7 Common Golfing Mistakes to Avoid for Beginners
A bunch of your friends has asked you to play golf with them over the weekend. You go with them and have a ton of fun which motivates you to go out and buy your own equipment so you can learn more about the game.
Learning how to play golf proved to be a little more challenging than you thought it would be so, you drop it. Giving up after just getting started is one of the many golfing mistakes that beginners make.
You’ve got to keep at it and maybe take a few lessons. Hardly anyone picks it up right away. To help you along your journey, check out this guide for a full list of mistakes that you should avoid making.
1. Not Choosing the Right Golf Clubs
The first step to becoming a good golfer is choosing the right equipment. The concept of equipment (mainly choosing clubs) is a bit lost on some beginners. This is understandable given the sure amount of choices available.
You don't have to go out and buy a custom set of clubs before you've even started the game. You should at least give a club a few swings before you buy it, however, to make sure it's a good fit.
That's more important than buying the most expensive set in the store. Unfortunately, pricy equipment won't make you a better golfer. Buying a cheap half set will suit you fine when you're first starting out.
2. Neglecting to Warm-Up
It's true that golf isn't as fast-paced as other sports. You'll never hear loud, hyped up announcer commentary at a golf game. That doesn't mean that it isn't a physical sport.
Swinging that club around can do a number on your muscles if you don't take the time to do a quick pre-game warm-up before you begin playing. Warming-up is also important for avoiding injuries.
Many beginners have pulled a muscle when performing their first swing of the day. Do a few gentle practice swings before hitting the ball. It won't take long and your body will thank you for taking the time to do it.
3. Avoiding Lessons
Going out on the green to practice your technique for swinging is a great idea. Practicing all on your own will only take you so far, however. At some point, if your game doesn't improve you should seek out professional help. There's no shame in taking lessons.
A professional will be able to help you make small corrections to your technique that will make a huge impact on your playing ability. You can reach out to a friend who knows how to play, attend lessons by joining a club that offers them, or watch videos. Either of these options works and will stop you from ingraining bad golfing habits.
4. Not Playing from the Right Tees
It's okay to be competitive when you're golfing with friends but that doesn't mean you should push yourself too far by not playing from the right tees. Play a tee that's a box up from your friends. If you don't, you may end up slowing down the game for yourself and them which is no fun.
If you really feel self-conscious by playing a box up from your more experienced friends, ask them if they'll join you. Good friends will take into account that you're still learning and will be happy to oblige.
5. Only Practicing Your Drivers
It's important to practice that first, long shot that you'll perform every time you step out on the green. That doesn't mean that you should only practice your long shots. You need to get the hang of all of them if you want to be a competent player.
Put a little bit of practice into your chips, medium-range shots, and putts. That's the only way that you're going to improve and be able to grasp every part of the game.
6. Gripping the Club Too Tightly
One problem every beginner has is getting their gripping down. If you hold the club too loose, it will go flying off during your swing instead of the ball. If you hold it too tight, you won't be able to turn your shoulder the right way which will turn your swing into a mess.
Most of the time beginners have more trouble with gripping the club too tight than too loose. To help you out, let's do a little imagery work. When you're holding the club, imagine that you're holding your child's hand as you walk through the grocery store.
If you don't hold the child's hand tight enough, they'll be able to pull away from you when they see something interesting. If you hold their hand too tight, you'll hurt them. You need to find the right balance.
7. Giving Up
After messing up one too many times, many beginners hang up their clubs and never touch the sport again. It's not as easy as the people on TV make it look. You'll struggle but that doesn't mean that you should get frustrated and quit.
Anything worth doing in life takes tons of practice. Keep at it, take lessons, be willing to learn, and believe in yourself. Do that and you'll be a golfing champ in no time.
Avoid These Easy Beginner Golfing Mistakes
Golfing takes a ton of time and effort to learn. You won't be a pro as soon as you take your first swing. You'll make a ton of golfing mistakes before you get good enough to play on par with your experienced friends.
Take deep breaths, invest in the right equipment, and when in doubt, take lessons with us to learn the basics. Go here to read more about what we can do to help you polish your technique.