Golf is an increasingly popular sport, but it can be a bit intimidating for those of us stepping on the green for the first time. So people who first play golf always have this question: How to Play Golf for Beginners? Are there any tips or guidelines?
From the intricacies of swing technique to the large variety of clubs and a host of unique terminology, golf can quickly become overwhelming.
However, with some basic knowledge and handy tips, golf can quickly become accessible for anyone interested in trying out the sport.
The beginning golfer has a lot of information to tackle. Besides knowing the rules and having the necessary equipment, a newbie golfer also needs to understand the basics of swing technique, tackle problems they are likely to encounter, and improve.
The following guide does its best to synthesize the enormous amount of information facing someone new to golf into a condensed and hopefully manageable format.
While these tips certainly don’t cover every detail, you may encounter when starting with golf. They will allow you to grasp both the game and the skills required to play it. Want to try your hand at golf?
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The Golf Course
Stepping out of the golf course for the first time, one can find a lot of comfort in simply knowing what is around you. Here is a list of places you will find on your average course.
Teeing Box: A flat area with closely mown grass; it is where the hole starts and where, as the name suggests, you tee your ball. Many courses have more than one tee box per hole for players of varying skills.
Fairway: The short grass between the tee box and the green. It is where you want your ball to land while getting to the green because it is easier to hit the ball on the shorter grass.
Rough: Longer grass surrounding the fairway. You don’t want your ball here if you can help it because the long grass makes it harder to hit.
Green: The area surrounding the hole with the shortest grass. It is where you will use your putter to sink the ball into the cup.
Hazards: Areas of the course marked with red or yellow stakes. They are often bodies of water. If your ball ends up at risk, you can still play it; however, if the ball proves unplayable, you must take a penalty stroke and either re-hit or drop a new ball near the hazard.
Bunker: A pit or depression filled with sand can either be on the fairway or greenside (adjacent to the green)—these design to test your ability. You must play your ball as usual if it ends up in a bunker.
The Golf Rules
Before we get into the skills needed, we must answer the question: how do you play golf?
Here is a quick look at the basic rules you’ll need to know to get started.
However, it should know that golf has many rules, and the below guidelines do not begin to cover all of them.
1. Golf Scoring
Your score is determined by how many strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole. A stroke refers to every time the club makes contact with the ball.
However, it can also add strokes to a player’s score for penalties and swings (not practice swings) that completely miss the ball.
Every hole on a golf course will have a par rating. The par is how many strokes, on average, a golfer requires to get the ball in the cup. Par ratings are another way a golfer can refer to their score. A score refers to being under or over par.
Something else that concerns par is hitting the green in regulation. It means that you can get your ball on the green with two strokes remaining in par to sink the ball.
For example, if a hole is par-5, to get on the green in relation would require three or fewer hits. Hitting the green in regulation assumes you will take two putts to sink the ball and still achieve par.
Some specific terms go with the par ratings. For example, a score of 1 over par on a hole is a bogey, and two over is a double bogey.
A score of 1 under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle, and three under is a double eagle/albatross. A hole in one refers to an ace.
2. The Basics Golfing Guideline
2.1 – Play your tee within the boundaries marked. Although holes will have different tee boxes for other players, ensure that your ball is within the limits when you tee.
2.2 – You are allowed a maximum of 14 clubs. You can play with less but never more.
2.3 – You must play the ball where it lies. You cannot move it. It will discuss unplayable balls and the rules concerning them in the next section.
2.4 – Once on the green, you may pick up your ball to clean it or get it out of another player’s putt line, but you must place a marker such as a coin or a disc and replace it in the same spot.
2.5 – Don’t pay someone else’s ball. While this seems obvious, it can become difficult on a crowded golf course. Consider marking your balls in some way to avoid mistakes.
2.6 – You must strike the ball. You cannot scoop it or flick it no matter what its position is.
2.7 – Keep up with your score. Make sure to tally your scorecard and sign after finishing each hole.
