If you’re planning to add a new skill to your sports arsenal, learning how to play golf is a good idea. Perhaps, you want to socially distance yourself from the crowd and make some muscles work. The wide outdoor space offers a great environment to have fun with your clubs and golf balls. Aside from having a physical activity to get busy with, playing golf is also recreation for your mind.
However, some people feel intimidated knowing that this game could be hard to learn and the equipment can be expensive. Forget about these intimidating elements and just enjoy the process as you learn to swing and hit the ball off the tee. It doesn’t need to be perfect as long as you’re having a good time, you will eventually get the hang of it.
So, how do beginners learn the ropes when it comes to proper swing and grip? This complete guide will help you learn the basics such as how to use your club and hit the ball off the tee. Don’t worry about how much you should spend to play this game because there are so many options for affordable clubs and golf balls out there.
Should You Take Lessons to Learn Golf?
Perhaps, you’re thinking about taking some lessons first before you get outside and play golf. Well, there are many other ways to learn how to play this sport without any formal lessons. Even some of the famous professional golfers back in the day believe that you don’t really need lessons to get your hand in this game.
You can just start out by whacking balls into your yard or a pond nearby to get your swing. At first, you don’t need the technicalities of the game to learn how to swing or hold your club. However, it’s still good to have someone to coach you while you improve your golf skills. Eventually, you will get the feeling when you move your club around and dive into your swing style.
Once you’ve embraced the dynamics of golf, then you can just fine-tune later to adjust your swing and grip. For instance, you can go to a par-3 course, an open space, or a practice range to familiarize your club and other equipment. Make sure to use plastic balls in the meantime as they are more affordable than actual golf balls that pro players use.
Instead of focusing on the mechanics when you hit the ball, think about the feeling you get when you swing your club. You can practice your swing by pretending to hit a ball and then work with some speed. The goal is to avoid stiffening up which can hinder you from making contact. Also, focus on getting a balanced finish and then hold it for at least three seconds.
Basics of Hitting a Golf Ball
Since there are so many golf tips when it comes to hitting the ball, learning could be an overwhelming experience, especially for beginners. But don’t worry because we’ll help you find the best one that will improve your swing motion and other moves. Before anything else, you need to choose the right golf ball for yourself.
First things first, the basic and most important thing you need is to develop your swing. You don’t need to copy someone else swing, but it’s good to get yourself closer to some benchmarks.
You need to hit the ball as solidly as you can to avoid mishits. At first, you may notice that the ball doesn’t curve to the right, which means you’re not hitting a solid shot. To improve this, you need to turn your shoulders and hips in an ideal position.
For beginners, most of them tend to turn their shoulders back as if they’re looking behind. If you watch how professional golfers play, they tilt their shoulders in such a way that the closest side to the ball is lower before turning them as they hit the target. To make solid contact, you can turn your hips toward the ball at impact.
Avoid stalling hip rotation when hitting the ball solid such as turning your hips on the downswing. Instead, control your swing with your arms and hand. Do the rotation twice as much as you tend to do when hitting the target to make a more solid contact like the pro players. Keep in mind that the movement of your hips and shoulders greatly affects your swing speed and strength.
How and When to Use Different Clubs
With so many different clubs available for golfers, it can be confusing to use them as a new player. If you’re not sure when to use your clubs, know that they can actually help you determine the best time to use them by looking at their specific designs. For instance, longer clubs such as the hybrids, fairway woods, and drivers are used to hit the ball farther in the greens.
The main reason for the designs of each club is to get the ball to specific yardage at a specific trajectory. Since longer clubs have less loft and long shafts, the ball travels more distance while running out more. The shafts of irons tend to get shorter while the loft increases progressively. Meaning, the ball travels shorter across the green and comes down more steeply while working your way from 5-iron to sand wedge.
Set up your clubs to allow yourself to make more solid shots as you try to improve your swing. If you’re using a shorter club such as a wedge to make clean contact while hitting the ball, the target must be slightly behind center or behind your sternum. Comparing that to the driver, your front foot should be close to the ball with six inches difference.
Golf Essentials and Their Costs
Some people are intimidated to get started in golf because they don’t know what type of club to use. The best approach to finding the right equipment is to understand that you don’t need to be perfect in the beginning. Starting slowly and strategically can help you learn how each type of club works for your practice games.
