Beginners Guide To Golf

Hello blog readers! Hope you are doing very well. I get asked the same questions incessantly on the phone, in the public community and by my students on simple ways to improve your golf game. Well all I can say is when you are finding it a bit daunting to come up with ways to practice physically, why not read up a few simple golf tips and rules to get them stuck in the back of your mind? It only takes a second and will increase your self-confidence on the green.

I have started you off with 7 great tips and will add more soon, hope you enjoy! See you soon with more beginner golf tips…

Tip 1: Eye on a Dime

Do you feel your putting performance isn’t the best? Take a look at this simple drill that will put discipline back in your stroke. Place the ball atop a dime; keep your eyes focused on the dime all the way through your stroke. Avoid the urge to follow the ball with your eyes immediately after impact—especially on short putts. Just watch for the dime, rather than following the ball with your eyes, head, and shoulders.

Tip 2: See Yourself in the Clubface

Getting out of a greenside bunker is normally quite difficult, but it doesn’t need to be. All you need to do is keep the clubface ‘open’. If the clubface is ‘closed’ it tends to get buried in the sand weakening the stroke.
Here is a good lesson to put into practice when in a greenside bunker: Imagine that the clubface is a mirror, and that you’re going to see your reflection in it at the finish of your sand shot. This will ensure that you take the club all the way to eye level and that you’ve kept it open all the way to the finish.

Tip 3: Check Your Vs!

Many things can cause a slice, but most often the grip is the source of the trouble. Here’s how to fix it: Make sure that when looking down at address, you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand and a “V” formed between the thumb and forefinger pointing toward your right shoulder. With the right hand, have the “V” pointing toward your chin or slightly to the right shoulder. It works!

Tip 4: Bullseye!

Three-foot putts can really mess with your mind if you let them. One strategy employed by one of the all time great putters, Seve Ballesteros, is to imagine a bullseye attached to the back of the cup. This image encourages you to accelerate the putter through to the hole and keep the clubface moving square to the hole. Try it!

Tip 5: If Your Shoulder’s Under the Chin—you won’t hit it thin!

Are you one of the many golfers who suffer from constantly topping the shot or hitting it ‘thin’? If you are try to keep your right shoulder under your chin before looking at for where the ball goes. You do not need to keep your head down all the time, just let it move but allow your shoulder be the one that brings your head up after contact. If this is done correctly you will almost see the club hit the ball.

Tip 6: Step on It!

A good way to practice proper weight shift is to step with your right foot over your left after contact in the swing. If it is done correctly it will feel as if you are walking right after contact. After you take a swing ask yourself: “Where is the weight?” Is it on the right foot or the left? Keep in mind a proper position should be 90% weight on the left foot and 10% on the right toe. After that your own body’s momentum will carry you to a walking position with right foot over left.

Tip 7: Hit Far with the Ball Forward

Your position over the ball will vary depending on the club used for the swing. For example, the ball should be in the centre of your stance for the short irons i.e. 7, 8, 9, PW. As loft of the club decreases, the ball position should incrementally places more toward the front foot (left foot for right hand players), until it is just inside the left heel when hitting the woods. Remember: If you want to hit lower altitude shots, the ball should be placed back in the stance. For more air (altitude), place the ball forward in the stance.

Hi there!

Did you know that the shaft weight of you golf club plays a major part on your golf game?

Q. Why is the shaft weight of a golf club important?

A. The weight of the club shaft is important for allowing you to determine the overall weight of the golf club.

For customized golf clubs, the grip weights and head weights will vary depending on the specific requirement for the golfer such as: height, build, golf fitness level etc… These types of customizations are widely available and will definitely be required if you want to learn to play golf professionally.

Today most golf equipment and accessories are customizable and currently club shafts of weight 130 g (4.6 oz) down to 40 g (1.4 oz) are widely available to buy. When a golfer changes from a steel club shaft to a graphite shaft, the weight change will be at least 50 g (1.75 oz).

As a golfer you should be aware that generating longer distance drives is directly related to the speed of the clubhead. If the golf clubs used are lighter such as a graphite shaft, the clubhead speed will be increased resulting in a longer drive. Note: Be aware that there are pros and cons to both club shafts. For instance, if you want the higher swing speed of the graphite shaft you must be aware that this club will have a less sturdy feel during the downswing and will be easier to hook or slice the ball.