3. Golf Etiquette
Golf also has rules about how you should interact with other players.
Some of the basics include:
1. Don’t ask other players for help. Don’t even ask what clubs they would use for a specific hole.
2. Don’t walk over other player’s putt line on the green. You can leave indents in the green, which will affect the player’s putt.
3. Keep up the pace of play. There are other groups on the golf course, and if your group is taking forever, it holds everybody back. Just remember to be courteous and don’t dawdle.
4. What If I Can’t Play My Ball Where It Lies?
While the critical rule of golf is to play your ball wherever it ends up, sometimes that’s just not possible. Especially for beginners, sometimes your ball ends up either out of bounds, lost, or just wholly unplayable.
Here are some basic guidelines for when that happens.
1. Out-of-Bounds/Lost:
If your ball goes outside of the course or you simply cannot find it, you will have to play again from the previous spot while incurring a penalty stroke. You have three minutes to find a ball before declaring it lost.
In casual play, you can use the local rule. This rule states that you can drop a new ball on the nearest fairway edge to where the ball was lost or went out of bounds. This drop incurs a two penalty stroke.
If you already suspect that your ball is lost or out of bounds after the strike, you can play a provisional ball to save time. Then if you can’t find your original ball, the provisional ball becomes your ball with one penalty stroke added.
2. Unplayable:
A player can choose to call their ball unplayable. So it will do if the ball is in a tree, under a bush, etc. In this case, there are three options for moving the ball, all of which come with a penalty stroke.
1. Stroke-and-Distance Relief: The player can play either a new ball or the original from the same place as the previous stroke.
2. Back-on-the-Line Relief: Considering a straight line running from the hole and through the spot of the unplayable ball, a player may move the ball back on this line and within one club length of the line. There is no limit to how far back he can go.
3. Lateral Relief: The player may move the ball to any spot from the unplayable area up to two club-lengths away. However, the player must not move the ball closer to the hole when doing this.
Golf Equipment
Of course, before you can start hitting balls, you will need something to swing and something to shoot.
Any golfer needs a set of clubs and balls, but should the beginner start with the essentials with such a large variety?
1. Club Types
Woods:
This category includes the driver, and these clubs have the most prominent heads and are usually hollow. In addition, they are swung the fastest and use for the most extended shots.
Irons:
These clubs are numbered, typically from 3 to 9. They have smaller heads than the woods and use for long shots. As the numbers go up on irons, their loft increases.
Wedges:
These could technically consider a type of iron but with a much more severe loft. It uses to get out of traps and shorter shots.
Putters:
Putters come in a wide variety. They are the club used for the final few shots on the green (actually getting the ball in the hole). Putter choice comes down to personal preference, as there are many different kinds of heads and lengths.
2. Golf Club Types for Starting Beginner
While a full set of golf clubs contains 14 individual clubs, there is little reason for beginners to spend the money on a complete set to start. Instead, we recommend beginners start with a basic five club set.
Driver
Driver (1-Wood) is the longest club found in a golf bag and sports the most prominent head of any club. Its goal is to get the ball as far as possible towards the green.
7-Iron
It is a mid-iron that can use for many different types of shots. In addition, it knows to be an excellent club to use for growing comfortable with hitting.
9-Iron
It is one of the short irons. Therefore, it is suitable for distances more straightforward than what the seven iron can manage.
Gap Wedge
This club allows you to get some distance while still having a high enough loft to enable the ball to land softly, giving you greater accuracy.
Sand Wedge
As its name suggests, this club is a must-have for getting out of the sand. It can also use it for other types of soft ground, such as mud or soggy grass.
Putter
Once the ball is actually on the green, this club will provide you with the accuracy over short distances to get the ball in the hole.
These five starting clubs offer a solid range to get any beginner through a game of golf. Then, as you play, you can adjust your club collection to fit your play style best.
3. Other Factors for Selecting Clubs
Once you have determined what type of clubs you want, there are still some other factors in picking your set. When shopping, you want to find the correct shaft flex and club head for you.
