Hi, I am in my mid 30s and would like to learn golf. I need some advice and feedback....?

Question

Hi, I am in my mid 30s and is starting to learn golf. I managed to get an instructor at a local driving range and had attended 3 lessons. I had also gone to the driving range on my own to practice about 3-4 times.

So at this stage, how much 'improvement' should i have and how 'stable' should my golf swing be? I am hitting balls very poorly. If i hit them squarely they are pretty straight and at a consistent distance (good thing???). However, I will have like 1 'good' hit after every 10-15 'very poor' hits, like i top the ball or sometimes 'miss' the ball completely.

I am starting to have doubts about my own innate talent (or lackof) and also a bit on the instructional ability of the teacher....

Is this the 'typical' rate of improvement for any beginner? I will be going back to my instructor this weekend and would of course give the same feedback... just need more additional inputs.

Answer 1

Everything you're saying is completely normal.  Golf is one of the most difficult sports to play and learn.  The golf swing is very 'unnatural' and getting the feel of it down takes months if not years.  Just keep practicing, listen to your instructor and read articles or books on beginning golf.  Key things to focus on beside your swing are: grip, stance and ball placement.  Read a little on each of those and just keep practicing, you'll get it!  Good luck!

Answer 2

As a beginner you have yet to develop a golf swing which is consistent . Perhaps you should inquire of others, who the best teacher is for beginning golfers. The person will or should teach you a simple, easy to repeat swing. Then it is a matter of adopting that swing along with several hours of practice. Three lessons and three times to a practice range do not constitute lessons or do they indicate your talent or lack thereof, for the game.

Answer 3

It has been my personal experience that people who are naturally talented, physically...people who are somewhat gifted athletes...pick up golf quite easily and quickly.

Most other people, especially older (25 and older) people who just begin to take it up, generally struggle with it for a long time, make little progress, and eventually end up quitting the game.

Now these are merely generalizations.  They do not necessarily apply to you, obviously.  But be prepared to either put in a lot of time and practice, or make very little progress.

Answer 4

This is typical for a beginner.  You are just learning the basics of the game.  It takes a while to get the fundamentals of the game down.  Think about this:  The majority of professional golfers have swing coaches.  The #1 player in the world has a swing coach.  He was a scratch handicap golfer at 5 years old and he still has an instructor.  It takes time to learn the fundamentals.

Answer 5

It does sound to me that you may have not played any game using the 'stick' (e.g. hockey, baseball, badminton, tennis or even squash). Generally, those who have, will pick up golf much faster, especially those hockey players.

As a beginner you should not easily despair and feel hopeless. When I first started golf I started with the 7 iron, 8 iron and the wedge. This was with a view to develop the correct swing required to hit the ball squarely at impact.

Golf swing is usually of the pendulum type; the only difference is with the swing plane. The swing plane gets slightly more inclined as you progress towards the longer clubs, say the 6 iron, 5 iron, 4 iron, 3 iron and on to the woods (5, 4, 3 and the driver).

I suggest you start with the three quarter swing first until you get the feel of the right swing. Then slowly increase your swing arc right to the top when you begin to feel that you are hitting the ball more solidly just behind the ball, with your swing followed though after impact, keeping your head still & focussed on the ball position until after impact.

Of course a good teacher or swing coach should be able to take you through from there.

Answer 6

It sounds to me like you are right on track.Unless you have unusual talent it is going to be about 5 years before you see real consistency.I say that long because I live in Ohio and we can only golf for half the year here so if you are warm climate,practice all year.The main thing I can stress is don't get discouraged.When you practice you have to pay attention to what you did when you get those"good hits".Is your instructor a PGA pro?That helps.You can try another instructor.Sometimes they will videotape your swing and that really gets into solving swing flaws.I actually do this with my own video camera and it is a huge help.One thing I am keeping in mind is maintaining my spine angle on takeaway and follow through.If you stand up a little or slouch when you swing you are toast.Good luck.

Answer 7

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