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The ultimate 101 guide to beginner golf
If you are a complete beginner or novice to golf, this
article will definitely lead you to a place where starting
and taking the first step becomes easy. Many golfers who
have great potential fail to progress and for some that
entails even making the greens. They key to having a
fantastic golf career either professional or leisure is to
overcome the inertia to transcend to the next level from the
previous. With some expert, informative and useful advice,
that step becomes all the easier.
The foundational steps of golf involves balance, power and
driving, addressing the ball, grip, and finally putting
(shot techniques will be covered in a different article).
Below are these steps elucidated in more detail:
Balance:
For a golf swing that maintains consistency and power,
balance is the primary underlying element which must be
maintained throughout the entire swinging motion. The first
step is to position one?s posture such that the centre of
gravity is centred over the ball. Subsequently, one?s feet
should be apart as far as the shoulder?s width with a slight
bend at the hip area (hip tilt of about 30 degrees or one
?o?clock? upper torso position) with rear protruding a
little; knees at this point should be mildly locked. Next,
both hands should grip the club in such a way that they are
in line with one?s chin and this should all culminate in
natural distribution of weight over the golf ball. The bend
is one of the most crucial components of the balance
position. One should not feel as though he/she is ?sitting?
comfortably which would imply the shifting of bodyweight
towards the heels of the feet. The latter would stiffen
one?s body rendering flexibility impossible with the
subsequent swing inevitably be wayward.
At the time of impact, approximately seventy five percent of
one?s weight should be transferred onto the leading foot (ie
left foot for right handers and vice versa). One?s head must
be behind the ball and hips should be c 10cm forward
vis-a-vis the initial position. Consequently, the spine is
tilted to double that of the starting stance. Post impact,
following the gradual motion of the body, weight shift
should naturally flow back towards the heel.
Power and Driving:
The greatest problem faced by beginner golfers in driving
the golf ball is that of power. Below are some pointers and
steps to follow and check to ensure a great dynamic
drive-through:
- Making sure the ball is not teed-up to low. This has
become more of a problem of late because the contact surface
of drivers (especially iron 1) have pronouncedly increased.
This results in greater difficulty in locating the
sweet-spot which in relative terms have shrunk. As an
approximation, the ball should be teed such that the top
half of the golf ball is above the club face when the club
is in a stationary position on the ground. This would ensure
that the contact point is on the centre of the club head.
Evidently the larger club head, the higher the tee.
- Making sure one?s hands are not position too closely to
the body in the starting position. This mistake would
invariantly produce a smaller arc in terms of backswing and
follow-through. The key is not reach-in slightly and not to
overdo it; this is easier said than done and requires
practice because the natural tendency for beginners is too
hang one?s hangs inward for security and comfort. Following
the circumference of the semi-circle driving motion will
generate quicker and more powerful drives then a path
trending across the diameter of the motion-arc.
- Many beginners lift their front foot on the backswing.
This inadvertently leads to a counter-productive weight
shift to the front of the backswing resulting in a hook or
shank nine times out of ten instead of a drive. One?s front
foot should be firmly anchored to the ground on backswing
forcing the hip and shoulder to turn in s spring-like
fashion releasing great power. One?s weight should be
shifted to the backside post impact.
- Accompanying the tee is the ball position. Setting the
ball too far back or front would lead to premature contact
on the down swing or delayed impact of the golf club after
traversing the mid point below the golfer?s chin. It will be
near an impossible task to hit a good drive if the above
occurs. A perfect position would be the ball equidistance
from both feet.
- Lastly, confidence and mental approach to a drive is vital
for beginners. Every single shot should be hit with full
believe that the drive would go the distance and not stop
short of its intended target.
Addressing the golf ball
- Ball addressing entails contacting the ball so the square
of one?s club head is exactly perpendicular to the ball on
impact. The same swing applies regardless of whether one is
on the driving range, tee or fairway; this applies for all
woods and irons from 2 through to 9.
The tip post following the steps above is to keep one?s head
down and one?s eye on the spot where the ball sits. One?s
head should be in this position throughout the swing. Head
lifting and movements during the swing or looking up as the
club hits the ball would pull one?s body out of alignment
making it almost impossible to hit the ball squarely.
The Golf Grip
is one?s only means of connecting with the club. A sound
grip is half the battle won in regards to generating power
and accuracy. Wrist swerve is then the main power source and
a common mistake by beginners is to grip the club more in
the palm than through the fingers. Using our sensitive
fingers increases wrist hinging and this produces better tee
shots and puts.
One other common error amongst even the most experienced
golfers is a flimsy lead-hand (left for right-handers) grip
concentrated in the palm. Consequently, the golf ball is
sliced rather than hit. Here are some check points:
- the club should be held alot more by the fingers than the
palm.
- the golf club should be resting on the base of the little
finger and contact the index finger just above the first
joint.
- Post positioning the club on the fingers, one?s thumb
should be parallel (in touch and pointing outwards toward
the club face) to the shaft of the club.
- Finally, the knuckles of the index and middle fingers
should be visible when looking from the top onto the lead
hand. There should also be a ?V? shape created by the thumb
and index forefinger of the lead hand with its tip directing
toward the other hand and shoulder.
Putting
This is the finest and most intricate part about golf play
and involves finally coaxing the ball into the golf hole. In
a sentence, putting is all about feel and touch. That said,
putting is also a little more innovative in respect to the
golfer compared with any other shot. There are innumerable
styles of putting because whatever consistently puts is
whatever works for the individual. The process is much less
important in this part of the game.
By and large though, general principles are as follows:
- Putters should be ultra comfortable in terms of length and
lie angle
- Gripping during putting should be slightly different
compared to driving, chipping, slicing or teeing. The golf
club should usually sit in the hollow of the palm of the
lead hand with the thumb of the other resting across (as
opposed to straight) the shaft.
- Ball position should be towards the forward heel with toes
parallel to the target hole. One?s eyes should be over the
ball in order to aim and ascertain accurately the line of
sight in alignment with the putt.
- Judging the putter path is something which is very hard to
teach and narrate. However, one that travels a little inside
on the back stroke and then down the line on the forward
motion usually works wonder. On the backstroke, one has to
ensure that the putter face remains square and does not fray
wide open.
- Post putting with the non-lead hand, revert to putting
practice using both hands however making strokes with grip
pressure mainly on the non-lead palm.
The preliminary steps above should be able to get any rookie
up and running at least onto the range and short games...the
rest comes with heaps and heaps of club time always keeping
the fundamental rules in mind.
Thomas is an avid golf fan through and through and has been
enjoying the game for more than 12 years. Visit
www.tipsongolf.org for expansive resources on the game for
golfers at all levels.
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