Picking up golf

[KJJ]

Thanks for the good info...I just started two weeks ago..I play just about every day..I've probably put in close to 35-40 hours in total...I started from zero, knowing nothing...

I've already experienced a lot of the things you mentioned..such as the pros and cons of hitting at the range on a mat vs natural grass..

I can hit the ball consistently right now w a nice easy motion...but when I try and get some real torque / velocity in my backswing, I screw it all up..right now I'm working on compressing the ball...I feel like it's all in my hands but I haven't gotten it down consistently yet..

So far I'm really only using short irons...7-8-9..and lately a lot more of a 6 iron..

You mentioned you're learning to grip the club correctly the grip is critical to hitting good consistent shots. The course and the range are completely different because you can't simulate some of the funky lies and predicaments on the range that you'll experience on the course. I've been playing golf since I was 12-13 years old and have never gotten better than a 4 handicap which is what I am now. I play a lot of tough courses especially desert courses in the Palm Springs area and Vegas. Some of them are brutal even Tour Pros struggle on some of them. You have to learn to deal with the elements when you play golf especially the wind. Compressing the ball makes it go farther so you have to experiment with different golf balls that fit your swing. To properly compress the ball with your irons you want to hit down on the ball where your divot is in front of the ball not behind it.

A lot of new players start making contact with the ground just prior to contacting the ball which greatly affects the distance of the shot. If you haven't done it already go have your swing speed checked on a launch monitor. Having it checked on a simulator will not only help you with proper shaft selection as well as ball selection but it will help you determine the effort needed to produce higher swing speeds and consistent shots. Before you ever hit the course it's very important to learn all the distances you hit your clubs. You want to learn your "carry" distances. Range finders are an excellent investment I won't play a round of golf without one. It's important to know exactly how far you are from certain hazards such as bunkers and water hazards as well as how far you are from the flag so consider purchasing a laser range finder.

 

[panchucko]

This will help you with your leg action

http://www.pgatour.com/video/2015/0...mo.html#ooid=ZicWpmdTp0pOHcINXpHxoZ2K_3PkNytR

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Thanks for the good info...I just started two weeks ago..I play just about every day..I've probably put in close to 35-40 hours in total...I started from zero, knowing nothing...

I've already experienced a lot of the things you mentioned..such as the pros and cons of hitting at the range on a mat vs natural grass..

I can hit the ball consistently right now w a nice easy motion...but when I try and get some real torque / velocity in my backswing, I screw it all up..right now I'm working on compressing the ball...I feel like it's all in my hands but I haven't gotten it down consistently yet..

So far I'm really only using short irons...7-8-9..and lately a lot more of a 6 iron..

It's actually all in the body pivot. The rotation of the body allows the hands and arms to fall into place and swing with more speed. But for now you probably want to figure out how to use the hands because you don't really have a sense of hitting a golf ball due to your inexperience.

The big thing now is to try and compress the ball and get it airborne. You will probably move onto getting it airborne and hitting slices, but then move onto hitting hooks and then eventually...learning how to hit it straight.





RH

 

[KJJ]

Another thing I highly recommend to anyone who's just taking up golf or is considering purchasing a new driver is get an adjustable driver. This will enable you to adjust the loft and face angle on the club which is a big improvement in driver technology. The big mistake a lot of golfers make even some experienced players is purchasing a driver that has too little or too much loft which can greatly affect your distance. An adjustable driver gives you many different loft and face angle options that help you zero in on a loft and face angle that best suits your swing. With a non adjustable driver if you make a mistake on the loft you're stuck so invest in an adjustable driver because you'll be amazed how the exact right loft for your swing can improve your distance off the tee. If you launch the ball too low you won't get the carry distance and if you launch the ball too high you won't get much roll after the ball hits the ground. With the drivers today most launch the ball fairly high but with a somewhat flat trajectory so you get a lot of carry and good roll after the ball hits the fairway. It's the combination of carry and roll that produces distance.

 

[Tabascocat]

Another thing I highly recommend to anyone who's just taking up golf or is considering purchasing a new driver is get an adjustable driver. This will enable you to adjust the loft and face angle on the club which is a big improvement in driver technology. The big mistake a lot of golfers make even some experienced players is purchasing a driver that has too little or too much loft which can greatly affect your distance. An adjustable driver gives you many different loft and face angle options that help you zero in on a loft and face angle that best suits your swing. With a non adjustable driver if you make a mistake on the loft you're stuck so invest in an adjustable driver because you'll be amazed how the exact right loft for your swing can improve your distance off the tee. If you launch the ball too low you won't get the carry distance and if you launch the ball too high you won't get much roll after the ball hits the ground. With the drivers today most launch the ball fairly high but with a somewhat flat trajectory so you get a lot of carry and good roll after the ball hits the fairway. It's the combination of carry and roll that produces distance.

