4 Basic Golf Tips for Beginners

Let us just take a look at a few of the lesser considered aspects of golf that a beginner must think about (as should all golfers really). They can make a big difference to your game and eventually to your enjoyment of it.

There’s no doubt about it that the game of golf is one that is massively popular all over the world.  Golf is a sport that can provide people of all ages with a fun, recreational activity and also some exercise. 
Golf is good for the mind, it’s good for the body, it’s good for social activities, and it’s good for business.

1) It’s all in The Mind

Golf is challenging and involves much more than just physical ability.  It requires thinking skills, deduction skills, and mental clarity.  Because it’s nearly impossible to perfect a golf game, it’s a great way to challenge yourself as well as others.

Understanding your mindset and the emotions that a good or bad game arouses is as important as taking in any technical golf tips for beginners.

Many books and other sources of golf tips for beginners cover the technical aspects of playing golf very thoroughly, but do not prepare the new player for the mental side of the game. Golf can be a very frustrating sport and one where your game (and your reputation) can go rapidly downhill if you do not master the skill of anger management and keeping a positive mindset.

The most important thing to learn is to accept any bad shots and move on. This sounds simple but when you are out there on the course it is easy to start up with the ‘if onlys’, going over other ways that you could have played the shot, or even wanting to take it again with another ball just to prove that you could have done better.
You get angry with yourself, the club, the ball – everything! This is not good for your game and is irritating for your playing partners. Save it for your next practice session.

2) Visualization

Visualization is another mental technique that can have a positive effect on your game. With every shot, try visualizing the ball arriving on the green and rolling straight into the hole. This will not happen very often, certainly not when you first start, but if you keep a positive attitude by visulising the perfect shot at each hole then you know what you are aiming for.

Visualize each stage of the journey, from tee, to fairway, to green, to hole.
Envisage a perfect swing that takes the ball straight down the fairway.
Envisage your next perfect shot to take you onto the green within a short perfect putt from the hole – if not a hole in one!

Accept bad shots and let them go, focus on the positive and the next ‘perfect’ shot. Think of the advancements you will make in your game, what you can learn from each shot and above all just enjoy the physical activity of playing golf.
3) Fitness and Flexibility

Every golfer must first learn the things they have to do before they play the game. The problem with most players is that they tend to think that since golf is not a very strenuous sport like basketball, they don’t have to do some warm up exercises.
This should not be the case because golfers need to warm up and stretch those muscles before they start making a hash of their game due to lack of preparation.

If you suffer from arthritis or other stiffness in the back or shoulders, it may be difficult to learn a good straight swing. Certain exercises that involve slow movement are very good for increasing flexibility and awareness of the body. These include tai chi, qi gung and yoga.

Although your game will improve a great deal with practice and a good coach, some people simply have more strength or flexibility in their bodies than others. It can be frustrating to see other people practicing less and playing better but that’s life. Try to concentrate on your own game without constantly comparing yourself with others.

4) How to Practice Effectively

Your golf game will not improve without consistent and efficient practice. Consistent because practice sessions should involve exercises that are meant to develop muscle memory. Efficient because pacing your energy to the kinds of exercises you’ll do is important as well.

Simple as this point may sound, it is one that is easily overlooked. Many golfers think that as long as they spend enough time on the practice range, their score will improve. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily so. To get a better game, it is important that your practice sessions be as regimented as the way you play the game itself, if not more.

Don’t forget your warm-up exercises. It is important to warm up with some stretches. Start from the top of your head and work your way down to your feet. Flexibility and getting your muscles’ full range of motion is your goal.

Then when you start your practice session proper, start with the skill you haven’t mastered yet, or on parts of your game that have been causing you higher scores. This could be anything from putting, chipping or driving.

Finally finish off by practicing those facets of your game that simply need reinforcement. Since your body already knows this motion, this stage in your practice serves as maintenance to your form and is a good way of winding down your practice session.

To be able to see continuous improvement, a good practice-to-play ratio is about 2:1, which means giving twice as much time to practice as to playing.

Your game should see improvements as you give your sessions a more defined structure. Be consistent and note the results of your exercises to step up that game one stroke at a time.

Remember the golf is not just hitting a little ball with a stick but doing it with more and more finesse as you learn and practice more and more. As you progress you will enjoy it more and more as many others have before you.