5 Tips for Every Beginner
1. Don’t take yourself too seriously
Everyone knows that golf is one of the most frustrating sports you can play so when you start make sure you’re having fun. If you get annoyed, you’ll tense up and then lose the beauty of a smooth swing. You are bound to miss the ball or hit bad shots so just laugh it off and remember:
“Every master was once a beginner. Every pro was once an amateur. ”
Robin Sharma
2. Don’t be intimidated by others
As I started to become more interested in golf, I found that I needed to build up some confidence even with simple things like going to the driving range. Although plenty of ladies play golf, it is still predominately a male sport and about 90% of the time I am the only female on the driving range or on the course. It took me a bit of time to not feel intimidated or that I wasn’t as good as others but, as per the quote above, even the people who look like pros were in your shoes at the beginning. Remember, you are on your own golf journey.
3. Have a golf lesson
I’ll write a future post about golf lessons but I think having a lesson with a pro early on will definitely help your golf journey. You may have friends or family to give you tips and there is an abundance of online videos but you really should spend the money on a professional looking at your swing. The earlier you iron out any bad habits (pun intended!) the better.
4. Get on the course as soon as you can
“You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.”
Zig Zagler
The driving range is a safe space. The course is real life.
My dad would always tell me that I needed to play on the golf course as soon as I could. Practising on the driving range for hours is okay but you need to be on the course to experience the real thing. Hitting off the driving range mat is not the same as being on an actual fairway and it is so much more fun facing the challenges of real hazards. You definitely need to feel comfortable and know some golf etiquette (post coming soon!) but don’t leave it too long or make excuses that you're not ready. If you are a member of a club, try to have a playing lesson with a pro so you can get used to the course.
5. Don’t give up
Try not to do what I've done which is to dedicate extended periods of time to the game and then not play for ages. Like everything in life, give it your best shot.