I have the Cobra AMP, love it and hate it at the same and not sure why. Maybe too many decisions and keep flip-flopping.....

 

[KJJ]

I have the Cobra AMP, love it and hate it at the same and not sure why. Maybe too many decisions and keep flip-flopping.....

I'm a full fledged golf club junkie/hoe I'm always tinkering with new clubs. I love trying all the latest technology. The best drivers I've ever hit are by Taylor Made and Callaway. I'm currently using the new Taylor Made R 15 it doesn't get any better than this driver in my opinion. I have a buddy who's a 16 handicap and he nails this driver consistently. The driver technology has really improved the past 20 years. I took a Ping driver I purchased in 1998 (which I loved at the time) and pit it against this new Taylor Made driver and the Taylor Made out drove the Ping by an average of 23 yards.

Even my less than solid hits with the Taylor Made went past my old Ping driver by at least 15 yards. The new drivers not only hit the ball far but they're so forgiving due to the large head size. I have an old steel headed Taylor Made driver from 1991 and the head is the same size as my current 3 wood. I took a few swings with it a month ago on the course for the hell of it and it took me 5 drives before I could hit the fairway and the distance was at least 30 yards short of where I hit the latest model.

 

[Future]

It's actually all in the body pivot. The rotation of the body allows the hands and arms to fall into place and swing with more speed. But for now you probably want to figure out how to use the hands because you don't really have a sense of hitting a golf ball due to your inexperience.

The big thing now is to try and compress the ball and get it airborne. You will probably move onto getting it airborne and hitting slices, but then move onto hitting hooks and then eventually...learning how to hit it straight.

Well, I don't think "straight", explicitly, is always right.

My best swing with both irons and woods is a power fade.

 

[Doomsday101]

I took up playing golf when I was 7, my dad had me going to the driving range and learning golf etiquette as well as basic rules of the game before I ever played on a full 18 hole golf course. You don't have to be good to play quickly or understanding that if you are slowing a group up behind you to let them through. Growing up with the game I love, It can be a frustrating game but it is also a very enjoyable game..

I happy to say I went from being happy breaking into the 90's when I was a 8, then as I got older broke into the 80's then to the lower 80's

I now play consistently in the 70's

 

[JBS]

Just got back from the range...I'll probably go back later again for another session...practiced compressing the ball..got much better today...still flip my wrists on occasion..but probably my best day of striking the ball since I started...

Can we discuss course etiquette please? I don't know anything...what are the things I must know?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Well, I don't think "straight", explicitly, is always right.

My best swing with both irons and woods is a power fade.

It's very difficult to hit it dead straight. If you go to a pro event, what looks like 'straight' is actually a fade or a draw. If you ever watch one of those ProTracer videos you can see it more clearly. A Tour player will hit a shot that starts out straight and then either falls left (a draw) or falls right (a fade). Many amateurs think they are hitting a draw or a fade and they often times actually hitting a hook or a slice.

Not many Tour players hit the ball with a big bend on it. Bubba does and while he's a great driver of the ball, there are some courses that just don't suit him (i.e. Colonial) and he's not going to play them either. Chad Collins hits a sizeable draw/hook, but he's not what I would call a guy you want to emulate. Rory was hitting a big hook, but it gave him too many issues in 2013 and he worked to straighten it out.

So often times a straight shot is more by accident. But, I wouldn't want too much curve because it's hard to control, and it takes off some distance due to the geometry of the ball's flight.

Either way, usually when golfers start out and they have figured out how to get the ball airborne, they usually hit big slices. Then when they play more and get better and become more serious, they start to struggle with hooks and vicious toe-hooks. The next step is to get rid of the hook and hit the ball with less curvature and ultimately, getting the ball to fall left or fall right.





YR

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Just got back from the range...I'll probably go back later again for another session...practiced compressing the ball..got much better today...still flip my wrists on occasion..but probably my best day of striking the ball since I started...

Can we discuss course etiquette please? I don't know anything...what are the things I must know?

1. Allow faster players/groups to play thru. Generally it should take a group no longer than 15 minutes to play 1 hole. So if you're out there by yourself learning and somebody is right behind you, let them play thru so you're not holding them up. Very important.

2. Repair the damage you make on the course. Repair your divots, ball marks, rake the bunker if you hit a shot from there, etc.

3. Don't step in people's lines when putting.

4. Understand little time saving things like if the group has arrived on the green and your ball is closes to the hole, you should be the one to pull out the flagstick. And if you are the first one to putt out, you should be the one holding the flagstick and putting it in the cup when the last person has putted out.

5. Make sure to have a ball marker to mark your ball when you're on the green.

6. Make sure to keep an eye on where your playing partners hit the ball. They may lose sight of it or may have trouble finding it and they need all of the eyes to know where the ball went so they can find it quickly

7. Know where to stand when your playing partner is hitting a shot. You don't want to stand to closely and you want to be out of their peripheral vision. Also make sure to not make a sound or move while they are swinging the club.

