while ask a couple to join you and ask their advise (if they don't mind giving it). When I first started I had a friend who joined me at the same time, (starting out), we would go to the range and film one another to look at our swings, I'd show the film to my teacher for his input. Once you get a swing that is half way decent go play. Good luck with your journey, you'll never stop learning.

[saevel25]

check out this thread, 

I would start working key #1 and go from there. 

[adampaul]

Thanks for your great response, I will surely apply these tips. Hope this will improve my Game.

[trxEden]

Get lessons, eventually get fitted for clubs (eventually).  Practice only with a purpose (make your range sessions a game, try to win), but remember the best way to improve at golf is to play a real course.  Most importantly play as much as you can, be patient and observant.  Try to play with better players and take mental notes of what they do and how they are successful, but form your own opinion.

Golf is a hard game for most, but very rewarding.  Your always improving even when you think your not.

[Nwehrman]

I've just recently taken the game up somewhat seriously. Have played all my life but just a round here and there, never consistently. When I decided I wanted to play more and get better, going out and playing 18 didn't really help. I had a bad swing. Hip sway, over the top, couldn't keep my head still, you name it I did (or still do) it. Going out and hitting a ball all over a course isn't going to help if you have a bad swing. Not saying don't play, but don't expect your swing to fix itself out on the course. The driving range won't really help either if you don't know what you are doing wrong. Best advice I could give is like many others said, get yourself a lesson or more from a pro and try to understand the swing more and get a decent swing down. When you have a better understanding of what you need to be doing it is easier to make improvements at the range as opposed to out on the course in my opinion. You can hit a ball, realize what you did wrong and immediately hit another while trying to fix your mistakes. You certainly want to get some rounds in because that's the fun part of the game, but as far as improving as a beginner to me the range is where the progress is made. 

[Blackjack Don]

Lessons are worth the $$. Then, it's reps. Lots and lots of repetitions. There is no substitute for the experience of swinging a club (in my case, a seven iron), over and over. Improvement can come quickly with diligent practice, but it takes thousands of reps to groove the swing. Don't forget to spend time on the short game and putting, too. It's a full course game, in the air and on the ground.

[adampaul]

Thanks for great advice. I will improve my skills with such type of strategy.

[sheepdog]

Don't forget the putting green.

[MrGolfguy67]

I echo the putting and short game recommendations. A great way to lower your scores and increase your enjoyment is to become a wizard with your putter. Being able to chip or pitch your ball onto the green and then make the putt is a great skill to have.

[billchao]

6 hours ago, MrGolfguy67 said:

I echo the putting and short game recommendations. A great way to lower your scores and increase your enjoyment is to become a wizard with your putter. Being able to chip or pitch your ball onto the green and then make the putt is a great skill to have.

Working on the short game and putting are great ways to shave a few strokes quickly, but improving the long game has the highest ceiling. 

 

[MrGolfguy67]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

Working on the short game and putting are great ways to shave a few strokes quickly, 

 

Short game and putting have helped me keep my scores down for all 40+ years of playing golf.

[boogielicious]

26 minutes ago, MrGolfguy67 said:

Short game and putting have helped me keep my scores down for all 40+ years of playing golf.

And yet you list your index as "hack". If they want to improve, they need to work on more than putting and short game.