Golf swing tips for beginners (to stop embarrassing yourself in front of your friends)

Being a beginner golfer can be daunting and frustrating. There are millions of tips and tricks for beginners that you can find. This may make it difficult to know which ones are best.

As most beginners, I struggled when I first started to play golf years ago.

After hours of research, I was finally able to determine which beginner tips to pay attention to and which to ignore. This article will cover all aspects of golf swing basics.

Key Takeaways Avoid trying to put together your golf swing using random tips. These tips should be ignored and you should focus on your golf swing as a whole. You must master your golf swing as a beginner. Otherwise, you will struggle throughout your life with common flaws like scooping, casting, swinging over the edge, and slicing. The golf swing is an ecosystem that relies on cause and effect. The output of performing “A” is predetermined to be either “B, C or D.” This simplifies the process and makes it easier to comprehend, since everything follows a logic order.

A Beginner’s Guide To Golf Swing

There are certain fundamentals that you must master when playing golf. These fundamentals are your best chance to improve your golf swing’s consistency.

These principles are designed to help you be more focused, consistent, and organized. Be consistent as you read these tips. Half the battle is won when you have a consistent swing.

Here are some top tips for beginners in golf to get you started.

Always grip the club properly

The grip is the foundation of golf swings. Many times, you can fix the problems you are experiencing by changing your grip.

There are generally three types of grips to choose from: the weak grasp, the neutral grasp, and the powerful grip.

The ‘V’ shapes on your left side should point to the left if you have a weak grip. This grip promotes a closer club face at impact, and a more open swing.

In neutral grips, the ‘V shapes’ point upwards towards your nose. This grip is for people who prefer to use both shot shapes or hit the ball straight.

A strong grip will ensure that your thumbs and hands form ‘V’ shapes on your right side. It’s the most common grip that students use, as it helps with people who have difficulty slicing the ball or swinging over it.

It is up to you to decide which grip you prefer. Here are the steps for performing the neutral grip correctly.

How to do the neutral grip

If your preference is to use your right arm, you can achieve the neutral grip by holding the golf club in one hand and placing the clubhead on the ground.

To do this, grip the golf club with your left hand just below the halfway point.

• Your thumb should be on the top of your shaft
• Two knuckles can easily be seen from the address position
• The crease between the index finger and left thumb points to your right shoulder.

Next, use your right hand to grasp the club.

• The crease between your right thumb, right index finger and left thumb points in the direction of your right shoulder.
• Your left thumb rests in the fleshy area of your right hand.
• Your right thumb rests lower than the top of the shaft, so all fingers on your right hand, except the pinky, touch the grip.

Either place your right pinky in the crease between your left middle finger and left index finger, or you can interlock your right pinky and left pinky by placing your right pinky on your left hand. Also see: Ultimate Guide to Left-Handed Player

Check out this video to see how the various grips work.

 

The Right Way to Address the Golf Ball

Addressing golf balls involves two components: alignment and great posture. Both of these are essential.

Posture

Proper posture is vital as it establishes a foundation for consistent swings with a solid coil.

Always ensure that your body is in the right position. Use your hip joints to bend over the ball, not your waist.

You can see the video to learn how correct posture is achieved at address

Poor posture is indicated by a rounded back. Keep your back straight, but don’t arch your spine. Don’t forget your knees to slightly bend.

A few backswings can be helpful in determining the best position for your swing mobility.

Alignment

You won’t achieve the results that you desire if you don’t align properly. Many golfers assume that they are correctly aligned, even though they may not be. Your shoulder and foot lines should be parallel with your target line.

To help you determine the correct position, pick a point that is just a few feet from you on your target line. You can easily determine if you are square by turning to a spot near you.

One simple adjustment can make a big difference in your game.

Check out this Ultimate Guide for Left-Handed Player

Do a smooth and controlled backswing

After you have sorted your address and grip, it is time to work on your backswing.

It’s not as difficult as you might think. You just need to find a technique that works, and then practice it regularly.

