Nuggets of wisdom required...

Is there one golden piece of advice that you wish you had been given when you were a complete beginner?

I have recently reached the age of mid-thirties, and my father-in-law has decreed that it is time for me to take up golf, and has booked me in for a series of lessons at the local course.

I have had a couple of sessions at the driving range before, but I hit the floor as many times as I hit the ball, and can count the number of times I hit it straight on one hand.

I felt at the time as though I was overloaded with things to remember, and ended up not remembering any of them.

So, as a complete novice, what are the things I should be doing and the things I shouldn't?

Just like any other ball sport pal, keep your eyes on the ball and your head still.

dont take advice off internet forums
but seriously get the basics right,which you should do with a couple of lessons

Not sure how to get this across but here goes. A few years ago my wife signed up to a learn to play golf in 4 weeks thing. At the end of the first week I went to pick her up and watched the end of the lesson. There were 3 men hitting a 7 iron anywhere but straight and in the air. The three women by contrast were hitting their 7 irons about 100 yards, pretty straight and in the air.

The pro called them together and went round the group telling them what their previous golf experience was. The men had all played a round with mates, had some advice or read a book, etc. The women had not and only listened to the pro. The men were trying to remember what they had been told by their mate/read - keep elbow in, keep back straight and so on as well as trying to hit the ball hard.

Basically they were trying to think of loads of different things whereas the pro had taught them a very simple rhythm and almost no technique. Without being able to demonstrate it is tough to show but a simple rhythm in your swing with a clear head will get you a long way to start with. At the moment your brain will be scrambled with loads of ideas.

Alice Cooper uses the phrase "Cindy Crawford". Cindy is the back swing, Crawford is the down swing. Said at a reasonably slow rate.

Basically try not to over think it.....

And if you can do that you will be better than most golfers!

Don’t take up golf. It is more addictive than crystal meth; your wife will leave you and your cat die of hunger.

Tough one. How good do you want to become? With a few exceptions, this sport needs practice and that takes time. I suppose I'd say - practice.
By all means get lessons, hone the basics etc but practice is what'll make them seem natural.
Don't let ego get the better of you i.e. don't go trying to hit 3-irons off the deck etc. I would say leave the driver at home but, arguably, the modern driver is relatively easy to get away (unless you're me and the radar has a habit of going haywire). Forget lob wedges i.e. any club with a loft over, say, 56°. Chipping/putting can make a bad round into a good score - spend as much time on them as anything else.

Sorry, more than one thing but there you go! Good luck!

I wish someone told me the importance of tempo in putting, or rather just the importance of putting in general. Its no use being able to hit the driver epically long and have your towering irons stopping on the green if you cant putt properly. This may sound weird and, well, backwards but learn the game from the hole backwards.

Its amazing how many different golfers with different swings can get the ball from the tee to the green in largely the same amount of strokes. The real art is getting the ball in the hole.

As a relative newbie to this game I can understand where your coming from on this and someone that invested quite heavily in lessons my advice would be. Listen intently to what the pro says and shows you, listen only to him as mates tips and tips here and there will confuse what the pro is teaching you.

Its a process that takes time and practice so stick with it and most of all enjoy it.

twoeightnine wrote:Not sure how to get this across but here goes. A few years ago my wife signed up to a learn to play golf in 4 weeks thing. At the end of the first week I went to pick her up and watched the end of the lesson. There were 3 men hitting a 7 iron anywhere but straight and in the air. The three women by contrast were hitting their 7 irons about 100 yarpds, pretty straight and in the air.

The pro called them together and went round the group telling them what their previous golf experience was. The men had all played a round with mates, had some advice or read a book, etc. The women had not and only listened to the pro. The men were trying to remember what they had been told by their mate/read - keep elbow in, keep back straight and so on as well as trying to hit the ball hard.

Basically they were trying to think of loads of different things whereas the pro had taught them a very simple rhythm and almost no technique. Without being able to demonstrate it is tough to show but a simple rhythm in your swing with a clear head will get you a long way to start with. At the moment your brain will be scrambled with loads of ideas.

Alice Cooper uses the phrase "Cindy Crawford". Cindy is the back swing, Crawford is the down swing. Said at a reasonably slow rate.

Why doesn't he just use his own name? It's got the same amount of syllables in the filename and surname as Cindy Crawford.

If he really wanted to slow it down though he could use Englelbert Humperdink or Abdelbaset el Megrahi, then he might really 'bomb' it down the fairway.

Super , if you can't see why thinking Cindy Crawford in a mans head might be good for tempo thoughts then we could be getting closer to understanding your problems with the ladies.
She was a bit tall for me mind you....

Diggers wrote:Super , if you can't see why thinking Cindy Crawford in a mans head might be good for tempo thoughts then we could be getting closer to understanding your problems with the ladies.
She was a bit tall for me mind you....

That was exactly my though too, Diggers! Seems to work for Alice as I think he plays off about 2.

Think I'd get distracted thinking about Cindy Crawford whilst gripping a shaft! My swing would be all over the place

Fader

Come on, we know you have been playing the game for many, many years.


Diggers

I have to say, not sure the tempo I would use on cindy crawford would be any good for a golf swing.

Probably a rather too hasty draw back and an overly quick follow through.

Yes mac your right 1 whole year! Normally you remind me of it!

Think swing swing would get to quick if I used Erica Durance as my swing thought!

Would agree not to listen to loads of people but as a simple aside that I think is a must - think positive!
Never look at a fairway with water down the right and think I don't want to go in there, you may as well walk up and just toss a ball in! Pick where you want to hit the ball and be positive in your intent to hit it there. Obviously as you're learning it won't happen every time but if you're not positive in your stroke it makes a hard game even tougher.

And enjoy it - it's a great game with variations beyond number that will never cease to give you pleasure and pain, if you're lucky in equal measure!

Funny thing at the weekend I played first 6 holes or so in thickish fog.one over played lovely -only theory I have is that the lack of other things to see/think led to really good concentration on the ball strike.
So my tip is wait for a really foggy mrning and go play golf!

Never forget the old adage...."Drive for show putt for dough" but take it further than that....apportion your practice time to where most of your key shots need to happen....i.e. from 100 yards in!!

Get your putting and chipping checked out by a pro and go work hard on what they tell you. Why?.... Well for example 200 yard par 3, what would you rather do...Hit a lovely shot, comes up just short, fluff a chip and 3 putt for a double....or. Hit a crapshot off the tee, hit a lovely neat pitch recovery and nail a key 6 footer for par?

Believe me the answer is the latter and the way do do it is to spend most of your practice time on short game and develop a belief in your ability to get up and down.

Don't let your ego stop you using a Texas wedge.

4putt wrote:Don't let your ego stop you using a Texas wedge.

lol - good advice.

On to beginers advice.

Grip it and rip it

Nothing to do with the golf side thread but do you know the difference between Knowledge and wisdom.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom stops you from putting it in a fruit salad.

nice analogy Doon. I like that