Important: Be aware of the fact that the swing weight of any club has to be matched with physique (strength, tempo, experience etc…) of the golfer using that particular club. If a golfer uses a club of any major weight difference, the golfer will tend to be less accurate at striking the sweetspot resulting in off-centre hits. This will ultimately result in less distance and an increased number of off-target shots. It is best to change the weight of golf clubs as slightly as possible to adjust your pre-shot routine accordingly and get familiar with the difference in feeling of the swing. Move through the weights of club shafts in increments to allow your “feel” the golf swing to adjust with it.

Hi there!

A lot of golfers should be aware that it is not as easy as you think to buy a golf club. You don’t just go and grab a club that ‘looks nice’ and then try to use it. It’s not like buying new clothes, you know? There are certain questions you need to know the answers to. Here are 5 important tips to help you pick the best golf equipment to suit your game…

1. Be Open and Honest with Yourself

Be honest and realistic when it comes to buying new golf gear. Ask yourself what skill levels you are at, and be realistic here, don’t buy golf equipment that is designed for an expert golfer like Tiger Woods when you are only a novice weekend golfer wanting to improve your golf game. It is important to know your limitations and work your way up from there. If you don’t do this it will only hurt your performance on the green in the long run.

2. Stay within Your Desired Budget

As far as golfing equipment comes into the equation, pick a budget and stick with it. So many new golfers end up spending thousands of dollars on golf equipment and yet don’t even know how to use the half of it on the course. If this happens you will lose the luxury of paying less as the prices of golf equipment drops over time, and paying at the time when you really need it. Also, don’t be afraid to venture into second-hand clubs and equipment. Remember: Golf equipment and accessories exists for all budgets, you will only need to know where to look, so shop around.

3. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

When shopping for golf equipment, make sure you know your strengths and weaknesses in the game. For instance, do you know how to hook a ball? Are you a short hitter? It is important to know the answers to these types of questions. If you do, it will allow the golf store clerk or your new golf coach to make a ore informed decision to help supply you with the best equipment for you, making life easier for the both of you.

4. Buy to Suit Your Game

How often would you say you play golf? Are you a golf addict who plays constantly or is it just a weekend leisure? Knowing answers to these and similar questions will suggest which type of golf clubs and accessories fit your particular game. If you are a highly motivated golfer, experienced and travel a lot just for golf you will need high durability equipment and good quality so expect to pay more. On the other hand if you are not that obsessed, a more casual approach will suit you.

5. Research the Game

Do your own research. Read lots of magazines, online articles, newspapers and whatever else you have access to. Why not attend demo days in your local area golf club or a golf show? Check out the manufacturer’s websites on your new golf equipment and see if they have any useful information for you. Doing this research is the key to learning tips and tricks relating to golf and will always improve your golf game. Keep your eyes peeled!

If you use these 5 simple tips to choosing golf clubs it will be simple for you to get fitted with exactly what you need. So go out and get those brand new clubs you have been thinking about for while and remember, learning how to play golf is always supposed to be fun, so do enjoy yourself on the green!

Reading Grass Grain on the Green

Learning how to read the greens is definitely one way you can easily improve your golfing performance.

But how do you do that? Well it’s simple really, stand behind the ball and squat down. Position your head so you are looking along the target line from behind the ball toward the hole. If the grass appears shiny this means the green is with you and the ball will roll more easily when you putt it or chip it. If the grass appears dull, this means the grass blades are against the flow of the ball and the shot will need that bit extra power behind it to reach the target.

More great tips on learning how to play golf at golfingvalley.com

Hi,

Stand erect with your feet shoulder width apart, lock your knees and place your arms behind your back. With your shoulders relaxing in a backward position and your head facing straight ahead, bow forward (you should be bent at least 30 degrees and feel slight pressure in the back of your thighs and lower back). Now, slightly flex your knees and remain balanced. Finally let your arms hang relaxed in front of you, like an elephant’s trunk does. This should put you into the correct posture to swing a golf club at the ball.

For more easy to follow golf swing tips visit golfingvalley.com

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Hi again,

When you swing a golf club it is basically making a circle in the air. If your body moves up or down on the swing, the arc of the swing will move higher or lower in relation to the golf ball. This will cause the impact to be off the equator of the ball and will make the ball flight either too high or too flat along the ground. Your body must remain level to ensure a good accurate shot.

