So how can newbies improve their game?

[bobmac]

The more experienced golfer will know which part of their game needs working on, but when you are just starting out, where do you begin?
If I am teaching a beginner, I normally start at the green, putting.
Then comes chipping, pitching, bunkers, fairway irons, woods then finally tee shots(driver)
The swing starts off small (easy to make corrections to a small swing)
Then gradually the swing gets longer, built hopefully on a solid foundation.

So, if you are new to golf, learn how to walk first and and get that short game sorted

 

[patricks148]

The more experienced golfer will know which part of their game needs working on, but when you are just starting out, where do you begin?
If I am teaching a beginner, I normally start at the green, putting.
Then comes chipping, pitching, bunkers, fairway irons, woods then finally tee shots(driver)
The swing starts off small (easy to make corrections to a small swing)
Then gradually the swing gets longer, built hopefully on a solid foundation.

So, if you are new to golf, learn how to walk first and and get that short game sorted

If i were starting again from scratch bob, i would start with lessons from the very beginning.

 

[garyinderry]

In an ideal world.

Putting green
Mini golf
Pitch and putt
Driving range
Small 9holer
Full 18 hole golf course

 

[Junior]

In an ideal world.

Putting green
Mini golf
Pitch and putt
Driving range
Small 9holer
Full 18 hole golf course

I agree with that - but we are adults.

Must be hard for pro's to get the kids to work on it in that order though.

Bob, What happens when a kid , new to golf, comes for his first lesson and say's , "I want to hit the the ball off the tee like my hero Rory McIlroy ? " , surely you dont just stick a putter in his hand ?

 

[chillicon]

If I was starting again I wouldn't be happy if I couldnt get the big stick out straight away. I would soon realise that I need lots of lessons when I cant immediately hit it 350 like Rory.

Lessons are obviously the key thing for beginners. Get the basic fundamental thing right, grip, posture, get you turning in the right way etc. That is where I would advise a beginner to start.

 

[cookelad]

Work back from the green towards the tee!

Confidence with the putter breeds confidence with chipping, which breeds confidence with irons etc in theory at least!

 

[devonlad]

Putting is certainly not the thing that drew me to golf it was watching players hit fantastic approach shots. I learned to enjoy putting later on and wouldnt of been to chuffed if I had been handed a putter on day one.

 

[Qwerty]

Something that has worked for me when I started out and I also go back to it now.. Get An old (preferably heavy)short iron, put a training grip on it, head to the range and hit 3/4 shots with it. Concentrate on tempo & Hit as many as you can and don't move onto anything else until your hitting it consistently well.

It was Recommended by a pro who I saw when I started out and it certainly helped me make quick progress.

 

[bobmac]

I agree with that - but we are adults.

Must be hard for pro's to get the kids to work on it in that order though.

Bob, What happens when a kid , new to golf, comes for his first lesson and say's , "I want to hit the the ball off the tee like my hero Rory McIlroy ? " , surely you dont just stick a putter in his hand ?

Kids are different, they have a short attention span and get bored quickly.
To keep them interested, you need to mix it up and make it fun.
This is easier if there's a group of them. Little competitions help to determine longest drive, straightest 7 iron, best sand pit shot, best putter etc, but where possible, if they are keen, spend most of the time in the short game area.
Improvements in the half swing will carry on through to the full swing anyway.

 

[Tongo]

I've taught a couple of people the basics and i recommended they start by using a mid iron, say a 5 or 7 iron for instance, to get used to swinging a club and hitting the ball. The natural reaction is for new players to want to smack Drivers all day but they dont seem to realise that that wont help them etc. Chipping and putting as well.

 

[CMAC]

I've seen many groups of kids taught- looked at various development programmes local and national and I would agree the key is fun and variety.
I have never seen any start with putting- how dull for the 'bursting with energy' kids.

With adults I also feel putting is a game within a game and they have no doubt putted at some point in their lives- who hasn't! So they want to know now about 'proper' golf and 'proper' shots. Putting is essential of course but not first imo.

Just my inexperienced 2p's worth

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Kids are different, they have a short attention span and get bored quickly.
To keep them interested, you need to mix it up and make it fun.
This is easier if there's a group of them. Little competitions help to determine longest drive, straightest 7 iron, best sand pit shot, best putter etc, but where possible, if they are keen, spend most of the time in the short game area.
Improvements in the half swing will carry on through to the full swing anyway.

I agree with the need for competition. After a game we'd always head to the practice area and challenge each to chip shots & bunker shots etc (from some of the most awkward and ridiculous places - but they've nearly all come in handy at one time or other)

 

[bobmac]

I have never seen any start with putting- how dull for the 'bursting with energy' kids.