Shaft Flex:
With the club types, shaft flex, club head, and shaft length determined, you can purchase a beginner set designed to get you into the game as smoothly as possible. For the best experience with your golf clubs, consider asking a professional for help with selection, and make sure to get new grips if you buy used clubs.
It refers to the amount of bend in the shaft of the club during a swing.
There are five types of flex: extra stiff (X), Stiff (S), regular (R), senior (A), and ladies (L). The amount of flex depends on how fast you swing.
The faster you swing, the stiffer you will want your shaft to flex. Ask a professional and take a few swings with a club before buying to determine what shaft flex you prefer.
Club Head:
For the beginner, the best clubhead by far is the cavity-back. This head style is forgiving, meaning they have a more prominent sweet spot to strike the ball.
Blade club heads have a small margin for error, which is why most players today prefer the cavity-back.
Shaft Length:
While this might seem evident when selecting golf clubs, remember that it should take your height into account. For example, a golfer that is 5 feet tall will not need club shafts as long as someone who is 6 feet tall.
Golf Club Recommendation
1. Iron Set Recommendation
1.1 Cleveland Launcher HB Iron Set
These irons design to be highly forgiving with large sweet spots and excellent precision, so they are pretty good.
They make with high-quality material, these design to last. What’s more, this set comes with everything you need.
The only downside is the excellent quality reflected in the price. These may be a bit expensive for those just getting into the game.
Get more Cleveland Launcher HB Iron Set>>
1.2 TaylorMade M3 Iron Set
This set is perfect for newbies.
These irons will help you better your game. Using these clubs can improve shot distance, not to mention that they shoot straight and are durable and suitable for lots of practice.
Get more TaylorMade M3 Iron Set>>
1.3 Callaway Rogue Iron Set
This quality set is suitable for golfers of all levels, including beginners.
They have great distances and are balanced well to create an easy swing. Plus, this set is a bit more manageable price-wise.
Get more Callaway Rogue Iron Set>>
2. Golf Drivers
2.1 Callaway Epic Flash
This driver design by AI and offers some beautiful innovations. For example, it has “flash face technology,” which results in a lot of speed on the ball and excellent control.
In addition, the face design to be highly forgiving, making it a good choice for beginners.
2.2 TaylorMade M2
In terms of a solid driver that is great for any golfer, this is one of the best. In addition, this is a driver that is forgiving but also performs well with excellent distance.
Get more TaylorMade M2 Driver>>
2.3 Callaway XR 16
This driver is fast. With it, you can expect to get some long shots while still maintaining a level of forgivability and have one of the quicker drivers around.
3. Golf Balls Suggestions
All golf balls are the same, right? Actually no.
There is quite a difference between high-end and low-end golf balls. So as a beginner, should you splurge on quality golf balls?
Probably not.
Not only is the cost a deterrent for beginners, but low-end golf balls are often better for the beginner’s game as well. High-end golf balls have high spins, which can make them harder to hit straight. They are also softer, making them less durable, which requires them to replace more often.
Cheaper golf balls are easier to hit straight, last longer, and since you will probably lose some when starting, the price is an advantage. Find what works for you, and don’t feel pressure to break the bank when getting your balls.
3.1 Callaway Supersoft
With both reasonably high performance and a reasonable price, these balls are great for beginners. They are accurate, and the soft feel is excellent for those just starting with the game.
Get more Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls>>
You Can Check The Price On Amazon>>
3.2 Titleist Pro V1
If you want premium quality, these are undoubtedly the way to go. But beware that rate will cost you. These balls are great, but they may prove more than what a beginner wants to spend.
3.3 Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls
In terms of pricing, these are the best option, and they have that soft feel, which is suitable for beginners. This ball may lack sophistication, but those new to the sport will likely find little of which to complain.
4. Clothing
While your choice of attire may not affect your score as much as your club and ball choices, it is still worth paying attention to what you wear if you want to enjoy the game to the fullest.
