xxx
xxx
 
   
Hot Deals On Golf and More!
  

 

 
 

GOLF TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

By ISAG Senior Writer Ken Tonks

So you were searching the internet for tips on how to play golf and you wound up here? You may be a kid with dreams of playing on T. V. one day or here because your buddies all play and you want to get in on the weekend fun. Whatever the reason you are starting down a path to the most rewarding, exhilarating yet frustrating sport you'll ever play. A game where the weak can beat the strong, where girls can beat boys, and where everyone starts off a "hacker" and only a small percentage will ever become very good.

If this is your first time here you probably chuckled at the name of our site. However this site wasn't created just for golfers that "Suck at Golf"! Quite the contrary! The idea behind the unusual name is that we're all trying to master a game that can never be mastered. A game so complicated and devious that even the best in the world "Suck At Golf" sometimes! But if you're ready to embark on a journey that will last a lifetime, and learn to become a good or great golfer, we'll do our best to help.

Ready? Let's get started!
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Golf Fundamentals

The importance of starting off in golf with solid fundamentals can't be over emphasized. You'll find the correct golf grip and swing to feel a bit "unnatural". As a beginning golfer you'll feel that you are able to hit the ball much better gripping the club like a sledgehammer and swinging it like a baseball bat rather than doing it "by the book".. And to some degree this will be true at first! However you'll never get to the next level of play this way. As difficult as it may seem to grip the club in your fingers and not in your palms, and to take the club back low and slow with a nice "tempo" rather than a more powerful feeling of picking the club up with your right hand and swinging down as hard as you can, it's absolutely the wrong way to start. In order to become a good or even great player you have to learn the proper fundamentals. Remember, you are a beginner. A "good shot" to you right now will be a bad shot to you down the road. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you can hit better doing it "your way", even though that might be true for now. If you do so you'll be hitting "your way" with the same results a year from now while someone who started out correctly will be 100 yards in front of you off the tee. Trust me, the fundamentals are the key to becoming a golfer and not just another hacker.

We have a ton of great tips on this site from some of the best teachers in the world. Feel free to ask any of our experts any questions you may have. They're here to help you and their advice is always free.

I'd suggest purchasing a used or cheaper set of clubs to start. You can of course start off with a more expensive set if your finances allow, but keep in mind that once you get the fundamentals and swing down to a point that you have a sound basic swing, you'll probably want to be fitted for a set of clubs that match you swing tendencies. If you tend to hit it high or low, or swing faster or slower etc you'll want clubs that have the correct shaft, lie angle and "forgiveness" that suits your swing. Right now as a beginner you probably don't have a "tendency" to hit it one way or the other as you're still struggling just to hit it! So now is probably not the time to spend a ton of money on fitted clubs. One important suggestion. If you pick up a used set at a garage sale or wherever, make sure the grips are in good shape. If not you can re grip them yourself fairly easily or bring them to your local pro shop or driving range to have them re gripped. Thee is nothing worse than playing golf with slick grips at any level.

Below I'm going to post what I feel are good videos for the new player to watch and emulate. I'll post the actual video where I can or when "embedding" the video is not allowed I'll post a link that will open in a new window. There a thousands of web pages describing the golf grip, stance etc. I don't think it's helpful for me to re-describe it here where a good video is much easier to follow. If I have any comments or suggestions I'll include those alongside the videos. Like the Good Witch once told Dorothy, "It's always best to start at the beginning." So start off watching these excellent golf videos This should give you a good start towards becoming a solid player.

Now is also a good time to sign up for a lesson from your local PGA or LPGA pro that you can find at almost any driving range or golf course. Sometimes (if not always!) what we think we are doing wrong and what we are actually doing wrong are two different things. A lesson at the start and even once a month or so after will go a long way to speeding up your skill set. Even the best pros have swing coaches that look at every nuance of their swing daily to make sure it's all where it needs to be. If Tiger can't always tell if his swing is right without a coach, how do you expect to ?

  

 

 

 

 

The Proper Golf Grip:

This video (click link, we're not talking about the video to your right just yet!) shows in detail how to grip the golf club properly. The grip is the same for t for every club in your bag except the putter. If I have one "gripe" with this video its that it doesn't mention that you can adjust your grip to the right(to the left for left-hander's) a bit if you are having trouble with a slice.. Turning both hands equally to the right from what is recommended in this video will speed up your hands and allow you to square up the club easier .

(You can read more about the above referenced turning your hands to the right on our site here.)

The video to the right with Hank Haney has a lot of great grip advice as well. If you walk away with anything from these videos it should be that the grip is more in the fingers than the palms. Just like you throw a baseball by gripping mostly with your fingers. A change up is more in the palm....and slower is not what you want in golf!
 

 

 

Golf Stance Keys
 
1. Feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Bend from the waist. No slump in shoulders!
3. Arms hang naturally about 5" from your body
4. Free forearm tension. Relaxed arms.
5. Hold your head UP!. Feel as though you are looking over the bridge of your nose.
6. Relax right side. (for right-handed golfers, left side for lefties)
7. Right shoulder slightly lower then left. Upper body tilts slightly "back" away from target.