Please see post no.9

If someone wants their first lesson with a driver, then of course that's what I'll do after all it's their money.
If however they want to learn everything and have booked a series of lessons, then I will start with the short stuff.
There's no point in teaching a newbie the full swing if they cant get the half swing right.


Just my Professional 2p's worth

 

[Spear-Chucker]

I agree with the need for competition. After a game we'd always head to the practice area and challenge each to chip shots & bunker shots etc (from some of the most awkward and ridiculous places - but they've nearly all come in handy at one time or other)

Completely agree with this from my experience. Getting my lad (9) to just hit balls on the range is like knitting fog - can't blame him, i get bored after a while too. Make some games up and make it competitive and he'll be there after dark. Same thing applies when we're on the course; just need to keep the fun element in it.

My initial reaction was that grownups wouldn't be the same but thinking about it i reckon simple challenges and short term targets might just work a treat. That would be regardless of clubs/shots etc which to my mind wouldn't make much of a difference.

 

[Region3]

My daughter has recently started learning, with no pre-conceived ideas of what golf is or looks like.
She's never watched it on TV or seen anyone else play other than me swinging a club in the garden occasionally.

The first couple of visits to the range she used one of my clubs just to see if she got interested, so after it became apparent that it wasn't a 2 minute wonder I took her to a local sports shop so she could have her own club.

She asked and I explained why there were so many different clubs and what each one did, and armed with this information she chose a wedge because "it would be the easiest one to get the ball in the air with."

No interest in hitting it as far as possible or getting it into a hole, she just wants to get the ball in the air.

This struck a chord with me because when I started as a kid I only had the use of an old hickory shafted 8 iron and during the hours I spent on the local playing fields with it the only thing I was interested in was getting the ball in the air consistently.

Even now, knowing the way to lower scores would be to improve my short game, the thing that would improve my enjoyment of the game the most would be to get proper contact more often.

 

[Dan2501]

Strikes a chord with me too. When I first started playing I wasn't really interested in getting it out there 300 yards, I wanted to be able to get the ball up in the air because in my mind it looked "better". Still very pleasing to me now being able to get some good height with an iron, and have the ball landing soft on the green. I'd love to be able to drive the ball 300 yards, but I could hit 100 yard shots with a 52* wedge all day and not get bored. Just love the look of getting the ball up in the air and seeing it land on the green.

 

[shewy]

Can't remember where I read it but in the states it's hit it as far as possible and then work on techniques later.
Seems the in thing with the obsession with distance these days

 

[CMAC]

Please see post no.9

If someone wants their first lesson with a driver, then of course that's what I'll do after all it's their money.
If however they want to learn everything and have booked a series of lessons, then I will start with the short stuff.
There's no point in teaching a newbie the full swing if they cant get the half swing right.


Just my Professional 2p's worth

point taken, even the pro 2p's worth

 

[London mike 61]

When I started to take up golf I was shown what a 7 iron was down to a sand wedge and the basics of angle of attack and why the ball is constructed the way it is to make the game playable.

Then I was taught the basics of the grip , stance/posture and ball position , then shown how to perform a swing.

Great so far, what I was NOT shown in any of my first lessons was what a good and bad grip looks like and what the cause and effect would have on my swing.

The same thing can be said of the stance, posture and ball position, this was left for me to discover on my own through books, videos and playing golf through trial and error until I worked out what worked and what was a half truth etc.

Had I been shown what the different nuances make to your game, I would have enjoyed the game much more at an earlier stage and joined a club with the confidence of having a good understanding of my swing and ability.

IMHO a good teacher needs to explain WHY faults occur and what needs to happen to eliminate the fault to the best of ability for that individual.

 

[ScienceBoy]

If I was a pro I would start with grip, stance and posture with a 7 iron to hit a few half shots.

I would not bring in putting until its actually relevant to the pupil. They are here to learnt to play golf and at the beginning they think golf is a swing.

So instead I move down to pitching, chipping and putting.

Next lessons on "full shots" in reality about 80-90%, now the person can play pitch and putts and par 3 courses.

Later on move on to 3/4 and full shots up to a 7 iron, teaching effortless power as technique improves.

Last of all bring in "full" shots with 6 iron and above.

If the person is there to play golf I would like to keep it all relevant.

If the pupil needs something else then its better to rearrange the lesson order to suit while keeping the "building upwards" of a swing.

If continuing with lessons, I have no idea, I'm not a PGA qualified coach.