Golf is the greatest game in the world, just ask anyone who plays! However, getting started can often be intimidating, even frustrating at times. Remember, even the most advanced players were once beginners at one point. Whatever your reason for learning to play golf, the 5 tips below will have you out on the course in no time.

1. Don’t Swing at 100% Effort: It’s natural to want to swing as hard as possible when first getting started in golf. Swinging at 100% effort is a habit that many golfers never manage to break, even if they’ve played the game for a long time. However, swinging with such effort is going to do you more harm than it will good!

Instead of swinging with all your might, aim to swing most of your clubs with about 80-90% effort, always keeping your head down and your eye on the ball when you swing. Swinging at this level will still allow you to generate plenty of clubhead speed, while also making it easier for you to stay on balance, which is key when it comes to solid ball-striking, but you are going to have trouble staying balanced if you are always going after the ball with 100% effort. Takedown your swing by 10-20% and you should find that your results will quickly improve.

2. Beginner Clubs: Some golf clubs are easier to use than others, especially when you are first starting out. There is a wide variety of beginner’s clubs and equipment available. Some clubs made for those new to golf have a larger clubface, this makes it much easier to contact the ball and helps avoid mishits. The shafts on clubs for beginners are also a little shorter, making it easier for better contact with the ball, allowing the ball to go further.
3. Work on the Basics: In a rush to play at a more advanced level, beginners tend to try and work on higher-level swing techniques before they have yet to master the basics. You must have patience when first getting started in golf because there are no shortcuts to success. Instead of quickly moving on to complicated mechanics, take as much time as necessary to completely master the basics of the swing. Wondering what basics you should be learning? The list below is a great place to start!

• Grip: Make sure you have a firm, yet comfortable connection between your hands and the club. A glove can help with your grip, especially in hot weather or if you find you that you have a loose grip.
• Balance: You will probably get tired of hearing this point repeatedly when first getting started, but there is a good reason. Balance is one of the key fundamentals in the game. If you aren't first balanced correctly, everything else will be off!
• Stance: It is important to stand over the ball with consistency each time, so make sure that you work on your stance during driving range sessions. A good stance is balanced, comfortable, and athletic.
• Tempo: This might be the one point that is most often overlooked by those new to golf. Of course, you want to have the club in the right positions throughout the swing, but you also need to have a great tempo as well. Try to swing the club without feeling like you are in a rush or under pressure, players who swing in a relaxed, unhurried fashion tend to grow into great ball strikers.

While the basics of the swing may not seem particularly exciting, they are certainly important and effective.

4. Play a Par 3 Course: As a new golfer, start off by playing only par 3 courses. Usually, a golf course is made up of varying par holes. The standard golf course has four par 3 holes, four par 5 holes, and ten par 4 holes. This will make it frustrating for a beginner, putting you in inconvenient situations and causing you to lose a lot of balls!

Par 3 courses have 18 holes, but are shorter and will take you less time to complete, all the holes are obviously par 3.

5. Go Easy on Yourself: Why is it important to be nice to yourself as you learn the game? Simple, having a good attitude will help you play better! It can’t be stated enough just how difficult of a game golf is, but remember…golf is just a game. There is no use in getting frustrated with yourself after hitting a couple of bad shots since that frustration will only make it harder to focus. Set aside your emotions while you practice and play, even though it is not always going to be easy, it’s exactly what you need to help raise your level of performance.

To get to a point where you can truly enjoy the game, you must stick with it through the tough times that you will find in the beginning. Be patient with yourself, practice, and set goals for yourself. It might feel like a long and arduous process, but with the tips above you should start to see progress in your game after a short time. 

Stay tee’d up with Big Country Golf!