First of all, some courses and clubs do have dress codes. Make sure to check this out before you play a new system. Lots of places require collared shirts and only allow shorts for a limited time.
Secondly, golf is a game. It’s supposed to be fun, and it’s hard to have fun when you are uncomfortable. Invest in golf shoes. Playing golf involves a lot of walking, and aching feet will put a damper on any game.
Also, remember that golf games last for several hours, so you will likely want a shirt that will reduce sweating. Being comfortable can go a long way in ensuring that you enjoy your round of golf!
Working on Your Swing
Now that you have all the stuff you will need, it’s time to start hitting the ball! The best way to develop a proper swing technique is to get help from a mentor.
They can help you discover what exactly works for you with things like grip, stance, distance from the ball, and more. However, some general tips can help anyone improve their swing.
1. Each club is different
The ball will not do the same thing when you hit it with a 7-iron and a putter. It’s not even going to be the same between a 7-iron and a 9-iron. Knowing how far you can hit the ball with each club, how accurate you tend to be with different clubs, and what type of clubs to use on various ground types is essential once you are out on the course. There are general suggestions for each club, but individuals will always have different preferences and tendencies. Practice your swing with various clubs until you know the differences.
2. Have a target line.
The target line is simply an imaginary line that runs from the ball to wherever you want the ball to go. Again, visualizing is key to planning your shot. The target line determines the position your club should be in for a successful trial.
3. Develop a pre-shot routine.
At no point will you be able to hit the ball without some prior planning and visualization. Coming up with a pre-shot routine will help make such planning part of the natural process. In addition, it can help take a few practice swings for beginners. Everyone visualizing where you want the ball to go critical.
4. Bend from the waist.
It helps maintain your balance. In addition, your back should be straight (no curves) and your feet shoulder-width apart.
5. Position your feet.
Most beginners don’t realize that the position of your feet about the ball matters. For example, if your feet are elevated higher than the ball, you are likely to fade (ball goes to the right of where you want), and if your feet are lower than the ball, you will likely draw (ball goes to the left). Knowing this will allow you to adjust your target line to compensate for different feet positions.
6. Ball positioning matters.
Where you put the ball relative to the rest of your body and stance will affect the outcome of your swing. For example, Jordan Fuller says that the best position when using an iron is slightly ahead of the center of the sternum. In general, though, the best way to make this aspect work for you is experimentation. Simply be aware and find what works best.
Parts of the Swing
Who knew you could break the action of hitting a ball into so many different parts? While this might seem tedious, knowing these terms will give you small areas to work on as you practice rather than trying to perfect your entire swing all at once.
The following sections go into detail about the dos and don’ts of the various parts of the swing. Don’t worry about trying everything at once! The parties will give you small chunks on which to focus and improve.
1. Address
It is the step before you begin the swing. The address is about assuming the proper stance and getting the golf club in the appropriate position before starting the swing’s motion.
There are many small details for a good golf stance, but below is a list of general tips for the address. These tips assume a straight shot; you will need to vary clubface position and feet position for other types of images.
Tips:
- Let the club rest flat on the ground behind the ball.
- It should split your weight evenly between your feet, and you should be on your balls rather than settling back into your heels.
- Tilt your upper body forward while keeping it straight (bend from the waist)
- Feet should be parallel to the target line.
- The clubface should be at a right angle (perpendicular) to the ball.
- The club shaft is angled forward slightly rather than being perfectly vertical.
2. Takeaway
The beginning of the swing. Just when the club begins to swing back to when the club shaft is parallel to the ground (the first half of the upward swing).
Tips:
- The club shaft should be in line with your target line
- The clubface should be angled slightly downward
- Your wrists should still be straight (not cocked)
- Your upper body needs to rotate to maintain the triangle formed by your shoulders and handle of the club.
3. Backswing
The part of The Swing From The Takeaway, it’s until the club reaches the top of its arc and changes direction.
