Why you should consider taking up golf
Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve been traveling the winding and often aggravating journey of my own golf game. What I have come to enjoy is the seemingly inconquerable challenge that golf presents, along with the knowledge that I can continue to enjoy the game, presumably, for the rest of my life. I’ve yet to come to terms with, entirely, the fact that I will never be on the PGA Tour. However, Golf is hands down the hardest game I’ve ever played, and that challenge is something I enjoy immensely, regardless of my displeasure during any given round. Not only is golf a test of physical ability, but more importantly, is a test of mental fortitude. Additionally, golf is something you can enjoy alone or with others, such as family and friends or complete strangers.
Where to begin
If you don’t already own golf clubs, don’t go out and buy the newest wiz-bang golf clubs on the market. My golf bag, at the moment, has approximately $2,000 worth of equipment and nothing in my golf bag has the ability to improve my golf game truly. In fact, my irons were purchased with more vanity in mind than improving my golf game (I couldn’t resist).
Your first step is to find a reputable PGA Professional in your area. Schedule a lesson, just one or maybe two. This will allow you to understand the basics of the golf swing and how you specifically will need to swing the club. In my experience, there are two important parts of a golf swing: The most important is a square club face at impact, second is the path of the club head into impact. Everything else, while not unimportant, can distract from fundamental movements to accomplish the first two objectives.
One or two lessons will give you a solid platform from which to work. A good swing coach will give you no more than two “thoughts” or points to practice. Once you’ve mastered those two points, you can continue your training.
Buying your first clubs
As stated before, buying brand-new golf clubs is far from necessary at really any point in your golf journey. What is important is being properly fitted for golf clubs. A fitting consists of determining the appropriate shaft length and lie (shaft angle at address), though standard length and lie will fit most beginners, and some clubs’ lie angle can be adjusted. Shaft flex, in my opinion, is the most important part of a first-time fitting. If you’re swinging clubs whose shafts are too flexible or not flexible enough for your swing speed, it could have an enormous impact on your ability to square the club face at impact, naturally.
Once you’ve got an idea of what you need in your clubs’ specifications, peruse the used section at your local shop. Remember, much of the reason most golf shops conduct “free” fittings is to entice you to buy from their facility as well. I would strongly encourage you to shop at locally owned shops and stores before looking at big-box stores. In any case, many of the used golf clubs that are sold have barely been used, and you could save hundreds of dollars. You can buy complete sets or maybe just buy a few clubs, for example, a driver, a mid-iron (6-iron or 7-iron), and a wedge. Then you can take these clubs to your local driving range and work on what you have covered with your chosen Professional.
Unsolicited instruction
There are many well-meaning golfers at every driving range in America who love to regurgitate the latest blurb they read in Golf Digest or learned themselves during a lesson. Be wary of unsolicited advice from others, be courteous, but be willing to fend off such advances. Chances are your instructor has a plan for you and has started you on the path of that plan; it could be detrimental to your learning process if you detour from that path and may lead to the development of bad habits.
Training Aids
If I had a dollar for every advertisement in my Gmail inbox and Facebook feed for the latest in training aids, promising to help me “swing like a pro,” I’d be able to retire at 37 years old. While I don’t doubt that many of the aids available on the market today may be beneficial for some, most of them fail to recognize the uniqueness of the individual golf swing. In this regard, I would recommend that you trust the advice of your chosen instructor.
Drive for show, putt for dough
The age-old adage highlighting the importance of putting in the game of golf couldn’t be more true. When I’m swinging the club well, I can carry the ball 285 yards off the tee with little issue. But that doesn’t help when I’m three-putting my way to bogies because I’m missing relatively short putts. In my experience, it is imperative to master distance control with the putter. Luckily, this is a skill that can be practiced virtually anywhere. There are a plethora of golf putting mats on the market today that are portable and suitable for the home, office, or anywhere with enough floor space. I regularly find myself at the end of a round in the negative column for “strokes gained” putting, meaning I’m giving strokes away when putting. Right now, I’m working to break 80, and before I can really do that, my putting must improve significantly.
Technology
There are many helpful technologies on the market today. You can go full send and invest in a simulator for your home or get a launch monitor to take with you to the driving range. You can invest in sensors that attach to your golf clubs and track strokes, distances, and other statistics. Range finders for calculating distances to various areas of each hole on the golf course. As with all technology, these can be costly and potentially detrimental in the sense of creating a situation of information overload. So, buyer, beware and wade into the pool at your own risk and expense. Research, research, research. Find reputable sources of information and reviews on particular products before spending your hard-earned money. Limit purchases to necessary items and those that will benefit your particular game first.
Watching Videos
There are tons of videos online of Professional Golfers’ swings. If you’re just starting and looking to emulate the basic positions and movements of any professionals, I would recommend starting with LPGA players. From a technical perspective, I think women, such as Lydia Ko, have significantly more technically sound golf swings than many of the men.
