15 Essential Tips to Fix Beginner Golfer Mistakes
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Golf is often called a game of inches because even small mistakes can greatly affect your shot. It’s frustrating when you keep making the same mistakes over and over again. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back!
This new guide will show you 15 common golf mistakes and teach you how to fix them. We’ll make it simple for you by discussing what works best for your game and dealing with any challenges that may arise along the way.
Sound good? Let’s dive right in.
Tip 1: The Proper Golf Grip Start With One Simple Change
Having the right grip on your golf club is important. Three common grip mistakes beginners make are:
- Taking the grip at the golf ball: This often results in a flat club position and increased tension in the hands, arms, and shoulders. Instead, take the grip from behind, aligning your hands correctly and promoting a more natural, angled grip.
- Gripping the club too much in the palm: This can cause the clubface to remain open throughout the swing, reducing control and consistency. Gripping the club more in the fingers allows for a secure, tension-free hold and promotes a natural, diagonal grip.
- Incorrect orientation of the grip (logo position): The logo on the glove should face a 45-degree angle across the fingers for optimal grip and ball striking. Avoid focusing on knuckle visibility, as it may not accurately reflect grip positioning.
To improve your grip and ball striking:
- Avoid re-gripping the club over the ball.
- Ensure the grip is secure in your hand, with the logo facing up at a 45-degree angle.
- Watch related videos and build awareness of your individual grip needs.
Tip 2: Correct Golf Stance
Getting your stance right in golf is super important for a good swing. Here’s how to do it:
- Keep your legs kind of straight but not stiff.
- Lean your upper body forward a bit.
- Stick your butt out a little.
This position allows for a better spine angle and improved access to the ball. Also, make sure your shoulders are aligned correctly to avoid an outside-in downswing path.
This video shows how you can easily correct your golf stance
Tip 3: Golf Setup and Posture
Posture mistakes can greatly affect your swing. Two common issues are:
- Bending the knees too much and straightening the spine: This posture makes it difficult to turn and results in an upward swing, which is not ideal for hitting the golf ball, which is typically on the ground.
- A better approach is to have reasonably straight legs, tilt the spine forward, and stick the tail out a bit. This position allows for a better spine angle and improved access to the ball.
- Incorrect shoulder alignment: Placing your hands on the club often turns your shoulders left, leading to an outside-in downswing.
- To correct this issue, placing the club down first to ensure square shoulders or pushing the right shoulder back two inches (or left shoulder forward for some people) to achieve a more desirable shoulder alignment.
- The goal is to have square shoulders, although a slightly open stance can be acceptable depending on the desired shot. The key is to avoid severely open shoulders, which can lead to significant deviations from the target line.
Tip 4: Aligning the Body for Consistent Golf Shots
To improve your golf shots, correct alignment is important. Here are five common alignment mistakes and how to fix them:
Walking in Closed: Always approach the ball directly from behind, not from the side, to maintain an open stance until you are properly aligned.
Lacking an Intermediate Target: Choose a small marker on the ground, just two to three steps from the ball, that lines up with your target. This helps with precise alignment.
Head Lift: Instead of lifting your head, rotate it slightly. This allows you to better assess if your body is lined up correctly.
Mismatched Alignment: It’s important that your toes, knees, shoulders, forearms, and eyes all run parallel to each other. This ensures your entire body is aligned.
Adjusting Poor Alignment: If you find yourself misaligned, don’t just shuffle your feet. Instead, step back, select your intermediate target again, and restart your setup process.
Bonus Tip: Always double-check your alignment before swinging. Taking a moment to confirm everything is lined up can save you from making poor shots.
Tip 5: Stop Swaying in the Backswing
Many golfers experience head movements away from the ball during their swing, which can affect precision and power. To avoid this, here’s a simple way to improve awareness and control:
Set Up a Practice Station: Use an alignment stick, placing it just above the golf ball. This setup will help you monitor and manage your head’s position throughout the swing.
Identify the Sway: During your normal backswing, notice whether your head sways away from or toward the ball. The goal here is not to eliminate all movement, but to minimize excessive sway.