Tips:
- Keep the left arm straight
- The left heel stays on the ground
- Don’t lock your right knee
- Have your left knee pointed at the ball
- Rotate your hips without tilting to one side
- Keep your head relatively still
- Move your weight onto the right foot
- The backswing should be slower than your downswing
In general, the idea is to keep your spine angle the same throughout and build up power for a strong downswing while maintaining accuracy.
4. Top of the Swing
As the name suggests, the club reaches the top of its path and changes direction to begin the downswing.
Tips:
- Ensure your left wrist is flat, meaning it is in line with your forearm rather than bent.
- Just like in the takeaway, your club shaft should be in line with your target line. In addition, it is almost parallel to the ground at the top of the swing.
- Your back should be facing the target, which should occur if you rotated your hips during the upswing.
- Unlike with takeaway at the top of the swing, your wrists should be hinged (cocked) rather than straight.
5. Downswing
It is the part of the swing in which you bring the club down towards the ball.
Tips:
- You should still hinge your wrists throughout this movement.
- The downswing is faster than the upswing.
- When rotating forward during this move, begin with your hips and then turn your arms and shoulders.
- Don’t tilt your hips (no swaying)
- Your weight should transfer back to your left foot.
- The clubhead should travel inside-square-inside (this refers to where the clubhead is about the target line, as the downswing progresses, the clubhead should be inside the target line, then square with the target line at impact, and inside the target line again on the follow-through)
6. Impact
The moment when you finally hit the ball!
Tips:
- Hands should be in front of the club.
- You should slightly bend your left knee at this point.
- Your hips should point toward the target, if you don’t open your hips enough when uncoiling, they will point to the right, and your ball will likely go that way.
- Maintain your spine angle (don’t stand up)
- Resist the urge to look up early, keep your head down at impact
- When using an iron, you will hit down on the ball (this means making an impact when the club is still in a downward arc)
- When using wood, you will hit upon the ball (make an impact when the club is an upward arc, achieved by moving the ball forward in the stance)
7. Follow Through
The rest of the swing after impact. Remember that your club is going to keep moving after you have hit the ball.
Tips:
- Let your hands release (as you swing the club from the right side of your body to the left, your hands will naturally change their grip, allow this to happen naturally)
- Make sure to finish the inside-square inside. The club should travel inside on the follow-through, circling your body rather than to the target line’s outside.
- Your hips should still be square with the target (don’t over-rotate to the left)
- Do the follow-through (don’t stop your swing immediately after impact)
- When you finish, your weight should be almost entirely over your left foot.
A Helpful Golf Guide
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
No worries. Although there can be a lot to the golf swing, there’s no reason to get stressed. So instead, check out The Ben Hogan Golf Swing Course. This online guide will teach you a simple and effective swing step-by-step.
The program has excellent reviews, and it designs to help improve your golfing without rigorous and time-consuming practice.
If you want to avoid the frustration that many beginning golfers face before they can truly get into the game, seeking professional help like this guide is a beautiful idea.
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8 Common Mistakes with the swing
As beginners, we expect to run into some problems when learning our swing. Luckily golfers had identified many of the common issues and, even better, developed ways to fix them.
1. Over the Top
What Is It:
This error occurs when the clubhead is outside the target line on the downswing, causing the club to veer inwards to hit the ball. It is called over the top because the clubhead often ends up directly over the target line at the top of the downswing.
Effects:
It makes it difficult to get a straight shot and result in mishits such as pulls and slices. It also interrupts the force causing a less powerful hit.
Approaches for Improvement:
Be careful how you begin. For example, suppose the clubhead starts outside on the takeaway instead of a square; you will likely end up over the top.
If your takeaway and upswing are fine, focus on bringing the clubhead down the same way it went up. Resist the urge to turn your head and shoulders on the downswing.
2. Casting
What Is It:
Casting occurs when a golfer unhinges their wrists early in the downswing.
Effects:
Casting will cause a lot of energy to be lost during the downswing, lessening the impact on the ball.
Approaches for Improvement:
Don’t release the hinge in your wrists too early. Instead, your wrists should stay in position from the swing top as long as possible during the downswing.
