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Most Common Three Mistakes Amateur Golfers Make and What to Do Instead
Like many others whom sought after a safer way to exercise amidst the continuation of COVID-19 and Omicron surges, golf has become one of the most popular sports in the past few years. Like any other sports, people want to be competitive and naturally want to get better at the sports. But unlike a sport like basketball, one does not automatically become better by taking hundreds of thousands of practice shots; unlike a soccer game, your play field is never the same; and unlike American football, you can still play “competitively” even when you are 80-years old.
There are many factors that a person has to consider than a typical sports. Out of them all, these are the three biggest and most common misconceptions for most of folks that are just dabbling into the world of golf
1. Should I buy expensive equipment?
Many people think that they need to buy premium or expensive clubs in order to play better golf. The truth is far from it. For someone who is starting, the type of golf clubs, quality, and use of materials does not matter. Here’s why. Until you are consistent with your swings, a more expensive clubs will not give you the advantage that is justified for the price. If you are determined and committed to playing golf for a while, you should invest in a more premium set of golf clubs as there are many reasons why they are more expensive. If you are not sure whether golf is the sports for you, buy an inexpensive golf set from any of the big retail store. We recommend these three sets from Titleist, Callaway, or PING.
2. Should I learn from YouTube videos?
While there are great content and it seems to never run short of, learning how to play golf from online platforms like YouTube or Instagram for a new golfer is simply ineffective. A new beginner simply cannot absorb the amount of information that is given to them for them to fully process. Like what Jon Sherman, the owner of Practical Golf, has explain in one of his latest posts, when it comes to learning golf – less is better; which is the opposite of what is happening when someone tries to learn from an online channel in the sea of limitless tutorials.
Instead, a new beginner who truly wants to learn how to play golf the right way should seek out for just one reputable and effective coach. Learn from one single voice and philosophy instead of learning one thing from 15 different coaches. Like the good ol’ saying, it’s never a good thing having too many cooks in the kitchen. Whether you prefer to take lessons through videos or taking a lesson with a local golf professional, you are more likely to become a better golfer with one experienced individual.
3. Focus on fundamentals and not the distance
Lastly, and one that seriously haunts most of new golfers, they usually focus on one thing – the distance. We often get students asking, “How far can you hit with your x iron?”, and our answer is always the same; “How far I can hit is irrelevant to how far you can hit.”
For a beginner golfer, distance should not be the focus when you practice. Rather, one should focus on the four basics – the grip, posture, stance, and impact. When someone begins the golf journey chasing distance, the natural instinct is try to hit the ball as hard as one can hit. The problem is, without properly learning the steps of how to execute a golf swing, one can easily begin chunking at the ball with nothing but their bear hands.
Instead, focus on having a neutral grip consistently and repeatedly, focus on the posture
Learning golf is a long journey and the learning curve can be very different for each individual. For some, golf comes in natural. For others, golf is a game that takes years to get comfortable and become consistent with. Remember, the only person that you are competing with is yourself. Trust the process. Take your time and be patient. Practice with purpose. Welcome to the world of golf.