Golf is considered to be one of the hardest sports of all time. If you are a beginner, golf will probably become a tough sport for you, and it is very common to find golf for beginners to be difficult to play, especially at a high level. It is a NECESSITY!
Gold is an addicting game when you have learned how to play it beautifully. There is a unique adrenaline rush inside you when you can sink that putt from 35 feet. You feel alive and happy because most people do not get it done on the first go. As a beginner, there will be many things that you need to focus upon while learning to play golf because there are many techniques used in this game, and you will need improvement throughout. You are going to make hundreds of mistakes, and even the golf legends had made so many mistakes, but yet they overcome, learned, and succeeded. It is observed that even with complete dedication, commitment, and hard work, many players are not able to overcome their mistakes and take many years to become good golf players finally.
Want to know the common mistakes beginners are going to make? Following are some of the mistakes below:
Selecting Wrong Clubs
When you start playing golf, it might be difficult for you to understand the various types of golf clubs and how you can use them. Many players tend to buy a club without considering playing and looking only for the pros who use them. But you need to be careful here because clubs do not matter; it is the player who swings it. The clubs purchased by pros are designed for such players only who are aware of all the game techniques and how to play them. Pros usually use blade irons where the weight is focused in the center, while beginners should use cavity back irons because the weight is distributed throughout the perimeter. Also, keep in mind while choosing the shafts, they vary according to torque, material, flex, etc., which might impact your game.
Make Sure to Warm-Up
You must be thinking, why we need to warm up while playing golf? When you go out to play basketball or lacrosse, you always warm up. But golf? Yes, you need to warm yourself before starting to play golf. Golf requires the use of your muscles and joints, and without warm-up, you might end up having a serious strain on them. It will improve your performance along with protecting you from injury.
Swinging too Hard
Beginners often want to remove more distance from their golf game. But this doesn't seem right. Beginners swing too hard, and they tense up. It results in a loss of flexibility and your ability to make a complete backswing. Now, there will be a short backswing which will cause the club to produce less speed while on the downswing. Hence, you will lose distance. What you need to do is to relax your arms and shoulders and remove any tension from them. It will make a tight grip on the club and will make a good shot.
Learn Basic Golf Etiquettes
There are many basic rules when you learn to play golf- both written and unwritten. A beginner always fails to learn the basic etiquettes. Here is a list of basic rules a beginner should know about-
- Make sure not to step on a player's putting line.
- When other players are shooting, make sure to keep quiet and not disturb them.
- Make sure to maintain a pace of play.
- Whenever playing golf, have a proper dress code.
- The person who put the ball in the hole will be responsible for replacing the flagstick.
Golf Swing Basic Ignored
There will be plenty of distractions out there when you are ready to mark the target, each explaining their philosophy and techniques as to how to achieve the goal. But do not get distracted by them. There is no such thing as to perfect golf swing. Just keep in mind 3 things- Posture, Grip, and Alignment. Spend time working on these three aspects, and you will save much time and effort.
Carrying the Right Wedges
Many players do not carry the right wedges and results in gaps in yardages. You must have at least 4-5 degrees of difference between your wedges. There are different kind of wedges like-
Pitching wedge – 48 degrees
Gap wedge – 52 degrees
Sand wedge – 56 degrees
Lob wedge – 60 degrees
Ignoring Short Game
Many of the shots are played within 100 yards of the green. The majority are with putts; you will try to hit that tiny little ball as fast as possible and take a big swing. If you want to get better at this, spend much of your time practicing, especially with putts in the short game.
Not Practicing
Golf is a hard sport, and if you want to be a pro in it, you need to practice a lot. I mean A LOT! Many beginners get irritated as to why they are not getting good at it because they do not spend enough time on practice.
If you avoid all the common mistakes above, it will be early for you to play golf like a pro.