Thinking about hitting down on the ball can help in resisting the temptation to unhinge. In addition, one way to tell that you are maintaining the hinge is that your hands should be slightly ahead of the club shaft at the moment of impact.
3. All Arms Swing
What Is It:
You are swinging the club with your arms exclusively by failing to engage your hips and shoulders in the movement.
Effects:
This error will significantly limit your power, which will decrease the distance you can hit the ball. Failing to use your hips can also interrupt the rhythm of the swing, making it difficult to time your shots exactly and lowering accuracy.
Approaches for Improvement:
Be conscious of your upper body. You need to rotate your entire upper body and not just your arms. To ensure that your hips are being engaged, focus on transferring your weight.
You will only be able to transfer your weight to your right foot on the backswing and then back to the left as the swing progress if you are rotating your hips.
4. Swaying
What Is It:
Swaying is when your hips move side to side during the swing rather than simply rotating on a central axis. It can often be seen in your head moving side to side as well.
Effects:
Swaying throws off your balance. It will result in a lack of consistency with your shots. When you sway, you move your spine, destroying the central position on which your swing depends, making it significantly harder to hit the ball.
A golf swing rotates around your spine rather than back and forth on the target line, which is why swaying is so bad. You are also more likely to do an all arms swing because you are swaying rather than rotating your hips.
Approaches for Improvement:
When transferring your weight on the backswing, aim for the inside rather than the outside of your foot. If you don’t push your weight to the edge of your foot, your hips will be less likely to move on a horizontal line.
You can also lean your right knee slightly at the start. This position will act as a barrier forcing your hips to rotate instead of swaying.
5. Reverse Pivot
What Is It:
It occurs when you transfer the weight to the opposite foot. For example, it would mean putting your weight in your left foot (front foot) on the backswing or moving the weight to your right foot (back foot) during the downswing and follow-through.
Effects:
If you lean back on your back foot during the downswing, the club’s arc will move backward as well, causing you to make an impact later in your swing. In addition, it will prevent you from making complete contact with the clubface.
Approaches for Improvement:
Check your weight transfer at other points in the swing. For example, make sure you move to the back foot on the upswing and see if you end with your weight almost entirely on the front foot.
Also, remember that there is no need to scoop the ball. You should be hitting down at the ball rather than trying to get under and hit it up.
6. Blocking Shots
What Is It:
A blocked shot travels to the right (for right-handed golfers). It happens when the club path is inside-out rather than inside.
The clubface will also be facing the right rather than square with the target line.
Effects:
With the ball going to the right, it becomes hard to be accurate. Straight shots are pretty tricky, and you are more prone to various mishits such as hooking and pushing.
Approaches for Improvement:
First of all, check to make sure the problem is not simply the proper alignment. Next, ensure you are lined up straight with the target with your feet and body parallel to the target line.
The best fix for a blocked shot is correcting your swing path inside a square inside.
However, if this proves difficult, you can close your clubface a little to compensate for your swing path. Blocked shots can also be caused by failing to rotate your hips and shoulders fully. Work on completing this rotation to improve your blocked shots.
7. Locking Knees
What Is It:
Locking either one of your knees leads to problems with your hip angle.
Effects:
Locking your right knee will cause an inside-out club path while closing your left knee will result in the opposite: an outside-inside club path.
Approaches for Improvement:
If you find yourself locking your right knee, lean in the right knee, some to prevent this. For the left knee, focus on keeping your head still. You will need to maintain some bend in your left knee to accomplish this.
8. Standing up at Impact
What Is It:
Besides being what it sounds like, standing up at impact refers to changing your spine angle during the swing. It most often occurs at the moment of impact.
Effects:
If you stand up at impact, you will raise the club, making it harder to hit the ball and especially hit it thoroughly with the clubface.
Approaches for Improvement:
Again, focusing on keeping your head still is an excellent way to keep the other parts of your body from moving.
