Advice for a new Golfer lacking a bit of confidence

[adiemel]

As a fairly new player to the game myself I understand how you feel. I always go out to enjoy my game of golf. I try to keep relaxed and enjoy it no matter how I play. If you can be a pleasant playing partner for those you play with I think that goes along way. If you a friendly playing partner people are going to want to play with you. I also find if you tell people you are still learning people are willing to help after all we had to start somewhere

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

I'll never forget submitting my first card for 145 as I drove away in "shame".
100 became my goal and I had many a round where I thought of chucking it.
But I put my name on the comp board every week and played with total strangers and I turned up twice a week for "roll up" games.
I often felt totally embarrassed by my performance.
I'm off 28 and on Saturday I played with a 9 and an 8 whom I've never met and thoroughly enjoyed their company and the game.
I scored 22 on the first 9 but only 11 on the back.
They were encouraging and supporting me all the way.
I have never been made to feel unwelcome by "better" golfers.
Its a remarkable sport in that way.

Take every opportunity to play, enjoy it and remember that every bad round or bad hole is history and you will improve.

 

[apj0524]

Thanks again for the advice, the bits that are going to stay are:

" My rubbish is unremarkable rubbish " and " Enjoy its meant to be a game "

Thanks

 

[BoadieBroadus]

one thing i always say to players who are nervous about playing with new people who they think will be better golfers is that no matter how bad a shot you hit might be they:

a. have hit one even worse and (occasionally still do) and
b. have seem someone else hit one waaaayyyy worse

my one tip is just to plough ahead and don't berate yourself out loud for any bad shots. it can be frustrating playing with someone who is persistently complaining to themselves about bad shots. just laugh them off and try to get the next one in the hole.

 

[Foxholer]

Don't worry about the actual golf!

Enjoy the rest of what being out on a Golf course, with other 'golfers' provides.

Be aware there are others though, so make sure you know and apply golfing etiquette. That way it's enjoyabe for everyone.

 

[North Mimms]

If you are unlikely to reach the green in regulation, accept it.
That way, if you hit a bad tee shot, or dodgy second shot, you can say to yourself- "it's still only three shots to reach the green- just a different three shots"

Decent drive + decent wood + chip = Ok drive + duffed wood+ rescue.
Same number of shots

 

[Grogger]

I get nervous all the time but everytime someone has asked me to play i've always enjoyed it. If anyone was rude enough to comment about how bad I was playing they'd get an earful back off me!! Fortunatley this has never happened.

You'll find that people ask you to play because they want some company and conversation for a couple of hours, not to judge you on your golf skills.

 

[the_coach]

Hi,

Looking for some comments and advice for a new golfer. I started to swing a club last Sept (Late in life I'm 52), I have had lessons through the winter and have been using the driving and pitching range at least a couple of times a week and in this this environment 95% of my shots are Ok if not super long.

My issue is that having joined a club and wanting to start to play with other club members, 1st to get a handicap and secondly to enjoy the sport, I have a bit of a confidence issue, so what at advice can you give? My thoughts are:

1) Try not to hit the ball too hard 80-90% swing speed.
2) Try to accept that I am going to take more strokes to reach the greens that other members
3) Try hit shots or number of shots that give me a 100 ~ 50 yrd lay up
4) Try and stay positive when ever I hit a poor shot

Any other advice guys

Thanks

All of your points are good ones.

Something that would be useful to you would be to develop a good pre-shot routine, just a set of check points you go through & do the same way every shot.

Something the Tour Pro's do for good reason as it gives the brain familiarity to what's about to happen and you focus on small easy to achieve steps which helps take the 'worry' & anxiety away, it's also one of the few things that amateur club golfers can do just as easily as the Tour Pro's & get the same benefit from too.

Doesn't have to be a 'long torturous affair' with practice you can get it to pretty much the same time each shot which will help your rhythm through the game also.

My advice would be, once you select the club stand few feet directly behind the ball, pick your target (helps the brain focus if you give it a precise target, ie. you're not just trying to hit it 'somewhere' down the fairway, or somewhere near or on the green. The brain in a target game focusses best on the job if you're precise. Focus on 'seeing' the ball about to go on to that target positively.

To help with aim pick a spot couple feet in front of the ball, then you have three points to help with the direction.