8. I tend to play 'ready golf', but you should know the 'honors' system when it comes to teeing off just in case somebody is playing the honors system.

A lot of it is about time saving measures and courtesy towards the fellow golfer. And a lot of that will happen when as you play the game more and more.






YR

 

[Tabascocat]

To add on YR's......
1. be aware of your shadow on the green
2. be aware of other golfers not in your group, especially those heading towards you. A ball to the dome doesn't feel good
3. buy the beer on hole #19 if you were the worst one causing delay

 

[KJJ]

Can we discuss course etiquette please? I don't know anything...what are the things I must know?

When you're on the tee box never stand directly behind someone when they're teeing off always stand off to the side so as not to distract them. Same goes on the putting green always stand off to the side while someone is putting and don't move. When you're on the putting green with a group always be aware of where everyone has marked their ball so you don't walk in their line. Either walk around their ball or step over their line. A footprint can affect the roll of a ball so always be aware of someone's line. The person farthest away from the hole on the putting green should be the first to putt. Always repair ball marks on the green and replace divots in the fairway. Most weekend golfers aren't picky on who has the honor on the tee they play ready golf so don't worry about that because you'll seldom ever come across someone who will make an issue about hitting first because they have the honor. Always make sure the group ahead of you is far enough out in the fairway before you hit you don't want to hit into them. If you happen to hit a poor shot that's heading in the direction of someone always yell FORE! I'm sure you already knew that. lol

You want to be respectful of everyone in your group so you don't irritate anyone. A lot of new golfers have poor etiquette and this can create issues within their group. Anytime you play golf you're going to be paired in a group so unless you have several friends to play with you'll be paired with some strangers so always be courteous so you don't end up pissing anyone off. Some players have a temper and when they're having a crappy day it can create some tension so you have to be mindful of this. You want to make sure you play at a decent pace so you don't slow up your group or hold up the group behind you. Always keep some tees in your pocket and a spare ball handy so you don't have to run back to your bag this can slow up play.

Any new player is going to experience some issues with slow play until they improve and get use to being on the course. I would suggest if possible try playing golf in the evening (twilight) when the course is starting to clear out to reduce your chances of being pressed by groups behind you that are yelling at you to speed up. It's going to be difficult for you to keep your pace if paired with experienced players so if you can find a couple of guys that are near or at your level form a group. It's intimidating for new players to be paired with good players so if you can form a regular group with players similar to your skill level that would be a plus.

 

[thinwhiteduke]

my friends and I golf a couple times a year. Its basically a bunch of monkeys hacking at the ground for 2 hours.

I can hit the ball and it goes far sometimes but the fact is you aren't comfortable and have no clue what you are doing.

plus, I'm white and hate sun

 

[Sarge]

The best advice I ever got was you'll never be good enough to get mad. Just play and enjoy.

 

[JBS]

Oh baby!!!! I just left the range and I was smashing the ball...I'm stoked

Picked up a driver for the first time and by the end of the session I was hitting my drive 180-200 yards and straight as an arrow...

Man, it's nice to see all the hard work paying off...the biggest adjustment was the hands..it made a massive improvement on my shot

 

[Tabascocat]

Oh baby!!!! I just left the range and I was smashing the ball...I'm stoked

Picked up a driver for the first time and by the end of the session I was hitting my drive 180-200 yards and straight as an arrow...

Man, it's nice to see all the hard work paying off...the biggest adjustment was the hands..it made a massive improvement on my shot

Yea, the grip is very important. I played baseball my whole life and forever used more of a baseball grip on the clubs........fighting thru it all of the way. I tried the proper grip but instinct always took over.

Just recently, I changed my grip and lost about 12 strokes a round

 

[JBS]

Yea, the grip is very important. I played baseball my whole life and forever used more of a baseball grip on the clubs........fighting thru it all of the way. I tried the proper grip but instinct always took over.

Just recently, I changed my grip and lost about 12 strokes a round

The grip and not flipping my wrists..keeping my right wrist hinged until contact..focusing on getting shaft lean

To be honest, I'm not even sure if it's the proper way to swing a driver...but it's the only swing I know as of now, so I gave it a whirl and it worked well

 

[Tabascocat]

The grip and not flipping my wrists..keeping my right wrist hinged until contact..focusing on getting shaft lean

To be honest, I'm not even sure if it's the proper way to swing a driver...but it's the only swing I know as of now, so I gave it a whirl and it worked well

stick with what works for now. Can always adjust along the way.

 

[Doomsday101]

I have been playing a long time but not until recently have I started choking down a little bit on my driver. I have always hit for good distance but some days control was an issue. Since choking down just a little on my driver I have consistently been hitting the fairways and still keeping good distances. Results last 2 weekends 2 over 73 and 3 over 74