Standing up at impact will raise the level of your head. Thus if you think about maintaining your head’s position, it will prevent many other unwanted movements.
9 Common Trouble Shots
Although developing a consistent swing can be challenging, we can learn from the mistakes of others. Here are some common shot problems and ways to correct them.
It should note that the suggested causes and fixes for each mishit are not an exhaustive list. And it gives you plenty of ideas to begin trying to fix any issues you may have.
1. Fat Shots
What is It: A shot that penetrates the ground before hitting the ball. Hitting the ground first will reduce the club speed causing the ball to travel for much less distance.
Causes:
Fat shots occur when the impact make at the wrong time in the club’s arc. For example, it should hit the ball slightly before the club reaches the bottom of its arc, but in a fat shot, impact happens after the bottom of the arc.
A fat shot can also cause the bottom of the arc to be vertically low actually to be in the ground. It will result in the club digging into the ground.
How to Fix It:
You may simply need to change where you set up the ball by moving it back so that the bottom of your swing arc is ahead of the ball.
You should also ensure that you are not swaying your hips (see above section for fixes) and that you always maintain a constant spine angle through impact.
2. Thin Shots
What Is It:
A shot hits the ball below the equator and often causes hits with the club’s leading edge rather than with the clubface. Thin shots tend not to go as high, and the ball will roll more.
Causes:
Like the fat shot, thin shots cause issues with the club’s arc about the ball. The club arc’s bottom is either too high or well in front of the ball in a thin shot, just like the fat shot impact happens after the arc’s bottom instead of slightly before it.
How to Fix It:
Similar to fat shots, you may need to move back the ball’s starting position. Again you should check to see that you are maintaining a constant spine angle as raising your spine will increase the bottom of the arc.
Standing up at impact will cause the same problem. You should also check for swaying and ensure that your hands remain slightly ahead of the clubhead at impact.
3. Topping the Ball
What Is It:
A shot hits the ball below the equator. Like the thin shots, it will cause hits the ball with the edge rather than the clubhead’s face. Topping the ball will make the ball travel very low.
Causes:
Again, this cause by mistakes in where the bottom of the club arc locates. The bottom of the arc could be either too high before the ball or too far after the ball.
How to Fix It:
Like fat shots and thin shots, if you think you are topping the ball, try adjusting your initial ball position.
Also, make sure to maintain your spine angle and check for swaying. Finally, check for a reverse pivot as transferring the weight to the wrong foot can move your club arc.
4. Sky Shots
What Is It:
A shot hits near the tee’s bottom. A sky shot sends the ball high but with little forward progress.
Causes:
In most cases, too low club arc’s bottom cases sky shots. It can be caused simply by the ball being too high on the tee or lying on the rough in an area where fluff allows it to sit up off the ground.
How to Fix It:
If this occurs while teeing, you can simply push the tee further into the ground. You can also further grip your club to shorten the club and raise the bottom of the arc.
Remember to hit up rather than down by using the driver or wood; it will cause a sky shot. And again, maintain a consistent spine angle throughout the swing.
5. Shanking
What Is It:
A shank occurs when the ball hits with the club’s hosel or heel rather than the clubface. It will result in a low shot and flies sharply to the right (for right-handed golfers).
Causes:
Hitting with the club’s heel often occurs because we have set up too close to the ball.
Probably you lean too much into your toes or heels, causing the clubface to move away from the ball. An over-the-top swing error also causes it (see above section).
How to Fix It:
Ensure that your weight balance at the start and the ball is in the ideal position. If that does not fix the issue, check for the over-the-top error and apply the remedies from the above section.
6. Push
What is It:
A push is when the ball starts to the right of the target and then continues in a straight line. So basically, this is a straight shot but to the right.
Causes:
A push occurs when the clubface is open at impact, resulting in no spin but square to the club path—both the clubface and the direction of the swing point to the right of the target line. A push occurs when your swing path is inside-outside.