 

  

 

 

Back Swing/Takeaway
   
 
1. Think "left" going back: Your right side will want to pick up the club. Not good. Feel like your push it back with your left arm and side.
 
2. Low and slow going back. Keep the club low to the ground and straight back from the target for the first 18" of the back swing. (increase arc and power store.)
 
3. Allow wrists to cock naturally: Remember, "low and slow". Club head stays low to the ground. You can't do that if you pick up the club too fast by breaking your wrists early.)
 
4. Feel like your shoulders are swinging the club: Don't worry about your hands/arms too much. They'll do their own thing when needed.
 
5.Let your weight transfer to the inside of your left foot on the back swing. NOT outside. About 80% of your weight will transfer on a good takeaway. Don't sway away from the ball or allow your head to tilt backwards toward the target in a reverse pivot move. Practice in a mirror or videotape your swing. A lot of golfer do either of the above and never know it.
 
Read this article on correct club head position throughout your back swing. (our site.)
   
 

 

 
 
 
Downswing Tips
 
1. Lower Body Leads The Downswing: As you saw in the video to the left, all good golfers start the downswing with a shift of their lower body toward the target. This is a gradual unwinding of the hips followed by the lowering of the arms. Watch the pros and you may be able to notice the lower body start to shift left even slightly before the club comes to a complete stop at the top. You can feel this move by pretending to throw a baseball or football. BEFORE your arms starts forward you'll feel your lower body and weight move forward. Then comes your shoulders and arms. It's not at the same time, but slightly before the arms start! Don't worry about your arms at this point, they'll come into the swing all by themselves! You can read more about this if it's confusing from our site here.
2. Keep a solid base: During the downswing feel as though you are "squatting" a bit. Don't lean forward or back. Keep your weight firmly in the middle of your feet.
3. Keep your right elbow close to your body(left elbow for lefties): This move is one of the most important in golf! You should feel your right elbow even lightly brush your shirt on the way down. This is "the slot". You can read more about this in our "best tip ever". It's possibly the most important move in golf.
4. Pull Don't Push: For right handed golfer you want to feel as though you are pulling the club down with your left arm, not pushing with your right. Your right side will naturally do their part. It's your left side that you should be thinking about on the downswing.
5. Push off with your right foot. (again left for lefties): You want to shift 70% or more of you weight to the inside of your left foot for maximum power. Feel as though you are pushing off with your right foot.
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
Follow Through Tips
 
1. Follow through should happen naturally if you've done everything correctly to this point. The momentum of the swing will carry you through to a nice high finish. Remember, don't "hit" at the ball, swing though it. Remember to release your hands at impact. I've added a solid video tip below on what "releasing your hands" means and how to do it the correct way. Again, this is something that should happen naturally, but many players still fail to release the club head through impact. Check out the video below and feel free to ask any of our experts for help if you're confused about this aspect of the swing or any other! It's free!
2. Balanced Finish: You should be balanced and steady at the finish of the swing. Practice holding the finish for a few seconds to insure you are doing this. If you are falling forward or back it's probably because you are allowing your head to sway from side to side during the swing. Concentrate on keeping your head steady throughout. It's ok to tilt your head a bit on the back swing to get your chin out of the way, but down let it sway laterally. Remember, steady and balanced and hold the finish for a few seconds or longer!
 
 

 

 

  
 
Releasing The Clubhead
 
1.In order to square the club head to the target at impact and to release the power in your wrists you must "release" the club head. To release the club head means to allow the club head to go from open, to square, to closed after impact. Many players "block" the shot trying to steer the ball. This often results in a slice and always in less power. A good way to see this is to take the club back in your back swing to hip height. Club is parallel to the ground and the toe of the club points more or less straight to the sky. At the same height after you hit the ball, with the club parallel to the ground in front of you the toe of the club should also point straight up to the sky. If you are in this position you've released your hands. Try it with a few half swings to get the feel!.
2. If you're having trouble releasing the club it may be due to gripping the club too tightly. At address take a nice relaxed grip with relaxed forearms and try to keep a relaxed but steady grip throughout the swing. You can read more about this tip here. (our site)
 

 

 

       
   
FINAL NOTE
  
       
 
Well that should be enough for you to work on for a little bit! It seems like a lot I know. But if you can master the basics your practice will groove a solid golf swing that will give you years of enjoyment on the golf course. Beginning in Golf is not easy, but there's no reason for it not to be fun. As you work at your swing you'll see your game improve as your skill set gets better and better. There will be pitfalls and steps backward. It happens from week to week, day to day and shot to shot! Don't get discouraged. Any practice is good practice if you're practice the correct fundamentals. Find a good local pro and get a lesson or two in the near future. He or she can give you valuable feedback on aspects of your swing that you may think you are doing correctly but may not be. The sooner you learn the correct basic swing the more productive all of your practice sessions will be. Good luck and come back to our site often. We're here to help!