Other players may easily pick it up, but that doesn’t mean you are behind them. It just goes to show that you need a little bit more practice and you’ll get there, too, eventually. You don’t need to start with 14 clubheads in your golf bag. In fact, you will need less than what you’re expecting to bring on the course.
The best clubs for beginners is the one that can hit the ball on par 4s or 5s. You can bring up to three clubs with you during practice, but make sure they can help you hit the ball through the fairways with increasing distances of 100, 150, and 200 yards. We would recommend you to use a hybrid, golf irons, and pitching wedge, but you may also need a golf putter and a sand wedge to get around the greens and out of the bunkers.
You need to invest in one full set of clubs and then pare them down to a minimal number so that you can play well around the green. There are sets out there that include a box of clubs at a cheaper price tag. But you can also buy high-end used clubs at affordable prices.
Another essential is golf balls, but limit your budget to a few dollars since you will lose most of them as you learn how to make solid contact. Once you’ve learned to not lose balls per round, you may upgrade to more advanced balls such as the golf balls used by pro golfers. Below are other important equipment you need as you learn to play golf:
Tees are available in packs, but you can get some for free. If you buy a hundred pieces, then you are good for a long time – no need to buy in the next coming years.
A golf bag is one of the major essentials that you need to consider when playing golf. It challenging to find a quality model for a hundred dollars. If you don’t know how to choose the right golf bag for your needs, feel free to ask someone who knows what to recommend you or if they can hand you down an unused one sitting in their storage room. In the meantime, save some money to buy yourself a good quality golf bag.
The divot tool is used to fix marks on the greens. It basically helps when iron shots begin to touch the green more frequently.
Towels are important in cleaning your clubs and keeping them in good condition during each round. Therefore, you don’t need a new towel from your linen closet, the one in your garage is okay to use. This comes in handy when the backwash of that lumpy 9-iron splashes in your face, which happens even to pro golfers.
For starters, these are all the essentials you need in order to play golf. For a few hundred dollars, you can start practicing your swing to make solid shots with great speed. The thing is, you should be creative when buying these pieces of golf equipment so that you can buy them at a cheaper price.
Testing If You’re Ready For the Game
Wondering how ready are you for the golf course? The best way to know if you really are ready to conquer the course is to pass the consistency test when getting a 7-iron airborne off the tee. Make sure to keep plenty of tees in your bag because you will need a bunch of them during your first time on the green.
Put in mind that the goal is to enjoy your first few rounds on the course. Keep your game fun, especially if you’re spending the day with your family. If you hit off your club in a tight lie, remain confident and tee up your iron shots. This is why it’s important for beginners to use a 7-iron to get a good trajectory and more distance in the fairway. At the same time, it keeps your movement at a good pace.
If you have a friend who plays golf for a long time now, ask them to keep you company on your first few rounds. Perhaps, they can give you a lesson on the basic rules of golf and even some tips to make solid contact and longer shots. The most important tip is to remain calm as there will be struggles that are all normal for beginners.
Don’t let your mishits in the first 10 rounds discourage you to play golf. However, keep a record of your poor hits and solid hits to see your improvements. Once the solid hits exceed your mishits, that’s when you know you are getting there. So don’t focus on the poor shots, just enjoy your game and you will surely improve your play.
Work On Your Game
Find a facility such as a practice range where you can hit off the grass after mastering to hit off a golf mat. When it comes to realistic practice, it’s better to hit off grass than a mat because it will only mess with the club. If your property has a yard with grass, you can set up a practice range with a net so that you won’t lose your balls.
Other alternatives for an ideal practice spot include any place with enough space where you can make full swings. If you’re practicing in grass-covered ranges such as your backyard, you can use plastic balls as they won’t hurt in case you hit someone. At the same time, it allows you to make solid contact without losing your ball.
It’s true how golf can be intimidating for beginners. But even experienced golfers don’t know everything about this game. So take courage and enjoy your first few rounds on the course while improving your skills. In time, you will surely learn the tricks on how to hit long, solid shots and score on the green. For now, familiarize yourself with the different types of clubs and your swing. Slowly but surely, you’ll get there eventually!