Lifestyle

Golf Fundamentals For Beginners

Golf can be frustrating when just starting out. That said, when you catch one right out of the screws, it’s a great feeling, leaving many starting on their golf journey hungry for more. Consistency, like with anything, comes with practice, and golf is no different. It pays to get the fundamentals locked in. Read on for our top golf tips for beginners.

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It Starts With The Grip

The ideal golf grip is known as a neutral grip. For a right-hander, the top of the grip should lie across your fingers in your left hand. Once you grip the club, two knuckles on your left hand should be visible. The right hand comes in naturally, forming a ‘V’ shape with your thumb and forefinger pointing to your right shoulder.

Less than two knuckles showing on the left hand are considered a weak grip, leading to sliced shots. More than two knuckles showing, this is viewed as a strong grip which can lead to hooking the golf ball. While you won’t be hitting long drivers off the tee from the get-go, having the correct grip will help you progress.

Stance And Posture

Stance is relative to which club you are hitting. For example, your stance will be at its widest when hitting a driver – about shoulder-width apart. As you move down through the clubs, you should narrow your stance as you go, paying close attention to ball position.

Again, ball position depends on club selection. Driver, the golf ball should be inside your left heel, and as you work through the clubs, the ball position can be more central. Posture should be natural with knees flexed and back straight. When starting in golf, it’s also essential to go with what feels natural as well.

Swing

So, you have the grip worked out, and you are starting to get comfortable with your golf stance and posture. Now it’s time to swing the golf club and hit some balls. The takeaway should be smooth, with both arms being kept straight. This should be done naturally until your hips and shoulders start to rotate.

It’s essential to keep your head still and ‘shirt buttons’ over the golf ball. After full rotation and the club is at the top of your backswing, your shoulders will be pointing in the direction of your impending golf shot. Upon downswing, your hips will be coiled and leading before impacting with the ball. This hip rotation is where the power comes from.

Practice, Practice, And More Practice

Before you take it to the golf course, hit the driving range or practice net. Become familiar with the above basic steps. Get used to swinging the club and making some shots. When you practice, be very mindful of swing speed. One common error with beginners is that they try to hit the ball way too hard. It’s all about tempo and timing, not raw power. Swing the club at 80% and stay in the habit of less is more.

Work through the clubs in the net and on the range so you get accustomed to how far and how accurately you can hit each club. Take some time when you practice to think about your short game. Your short game is your ticket to shooting lower scores along with your putting.

Wrapping Up

We hope you’ve enjoyed our overview of basic golf fundamentals to get you started. Yes, the guys on the PGA Tour make it look super easy, but you can become steady from tee to green with a bit of practice. How is your practice going? Let us know in the comments.

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