Once at ball, aim club face square to your precise chosen target line, then assemble your neutral grip, then move your feet in and get your stance all aligned parallel left of that target line. Soft hands, soft forearms, stops jerky movements.
(If you take stance before aiming club face & assembling your grip you're much more likely to be aimed not where you think you are & not at target. Generally a RH golfer who does this feet/stance first usually ends up with shoulders aimed at target-not what you want- so the club face will then be aimed further right of target.)

Don't forget to breathe, a couple looks along ball, through the point in front of ball then target, a couple of small 2 feet or so club draw backs governed by your shoulders of the club so you're not getting 'frozen' at address (helps too if you gently feel ground under both your feet with tiny pressure left then right the direction of the way your weight will flow in the backswing) One breath, last look at target and off you go.

Sounds long written down, but once you get the flow of it from picking your line to the shot it all can be well less than 25 secs.

The familiarity of the routine, will stop the nerves, replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts and the small actions of your routine.
Then just stay in the present one shot at a time, cliche but also very necessary. Don't forget to enjoy it, the experience & the game & hopefully the company

 

[rksquire]

Lots of good advice in the replies thus far, the main thing to remember is that everybody has been where you are so will have some empathy. I was, where you are now, 2 years ago and I still get nervous on my first few shots. For what it's worth, I'll offer some additional advice:

You've had lessons and range sessions - playing on the actual course is very different in my experience, so don't immediately think it's all been a waste of time if it doesn't go how you expected. It may take a while to translate what you've honed on the range to be reproduced on the course.

At the start I put too much pressure on myself to play and score well - laterally I started to think of golf on the course as a learning opportunity, albeit keeping score but the score was unimportant as I wanted to remember what felt right on good shots and diagnose what might have been wrong on the bad. Eventually, the scoring looks after itself.

Lastly, and it's been mentioned, course management. You might be able to hit your 3W 200yards 50% of the time in the range, but is it really the right shot on an incline in the rough? A change of personal attitude from "there's a chance I can make this shot..." to "I can definitely play this shot and leave 100 yards to the green" have probably saved me 5 shots a round simply by playing the shots I know I can play.

Good luck!

 

[clubchamp98]

Hi,

Looking for some comments and advice for a new golfer. I started to swing a club last Sept (Late in life I'm 52), I have had lessons through the winter and have been using the driving and pitching range at least a couple of times a week and in this this environment 95% of my shots are Ok if not super long.

My issue is that having joined a club and wanting to start to play with other club members, 1st to get a handicap and secondly to enjoy the sport, I have a bit of a confidence issue, so what at advice can you give? My thoughts are:

1) Try not to hit the ball too hard 80-90% swing speed.
2) Try to accept that I am going to take more strokes to reach the greens that other members
3) Try hit shots or number of shots that give me a 100 ~ 50 yrd lay up
4) Try and stay positive when ever I hit a poor shot

Any other advice guys

Thanks

I am a singe figure h/cap senior been playing for 30 yrs I will play with anyone as I enjoy the game so much .=== I always treat new golfers with respect because we have all been there.==== I always remember my first comp at my club one guy said to me "when you passed your driving test you were not Sterling Moss the next day it takes time to learn golf is the same " . ==Any decent golfer / person will welcome you as all golfers hit bad shots .=== They will remember their first tee nerves and hopefully help you.==what you have to do is just enjoy yourself that's why we play. don't stress about it by the sound of the practice you have put in you should have no problem. === ENJOY !!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Go out, meet members and play. Get a handicap asap and play comps. Some days you'll resemble a golfer and all will be good. Other days you'll struggle to put club on ball. It happens. I wouldn't have so many thoughts (something I've only recently done myself). You'll hit bad shots so get the ball back in play and keep going. If you really start struggling, have a chat with your pro (yes I know!!!!) and just see if he can give you some pointers without the need to really change too much

 

[lex!]

I am the same age as you and also took up the game about 6 months ago. I have been having lessons and lots of range sessions since, along with short game training. I played our 18 hole course on Sunday when my neighbour very kindly offered to show me round, and I had a great time, I really enjoyed it. I was very nervous beforehand, esp on 1st tee, but the starter was very welcoming, and this guy was supposed to have a bit of a rep. I trundled the first one with a 5 iron, but it made the fairway. My pal's a really good player and his drive hooked miles into the lake, so just shows what's important.