Can I teach myself golf is a question that every person who wants to venture into golfing asks themselves. Yes, golfing can be a complicated game starting from the golfing lingo to the number of golf clubs one should have but it sure is not rocket science. You can learn how to play golf but you need the will power and definitely patience with yourself. One question you should ask yourself before embarking on a golf learning course is why you need to learn golf. Do you want to play with friends socially or do you want to compete professionally at some point? Once you answer these questions, you’ll know which way to go; self-teaching or engaging the services of a tutor. Golf just like any other game cannot be learned in a single day therefore one needs to put in the effort to learn.
Golf can be a little hard
One of the main reasons why golf sounds difficult is because it is not taught properly. Most people definitely want to be good golfers but the tutor should not make it hard for the learner. They don’t have to start with the perfect golf grip or the perfect alignment before the learner hits the ball. Hitting the golf ball should not be hard; I mean it is just hitting the golf ball with a stick (read golf club), right? Having a good golf shot needs you to have three things and these are; (i)the golf club’s face must be aimed at the golf ball, (ii)the golf club’s must be moving towards the golf ball, and (iii) the golf club must strike the golf ball. What happens before or after the golf ball is hit does not matter a lot.
The new golfers should be left to hold the golf club the best way they know how. It doesn’t matter whether it is the 10 finger grip or the baseball grip; the idea is to see the new golfer hitting the golf ball. The less the information the new golfers are bombarded with the better. Little information when it comes to golfing helps the new golfers to figure out things by themselves. Expecting the new golfers to remember what the tutor says and to learn it makes them to forget fast.
Making golfing easier
Sometimes figuring out things yourself makes learning easier. Ignore much of everything anybody has ever told you about golf and just learn how to use your hands and not your whole body when you get to the golf course. It is your hands that control the golf club; your body should just move naturally to accommodate our arms and your hands.
Dos and Don’ts of golf
Dos
- Start on the practice range because you can stay there for as long as you want. The practice range is the best place to learn golf because it is low pressure.
- Do not let your significant other or your spouse be your primary teacher lest it becomes a recipe for disaster. Having a spouse or a significant as your primary tutor can drive a wedge between you that might see you start hating each other. When having a spouse as a tutor the student tends to take their spouses mean comments seriously even when they meant them as a joke.
- Learn to grip the club properly because this is the first step to mastering golf. Bend from your hips and have your lead shoulder under your shoulder when doing the backswing; finish the backswing with your chest, face, and hips facing the target aka the golf ball.
- Buy a golf glove; most people prefer to play without one but they come in very handy especially if you have soft hands that might start getting calluses.
Don’ts
- Don’t concentrate on the golfers on the range; just concentrate on learning the game. The game can be a struggle and everyone has been a novice.
- Just get a professional golf tutor to start you on the golf lessons. Get a PGA pro near where you live. You can also get the best golf books for beginners or watch YouTube videos right before your next lesson(s).
- When hitting the golf ball, ensure you don’t keep your head down and still. Let your head follow the rest of your body. Also, don’t bend from your knees and don’t be flat-footed when you are hitting the golf ball.
- You don’t have to buy your own golf equipment before you are able to make consistent and solid contacts whenever you swing the golf club.
Private Golf tutors or golf clinics
Beginner golf clinics are all over; they comprise of a single golf tutor working with several golf beginners. They are a great way of learning golf especially if one is on a limited budget. They are cheaper as compared to private classes. Other than them being cheaper, golf clinics are a great way of meeting new golfers.
The only downside with golf clinics is that there is no individualized attention; therefore you have a lot of self-learning to do.
So Can I teach myself golf? The answer is yes and no; you still need help from a tutor bu for the most part it all depends with your desire to practice