3 TIPS FOR BEGINNER GOLFERS

Golf is tough.

There, I said it.

After playing golf for 25 years (that’s over 80% of my life) I still find it so damn difficult. And frustrating. To a point where I sometimes question why I’m even playing. Like I’m sure most golfers do.

That’s why being a beginner golfer is even tougher. Because even though there’s a certain excitement to giving golf a try for the first time, there’s certainly also a lot of question marks. And a lot of frustration trying to figure out a sport where the environment (and certain people around) might not always be very welcoming or helpful.

I’ve had so many beginner golfers dm’ing me on IG, asking for advice, so I thought I’d share my top 3 tips for beginner golfers here, too.

#1

WORK ON YOUR SHORT GAME

I truly believe that the key to improving your game (and doing so quickly) is by getting really good on and around the greens.

When you start playing golf you’ll for sure spend a lot of time on the range. The range might have been the place where you were first introduced to the game and you’ll be excited to start working on your swing and getting contact with the ball.

This is great.

But when you’re done with your bucket, don’t forget to spend some time at the short game facilities too.

Around 40% of your shots every round are putts. And this stat is the same for pretty much every golfer regardless of level, which is quite crazy when you think about it. Almost HALF of your score is made up of your putts.

I think this is one of the most compelling arguments for why you should get comfortable with the putter in your hands. Because you’re going to be using it, a lot. So make it a habit to practice your putting; both long and short ones.

(I love putting the most so this is my secret way of getting you to fall in love with it too hehe)

And while you’re at it, hit some chip shots as well. 1, because chipping is a lot of fun and 2, because it’s another great skill to work on to improve your game. You’ll probably not hit as many chip shots as you’ll hit putts during your rounds but you’ll definitely hit plenty enough for it to be an important shot for you to practice.

Experiment with different clubs (from SW and PW to 8 iron and even hybrid) to get a feel for how to hit various types of shots for various distances and situations.

#2

GET OUT ON THE COURSE *BEFORE YOU’RE READY*

A lot of beginner golfers that I’ve talked to have mentioned how they feel like they’re not ready to get out on the course yet. They feel like there’s some type of level they have to reach before they take the step from driving range to tee box.

I understand where this feeling comes from - the course can be super intimidating - but I also think this is something that holds you back from improving when you’re first starting out.

There’s a huge difference between practicing golf and playing golf, and that’s why it’s so important to get out on a golf course as early as possible. It’s where you’ll learn the most.

On the range you can always just grab your favorite club and hit from a perfect lie all the time but this is far from what a round of golf actually looks like.

When you’re out playing you get to hit so many different types of shots, from all different types of lies (fairway, rough, high grass, sand, divots etc) and deal with so many different scenarios and situations that don’t exist on the range - think: on a slope, behind a tree and so on.

And I’m not saying this to make playing sound more intimidating but because it’s actually more fun than just hitting balls on the driving range.

Experiencing all of this is what makes golf both fun and challenging and the quicker you get out there to play, the quicker you’ll get to experience this and the quicker you’ll improve.

If you still feel intimidated to take that step to tee it up at the 18 hole course (which is totally understandable btw) you can always look for 9 hole or par 3 courses near you. I’m a huge fan of par 3 courses because they’re shorter and typically not filled with as many people, which makes them especially great for when you’re starting out.

#3

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY THE INCONSISTENCY

This might just be the most important one of them all.

Golf really isn’t a game of perfect. Whether you’re a beginner of you’re a scratch golfer, there’s going to be good shots and there’s going to be bad shots. The difference really is that a scratch golfer hits better good shots and less of the bad ones.

But believe me, not even the professional golfers on tour are able to get fully rid of the bad shots. Shanks and chunks happen on the LPGA and PGA Tours too.

The inconsistency is just especially big when you’re just starting out. And this can of course be super discouraging.

You might go from having one of your best rounds ever to one of your worst rounds ever, on back to back days. Or even more confusing: you might go from hitting a terrible shot to hitting your best shot ever, back to back shots. And this is completely normal.

That’s just how the game works - in mysterious ways, haha. And it’s also what makes it so damn addictive.

All this to say that if you’re experiencing a lot of inconsistency, don’t let it get you down. Remember that this is completely normal and that you never know what your next shot or next round will bring. Be kind to yourself out there and embrace the challenge of getting better than you were yesterday.

You’ve GOT THIS!

If you liked this post, you might also like this video on the same topic, ish.