Golf is a great game and can be learned at any age. There is
no 'best' time to learn. Whenever you decide you want to take
up the game, that is the 'best' time.
I am going to give you some guidelines before you start. These
suggestions are meant to speed up the time it takes to learn to
play the game of golf. You don't want to just know how to hit
a golf ball, you want to know how to play golf.
Suggestion #1;
Don't spend a lot of money on equipment. You will need a good
putter so if you want to spend money, buy a good putter. Do not
listen to anyone about what you 'should' buy. You get what feels
good to you. Try out many different styles at your local shop.
Pick one that you believe will give you good results. No one else
can ever make this choice for you. I suggest a conventional putter,
not a belly or long one. Plus, you will want one putter that you
can learn to grow with. Some pros are still playing with the putter
they had in high school. I believe that putting is all in your
head with a smidgeon of technique added. If you can putt with
a rock on a stick then stay with it.
Suggestion #2;
Do not buy clubs and go to the range to hit balls. This is the
worst possible thing you can do. I will explain as we go but trust
me when I tell you that great players do not unlearn mistakes.
They try no to get into bad habits. If you get clubs and go to
the range, you will learn many bad habits that are impossible
to break. If you must buy clubs, get a couple of wedges. You will
need a sand wedge 55 to 58 degrees, and a gap wedge, 50 to 54
degrees. Save your money. You can get clubs soon enough.
Suggestion # 3;
Devote a specific amount of time every day to learning the grip.
Keep a club near you to grab when the urge hits you. Practice
the grip until it is second nature. The putting grip and full
swing golf grip are totally different. The putting grip will be
one that you will be confident in. The full swing grip will be
one that will give you confidence when you need it.
Suggestion #4:
Learn to putt first. The putting stroke is a key element to successful
chipping. Chipping and putting are so similar that you can use
your putting grip at times to chip with. When you learn to putt
you can learn to chip. After chipping comes pitching. After pitching
you can learn to make half swings. After half swings comes the
full swing. This is the way Tiger learned to play. This is the
common sense way to learn. It is impossible to play golf when
you do it the other way. The full swing is a very difficult movement
and you should work up to it gradually. If you do this faithfully,
I believe you will develop technique.
Suggestion #5;
Find one teacher and stay with him. That teacher can be a book
by one person if you wish. Do not listen to anyone but that teacher.
When people suggest things to you or you read about something,
ask your teacher if it applies to what you are learning first.
If he agrees, you can work out a way to incorporate it into your
swing together.
Suggestion #6;
Learn the Rules of Golf. Get the rulebook and read it. The first
couple of pages are the most important part. You will easily understand
them. The rest of the book is easy to read but difficult to understand.
Don't worry, even the pros need help understanding the rules of
golf. You cannot play a game if you do not know the rules.
Suggestion #7;
Always strive to have fun and enjoy your few hours outside. There
is nothing better than a lousy day on the golf course.
With that, let's get to the part about learning to golf.
Click here to continue.