Let’s take a look at the 4 main areas which will badly affect your shot:

1. Knees - If your knees start in a certain position during the address and change their position i.e. straighten up or bend more during the swing, this will cause impact to be off and compromise the shot.

2. Feet - If you start the backswing with your feet firmly placed on the ground and list a foot during the top of the swing or during the downswing, the solid impact with the shot will be compromised.

3. Arms - If your left arm (right handed golfers) is folded at moment of impact this will cause huge loss of power in the strike compromising the shot’s strength and most likely accuracy too.

4. Spine - If your spine moves up 2 inches or more during the backswing it must drop 2 inches or more during the downswing in order for the clubhead to contact the ball squarely. If not, solid contact with the ball is compromised.

Clearly, it is best to keep all these areas at the same level during your swing. If they do change it is usually close to impossible to return back to the original position just before impact. So perfecting your golf swing technique is very important!

Hi there,

The impact of the clubhead with the golf ball is the moment of truth for the golf swing. There are three things you need to be aware of when taking a shot. These three things must happen before you are able to hit a true shot on the target-line which flies properly.

1. The centre of the clubface has to impact below the equator of the golf ball.
2. The clubhead’s swing path must be directly along the target-line.
3. The angle of the club-blade has to be square to there target.

Golfers use different variances in their swing but all these swings have the same conclusion on impact. These variances are conducted in a similar way and are needed for a consistent accuracy in the shots. There are also six elements which need to happen in your physical body. See as follows:

1. 80 to 90 % of the weight is on the left foot.
2. The hips are turned approximately 45 degrees.
3. The head is behind the ball.
4. The shoulders are turned left about 15 degrees.
5. The hands are slightly ahead of the ball.
6. The right heel is slightly off the ground.

Similarly to putting, chipping is mainly performed by the muscles in the arms and shoulders. Hands are kept relatively steady and the golfer’s body only slightly moves with the follow through in order to allow release of the club. This movement should be like a pendulum swinging back and forth on a grandfather clock.

There are many different tips and lessons on chipping, but I find these 5 the most effective.

My best five essentials for a good, clean chipping stroke:

1. Minimum air time and maximum ground time. Keep hands in the position when addressing the shot with any club and stance should be slightly ahead of the ball on impact. Handle of all clubs should point slightly to the left of your front hip pocket. Maintain minimum hand and wrist motion through the stroke.

2. Aim for the ball to land roughly 1 yard on the green. Change club accordingly for the difference in Carry to Roll.

The following chart is useful on the average green:

10 % Carry and 90 % Roll = 5 iron
20 % Carry and 80 % Roll = 6 iron
30 % Carry and 70 % Roll = 7 iron
40 % Carry and 60 % Roll = 8 or 9 iron
50 % Carry and 50 % Roll = PW
40 % Carry and <50% Roll = SW

3. Weight should stay mainly on the left foot (right hand golfer) during the chip.

4. Use an open stance to clear the hips on the swing through.

5. Ball should be positioned slightly off the inside of the right foot (right hand golfer).

Hello there,

I have been asked over and over by both beginner golfers and advanced golfers how to position the body for a good swing. It’s really simple!

Posture is the foundation of a good golf swing. It is important to put good balance and posture into your pre-shot routine. A ritual of the events leading up to the swing is important to maintaining accuracy and drive. This all starts with posture of the golfer’s body.

Five basic steps in creating good golf posture:

1. Distribution of weight evenly between the soles of the two feet and not too much on the heels or toes is essential.

2. Bending over is done from the lower back or waist. Try to minimise curvature of the spine. It should feel like you buttocks are sticking out.

3. Avoid touching your chest with your chin. This will allow a more clean rotation. Touching you chest with your chin will only force the spine to bend giving a swing which is not accurate.

4. Flex the knees a bit. If you plumb-bobbed a golf club over your kneecap
it should rest directly above the centre of your foot.

5. Arms need to hang naturally with gravity. If done correctly, there should be a gap of about 4-6 inches between your wrists and you legs. This is enough of a gap for your arms to swing past your body freely.

Quick Posture Check

Standing sideways in front of a mirror, dangle a golf club from your shoulder. The shaft should hang down the centre of the shoulder, in front of the kneecap and end should dangle over the ball of the foot. If it is not like this, you are making a mistake somewhere and your posture is incorrect so you will need to double check.