Learn to play golf: basics

Learning to play golf can be a very rewarding experience! In addition to the inherent difficulty of hitting a small cue ball with a club, there are rules to learn, a whole new vocabulary, seemingly strange golf etiquette, special clothing, and all the special equipment and gadgets associated with the sport of golf.

Beginners to the sport often find it difficult to find good information on learning to play golf, and while there is a lot of information available on how to play golf, it is often contradictory or taken out of context. We’ve put together a few tips to point you in the right direction:

strong desire to learn

Like anything worth pursuing, having a strong desire to learn and succeed is critical. If you’re just starting out in the sport, you’ve probably just gotten “the bug” and the desire to learn the game isn’t a problem. However, I’ve also seen spouses who felt they needed to learn golf to see their partner for more than a few hours on the weekends, or the junior executive who thinks they need to learn the game in order to advance. in his company.

Sure you want to improve your golf score, but are you willing to put in the work? A strong desire will help you achieve your goal. You will need the desire to change your schedule to accommodate more practice time and put yourself in the vulnerable position of asking more experienced players for help and guidance.

mental side of golf

Your success in learning the sport of golf will include the mental aspect of the game. For many golfers, the mental aspects of the game are what drive them to play. Yes, it’s fun to see how many beats you can take to move around a particular track, but controlling your emotions and the voices inside your head is just as challenging and rewarding.

Learning to play golf well also includes learning the mental aspects of the game. Tiger Woods’ father said that Tiger was not the best because of his physical prowess, but because he had the strongest mind of any golfer in the tournament. Coming from the father of possibly the greatest golfer to ever play, it seems prudent to learn the mental aspects of the game of golf.

practice putting

During a typical round, almost half of the strokes will be made with a putter. Think about that for a second. Most golfers grab their bags and head to the driving range and can spend hours hitting bucket after bucket until their hands hurt and their hands blister. But these same golfers will randomly toss a couple of golf balls onto the practice green, mindlessly hit the golf balls a few times, and then call it a day.

Putting is one of those skills that can be drastically improved if you practice very regularly. Chances are your day is already filled with free moments that you could use practicing your putt. You can practice your putt at the office, at home, even when you travel. Just buy one of those portable greens you can travel with and set it up in a corner of your office or home so you can practice when you have a change. Learning to control the putter is a great skill that will dramatically improve your game.

Seek competent advice

There is a lot of advice on how to learn to play golf, however, a lot of it is bad advice. I’ve always found it amusing that people take golf advice from a guy who’s never gone over 90 all day, but don’t go to their local pro for a lesson or some tips. I’m not saying that your friend doesn’t have some good points that could help you improve; I’m just saying that there are better options for a long-term plan.

It is also important to find a source of information that is consistent. Beginning golfers often jump from one source of information to another, from one philosophy to another, and from one approach to another. It is possible to learn to play golf better than most simply by following consistent instruction.

have fun

In most cases, the best players are those who have fun. The last thing you want to do is become an overly competitive player who can’t participate in the inherent joy of the game. Keep your ego in check and don’t be a braggart on the green. Stay cool, relaxed, but focused on playing well and having fun. That’s the only real way to play.

Learning to play golf can also be a very fun and rewarding experience. Break 100, Break 90, and Break 80 are milestones worth following and will keep the game exciting and challenging for you.