Practice With Purpose: As you swing, aim to keep the golf ball directly under the alignment stick. Make a full turn during your backswings without letting your head drift.
Pause and Focus: Use a distinct pause at the top of your backswing. This allows you to focus solely on the backswing, without worrying about the rest of the shot or the downswing.
Integrate and Improve: Gradually combine these steps to create a smooth sequence. This practice will help you reduce excessive sway while also improving key aspects of your game such as ball striking, distance, flight, and overall consistency.
Tip 6: Correct Perform the Follow Through in Golf
A strong follow-through is really important for hitting the golf ball well. It helps you swing the club at the right speed and in the right direction. Here’s a simple way to improve your follow-through:
Grab a pool noodle or something similar and lay it on the ground where you want your ball to go. Make sure it’s parallel to where you want your ball to go. This helps you see the right path for your swing.
Get ready to hit the ball, making sure your body and club are lined up for the shot you want. Swing the club back smoothly and keep control.
As you swing down towards the ball, watch how your club moves towards it. Try to swing the club so it goes through the space created by the pool noodle. This helps you swing the club from the inside to the outside.
Think of the noodle as a guide for your club to follow. This can help you swing the club in a better way, making your shots more accurate and stopping the ball from slicing.
Focus on swinging smoothly and let your body move naturally. Make sure your arms fully extend after you hit the ball. This helps you hit the ball harder and faster.
Practice this drill often to get the right swing ingrained in your muscles. This will improve your consistency in hitting the ball well. With time, you’ll see your shots become straighter and more accurate, making this simple drill a valuable part of your practice routine.
Tip 7: Choosing The Right Golf Clubs
Beginners often have trouble with selecting the right club for different situations. Knowing which club to use can help you improve your shots and reduce frustration. But don’t worry, we have a comprehensive guide on how to choose the right golf clubs for you here.
Tip 8: Understanding Ball Position in Golf
Getting the ball position right is key for better shots, especially for beginners. Incorrect ball position can lead to poor contact and inconsistent shots. To avoid this, it’s advisable to use the upper body, not the lower, as your guide for where to place the ball. Here’s how to position the ball correctly for different clubs:
- Irons: Position the ball so that at impact, it aligns with the left ear. This allows for a slight descending strike, which is crucial for good contact with the ground. The stance should shift slightly to the left during the downswing to maintain this position.
- Wedges: For wedges, the ball should be positioned to line up under the left eye at impact. This placement helps in achieving a sharper angle of descent, beneficial for short games where precision is paramount.
- Driver: Many players mistakenly position the ball too far forward when using a driver, which can disrupt the swing path and impact. At address, align the ball underneath the left shoulder to left armpit. This alignment helps maintain a straight line from the left shoulder joint to the armpit at impact, facilitating a better swing path and contact.
Ball Position Adjustments for Different Shots:
- To Hit a Draw: Move the ball slightly back in your stance. This promotes a path that swings more to the right, with the club face also pointing right, aiding in drawing the ball.
- To Hit a Fade: Position the ball slightly forward in your stance to encourage a shallower angle of attack and a path that helps in slicing the ball.
- To Control Shot Height: Manipulate the ball’s position forward to hit higher shots and back for lower shots. This adjustment affects the angle of attack and can help fine-tune trajectory.
Tip 9: Mastering the Short Game
Many beginners focus solely on their long game, neglecting the short game, which is crucial for lowering scores. Practice chipping, pitching, and putting regularly:
Chipping: Use a narrow stance, keep your weight on your front foot, and focus on solid contact.
Pitching: Use a slightly wider stance and hinge your wrists for height and distance.
Putting: Focus on a smooth, pendulum-like stroke.
Tip 10: Avoiding Over-Swinging
Swinging over the top is a usual mistake among golfers, characterized by poor arm and hip movements during the swing. Here’s how to recognize and resolve this problem:
- Understanding the Flaw: Over-swinging often happens when the arms pull too far inward during the backswing. This leaves no space but to swing outwards and over the top during the downswing, directing the shot left.
