If you had to do it over again?

[Matthew_22]

The biggest thing I can recommend is don't pay any attention to how far you hit the ball. The distance will come with time as you learn to control your swing, and it is accuracy that is going to help you in the long run.

 

[Augster]

Starting from scratch? Here's what I'd do if I were you.

Buy the book 5 lessons by Ben Hogan. It's $12 new. Read it at least twice. Both times with a club in your hand. Hogan spends like 17 pages talking about the grip and how important it is. Follow it. No hired pro will ever spend the time talking about the grip like Hogan. Get a good grip going from the get go, and the game will be much, much easier.

Follow what Hogan says in the book. Swing from the inside, and remember the downswing starts with your left hip. (for a rightie) Your arms come along for a "free ride". Hit the back of the ball along the equator with the 5th groove up from the bottom of your club. Hit the ball before hitting the turf, and make sure to have your left wrist suppinated at impact. (for irons)

For a driver, make sure to tee it up and hit it on the upswing.

Buy the book Tour Tempo. There are drills in there for beginners that will make the 1-plane swing Hogan talks about quite simple to produce. Plus, the audio "beeps" will make sure your tempo is pro quality from the get go. Practice your tempo while you are learning your fundamentals.

Chip. Chip. Chip. Chips and short pitches are what is going to make your scores come down. Practice a few lag putts, but mostly from 6 feet and in. The best players in the world only make 20% of their 10-footers. Should you really be working extra hard on putts where players that play the game for their livelihood only make 1 in 5? Nope. But everything 5-feet an in should be holed a very high percentage of the time. Work on those putts.

Finally, after you do all that and work with it for a couple months, and still aren't breaking 80, start getting a lesson or two.

There is nothing about the golf swing that you can't learn from Hogan's book. A pro can't tell by looking at you whether you are swinging with your arms or giving your arms the "free ride" and generating with your hips. You have to "feel" it and work on it on your lonesome.

Once you are sending shots consistently downrange, and if you still can't break 90, then it'll be time for a lesson. If you have Hogan's fundamentals in place, and are swinging to a good Tour Tempo, and you aren't breaking 100, or 90, then a pro should be able to help you make corrections from the get go that will get you under that plateau.

Finally, you need to spend the time to get better.

 

[longiron]

If i had it to do over from the start i would try to get better before i did. We played so much stupid golf and wasted so much time doing it. I wish i could have that all back. I waited until my late 20's to try till i realy started to get better.

 

[Eracer]

Work on shots from 40 yards in. Work on putting. Besides being the keys to scoring well, learning how to control short pitches teaches you to feel the clubhead. I believe it is key to learning the full swing. Like Augster said - read Hogan's book. Read it again. Practice what he tells you to practice. Above all, do not abandon the goal of making the correct grip second-nature to you. Once you can grip the club properly, everything else can follow. If you never learn the proper grip, your swing is doomed to a future of compromise.

 

[Eracer]

Buy the book Tour Tempo. There are drills in there for beginners that will make the 1-plane swing Hogan talks about quite simple to produce.

Augster - not that it's a big deal, but I didn't think that Hogan was teaching a one-plane swing. He specifically says that the downswing plane is flatter and "underneath" the backswing plane. Please explain.

 

[golfman2760]

The biggest thing I can recommend is don't pay any attention to how far you hit the ball. The distance will come with time as you learn to control your swing, and it is accuracy that is going to help you in the long run.

I agree

and imo I find it better to start teeing off with a 5 wood until you get use to the swing

but thats just me, everyone has their own technique that works for them

 

[CaptnPea]

5 Lessson -> will get.

No Driver: I allready figure this one out, I hit it for fun, but, don't expect much yet.

Pitch - Putt - Chip - Sand will do - figure I can mix it up 50/50, at lunch usually hit the range, at home at the club with nice facilities, use the short practice area. has a nice putting green with a practice trap right there.

One thing at a time.. makes a lot of sence, last night worked on just trying to keep the angle of my back still through the swing, felt a little better.

Great help here, thanks, all.

 

[Highdraw34]

Don't forget grip. The three major grips are Vardon, Interlocking and baseball. Pick one and stick with it. I suggest the Vardon grip. Here is a website that might help.

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/griptypes.htm

 

[CaptnPea]

Don't forget grip. The three major grips are Vardon, Interlocking and baseball. Pick one and stick with it. I suggest the Vardon grip. Here is a website that might help.

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/griptypes.htm

Ahhh I was wondering why I was getting a blister on my left index finger...

I was sort of using an interlocking, but had my lock backwards...

 

[Highdraw34]

Yep, blisters usually mean improper grip and gripping too tight. The single biggest change that has ever improved my game was my grip pressure. From a Hockey and Lacrosse background I had to learn how to hold a stick correctly.

 

[Adam Pettman]

I suggest the Vardon grip.

Why do you suggest the Vardon over interlocking are there any huge advantages or disadvantages??

This reminds me off one of the most stupid thing I ever heard a techer once told me "You cant be a good player using an Interlocking grip"
I laughed and asked if he had ever heard of Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus.

 

[golfman2760]

Don't forget grip. The three major grips are Vardon, Interlocking and baseball. Pick one and stick with it. I suggest the Vardon grip. Here is a website that might help.

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/griptypes.htm

interlocking has worked the best for me

left index finger to right pinky finger. (right handed golfer, leftys interlock the opposite way)
dont get blisters and my swing has improved by a percentage of at least 40

 

[Big Brother Dunk]

Take lessons. They'll have a more positive impact on your game than anything else.

If lessons aren't in the works, then concentrate on any drills that help prevent you from coming over the top. Also, work on your short game. Improving the short game will go a long ways to imroving your scores.