It doesn’t matter what strike you make, as long as it flies down the target line consistently. The backswing that helps you achieve that without putting unnecessary strain on your body should be used.

The backswing allows you to move away from the target. If you are a right-handed golfer, rotate your shoulders until your left shoulder is just below your chin.

You should keep your head level and move as little as possible as a beginner.

You can increase your power by hinged wrists when you swing the club back, so the club is almost parallel to the ground at its top. If you are looking for less power, use the same principles but with a shorter swing and less wrist hinge.

Focus on the ball, or another spot close to it, all the time. You should perform the backswing comfortably and at a slow pace.

Do a nice downswing through the ball

You will now need to swing the ball back from the top of your backswing to complete this downswing.

Keep your eyes on the ball to avoid hitting it too fat or too thin. Also, make sure your feet are anchored and your head as straight as possible.

Rotate your shoulders towards the ball as the clubhead approaches it. Then let your wrists unhinge naturally.

“Killing the Ball.”

You should accelerate through the ball at a steady pace. But don’t try and “kill” it at once. Swinging too hard can cause muscle tension and adversely affect your form.

Don’t worry, you will gradually swing faster once you gain more experience and consistency.

Make the necessary adjustments based on the issues you’ll encounter

After you have covered the basics, it is important to realize that there is no perfect golf swing. Sometimes, your swing will be a miss.

You will always need to improve on something, whether it be a slice, hook, a ball too low, too high, a tendency not to hit it fat, hitting it near the heel or toe.

This is what we’re going next.

The Most Common Problems with Golf Swing

You must be aware that your game can be affected by many factors when you first pick up a golf club. Your swing’s success is not only dependent on your technique, but also the clubs you choose to use. You’ll be choosing from various clubs during a game and each one presents its own challenges, which you will need to overcome.

It’s no surprise that you make mistakes. These are the most common problems you’ll encounter, and how to fix them.

Poor Alignment

Bad alignment is a common problem in golf swings that can cause many players to struggle for consistency and improvement. Many shots miss the mark for new golfers because they aim too far to the left or right of their targets.

This can be corrected by practicing your posture at the driving range. Place a stick or club along the line between your feet and the target line.

Your feet should be in line with the goal and your golf club should point straight at it. This is a great way to align your body during a round.

Golf Slice

These shots, known as golf slices, are very common. This happens when weak grip golfers have an open clubface swing and a downswing path that is outside to inside. As a result, a slice ball flight is created.

To fix a slice in your golf game, strengthen your grip to ensure that you have at least two visible knuckles on your left hand. Next, swing the golf clubs with a square face. This will result in straighter ball flight and a more consistent downswing path.

Topped golf shot

A topped shot is one in which the top of the golf club is struck. This results in very little air time. The ball travels forward quickly and with very little distance. This is usually caused by golfers stepping out of their downswing stance, moving closer to the ball and making contact harder.

It is a good idea to practice hitting shots while your buttocks are against a wall or chair. This will help your back stay straight and prevent your behind from moving forward. It is important to keep your chest away from the ball when setting it up, and to hold it until impact.

Fat Golf Shot

Fat golf shots occur when the ball strikes the ground behind you, creating a large gap before it makes contact. This occurs when the golfer does not correctly shift their weight in the downswing and leaves all their weight behind.

This can be fixed by keeping your feet together while practicing. This causes weight to shift from the front to the back. Standing with your feet together, take golf swings. Make sure to bottom out on the same spot each time. This drill will ensure a consistent ball first, turf second golf shot.

Takeaway

Even if you have the most advanced super game improvement irons, it is still quite common for beginners to bring the golf club in too fast at the beginning of the swing. The hands and arms roll and the clubhead is dragged in, which can cause problems during the swing.

Place a tee at the butt end and practice swinging the club with the brush towards the rear thigh. This will ensure that the clubhead works better in the takeaway. This will help you get your golf swing on the right track from the beginning.