- Drill for Arm Position:
- Improper Technique: Demonstrating the incorrect arm movement, where the arms are pulled too far in, leading to an inevitable over-the-top swing.
- Proper Technique: Keep the lead arm in front of your chest as you turn. This position helps reroute the hands effectively during the swing, preventing over-swinging.
- Analyzing Hip Movements:
- Common Mistake: Hips pushing forward too early in the backswing, forcing the upper body to compensate by swinging over the top.
- Corrective Drill: Place a club along your back, with the grip pointing backward. This setup encourages proper hip rotation, aligning the lower body movement with the upper body and avoiding the over-the-top action.
- Practicing Correct Techniques:
- Regularly practice these drills to internalize the proper movements.
- Focus on maintaining a balanced and controlled swing path by keeping your arms and hips in harmony.
This video is a great example of how to fix the overswing mistake
Tip 11: Master the Weight Transfer
Improper weight transfer, such as leaning too far back during the downswing, can affect your shots. Focus on shifting your weight correctly during the swing to maintain balance and power.
Tip 12: Analyzing Your Golf Swing
Video analysis is an invaluable tool for improving your golf swing, but it’s crucial to do it correctly to get beneficial insights. Here’s how to set up and analyze your swing effectively:
Use a smartphone with a good camera and a video analysis app, like the V1 app, designed specifically for sports.
Correct Camera Placement:
Down the Line View: Position the camera at hand height and align it directly through the hands, down the target line. This angle is critical for assessing the swing plane accurately.
Avoid Chest Height View: Placing the camera at chest height can distort the perception of the swing plane, leading to incorrect interpretations.
Analyzing the Swing Plane:
Drawing the Swing Plane Line: Use a simple method of drawing a line from the heel of the club directly underneath the trail elbow. This helps visualize the angle at which the club travels around your body.
Understanding the Impact: The swing plane largely determines the direction of the shot. Analyzing it can reveal crucial trends and faults in your swing, aiding in making necessary adjustments.
Remember Incorrect camera angles can lead to wrong analysis and unnecessary changes. To maintain the reliability of your evaluations, ensure that the camera is placed consistently for each session.
Tip 13: Avoiding Chipping Mistakes
Chipping can make or break your game on the golf course. By focusing on proper setup and using targeted drills, you can significantly improve your accuracy and consistency. Here’s how to get started:
1. Set Up Correctly:
Neutral Shaft Alignment: Ensure that the shaft of your club is aligned neutrally at setup. This positioning helps maintain control and precision in your chip shots.
Use the Bounce: Utilize the bounce of the club rather than the leading edge. This technique helps to avoid digging into the ground and allows for a smoother glide across the turf as you strike the ball.
2. Practice with Drills:
Two-Stick Drill: Place two sticks on the ground, forming a narrow path leading to the ball. This setup helps ensure that your swing path remains straight and true to the target.
Progressive Tee Heights: Start practicing your chipping with the ball on a high tee. This reduces difficulty and helps you focus on form. Gradually lower the tee as you become more comfortable, eventually practicing with the ball directly on the ground. This progression builds skill and confidence.
3. Consistency in Practice: Regular practice using these techniques will lead to more reliable and accurate chip shots. Remember, the key to successful chipping is controlling both the swing path and the point of impact.
You can watch these related videos to build awareness of your individual chipping needs.
Tip 14: Thinking Strategically
Think about your shot pattern, not just the flag. Aim for the center of the green, considering your rightmost and leftmost misses. Play away from trouble and maintain a positive mindset.
Tip 15: Seeking Professional Help
Lots of new golfers shy away from getting expert help, which slows down their improvement. But don’t be afraid to take lessons from a qualified golf teacher. They can give you tips that fit your game and help you get better faster.
Conclusion
With these 15 simple golf tips for beginners, you won’t have to fix everything in one day.
In fact, it makes the most sense to work on your game in stages.
Choose one or two things to work on, check their progress, and make changes as needed.
Starting small with a short game tip or trick tends to be one of the best choices because it usually puts your brain into learning mode and allows you to make changes from there