How to Fix It:
Before doing anything else, make sure you are aligning yourself properly with the target. For example, a push could just be from setting up to the right of your target; after checking that, you may need to adjust your swing path to be inside-square-inside.
It will change the direction of your swing to be straight rather than to the right. If you are having trouble adjusting, consider simply aiming a bit to the left to compensate.
7. Pull
What is It:
The opposite of a push. The ball starts to the left and continues straight: a straight shot to the left.
Causes:
A pull occurs when the clubface is closed at impact and square to the club path.
Suppose the swing path would be in or outside, causing both clubface and club path to pointing to the target’s left.
How to Fix It:
Just like with pushes, check your starting alignment before doing anything else. Then see if you can adjust your swing path to hit that sweet spot inside a square inside.
Finally, if pulls seem to be a constant with you, consider simply aiming a bit to the right to adjust.
8. Slicing
What Is It:
Slicing is when the ball begins to the left but then curves sharply to the right because of the clockwise spin. For most golfers, this is always unintentional and thus considered to be an error.
Causes:
It occurs when the clubface is closed but still open to the club path. It is the combination of an outside-inside swing path with an open clubface. These factors cause sidespin, which results in sharp curving.
How to Fix It:
Whether or not you fully understand the physics behind slicing, you can take steps to fix it. Begin by checking to make sure your stance is parallel to the ball and target line rather than at an angle.
You can also try using a firmer grip. And again, make sure your swing path is inside a square inside.
9. Hooking
What Is It:
It is the opposite of a slice. The ball begins to the right and then veers sharply to the left due to counterclockwise spin.
Causes:
Hooks happen when the clubface is open but closed to the club path. It comes from having an inside-outside swing direction with a closed clubface.
How to Fix It:
Again, check to see if your stance is parallel, and always pay attention to your swing direction. You are aiming for inside-square inside. For hooks, you may also want to try loosening your grip.
Golf Beginner Putting
While those impressive long-distance shots are something we all aspire to, the goal in a game of golf is to get the ball into the hole. And to do that, you will need some skills beyond hitting the ball with a beautiful full power swing. One of these skills is putting.
As the name suggests, putting is using the putter on the green to finish getting the ball in the hole. So how do you get better at putting?
First of all, you will need to recognize that putting is different. It requires not only another club (the putter) but also an extra grip. There are many kinds of putting grips, from traditional to cross-handed, split-handed, and claw grip.
Bottom line?
You will have to find what works best for you. If you aren’t sure how to figure that out, consider consulting a coach.
Another tip for upping your putting game is to remember not to move your head. If you look up too soon to see if you have made it into the hole, you will lose substantial impact with the ball.
The most important thing to remember if you want to get better at putting is to practice! Take a break from the long drives and pick up the putter. You don’t want to see your scores skyrocketing because you cannot put the ball into the hole.
Golf Beginner Chipping
Another vital skill that can also neglect is chipping—chipping to get the ball closer to the green, bringing it in range for putting. But, unfortunately, a chipping shot spends more time rolling on the ground than in the air.
This kind of shot is like the chip; it spends more time in the air, and design for shorter distances is called a pitch.
So how do you improve chipping?
One easy way to start is to hold your club with your putting grip while chipping. It will give beginners more control over the club and ball. Beginners often struggle with hitting the ball in the right place for chipping, and so the putting grip allows them to approach impact with a more secure feel.
Chipping can also often improve by maintaining firm wrists. Keeping your wrist strong throughout the stroke lets the club do the work.
Another tip is to place the ball farther back in your stance. It is done by putting your feet closer than shoulder-width and will cause your hands to push forward at the moment of impact. In addition, it makes for easier control.
Much like putting the real key to better chipping is practice. You can shave your score if you perfect your chipping to get your ball into the ideal putting position.
Final Words
Starting golf can be both scary and overwhelming. Still, just like any new hobby, golf is accessible to anyone willing to take the time to understand the game and what it takes.
Ultimately though, golf is a game, and if you remember to relax and have fun while keeping everything above in mind, you may find that golf is the sport for you.
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