Question for Golfers

[Lamond]

Invest in some literature.

Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus (Illustrated) Like $20
Anything by Ben Hogan
Golf for Dummies by Gary McCord (insert laugh here, but it's pretty good)
The Little Red/Green Book by Harvey Penick

Don't try to be a stud right out of the box. Golf is a learning experience. Start with the basics like grip, alignment, ball position.

Do not hit AT the ball. Work on your short game. Practice if you can stand it.

Most importantly....have fun.

[mjs020294]

You should pay for a few lesson BEFORE you get bad habits.  Trust me I speak from experience.  Youtube have a few good videos, try watching this one:

[Bucco40]

I am not really that good at golf but I love to go to the driving range and just smack golf balls. I just today bought a pretty nice callaway golf glove to improve my grip and I noticed the difference tremendously. I was wondering on all you golf pros,(if its possible explaining via internet) how to perfect the perfect swing. I am also considering taking up the sport so any information on starter clubs would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Morgan]

Big mistake to buy a club out of a golf shop without trying it.  Besides, new golfer's swings will morph over time as he learns the sport. Your swing speed today will be different later when you learn the right technique. If anything, go to a used golf bin and select a 1-2 yr old driver at 50% of the original price and hit that one.

[Moosedrool]

throw the clubs away

[Morgan]

I'd recommend that hitting a driver be the last club you perfect. Would recommend buying a 7 iron and teeing it up and repeatedly hitting that one. Don't worry about distance = that's for hackers.  Also would practice short game shots (putting/chipping) - usually you can find a practice facility to do this so you won't have to pay $$$$$ for golf memberships, carts, etc.

If you're going to college, many universities have a discounted golf rate course nearby and also practice facilities.

[mjs020294]

Driving is for show, putting is for dough!

Seriously, driving distance doesn't have much to do with size.  Timing and good technique will trump size every time.  the very last part of your golf came to work on would be the driving.   Learn the basics, and perfect them with a 7 or 8 iron.

[Morgan]

This is an outstanding video - 9 mins, but so much covered.

[Bucco40]

Lol thanks Oma but im getting ready for college and I cant afford doing that, I kind of want to invest in seeing how well I can drive the ball being Im a pretty strong dude. I just want to buy a nice driver at first and see how it goes then I might invest in really getting the true golfing experience down. I goto the driving range about once or twice every two weeks.

[Morgan]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=32010

http://www.golftipsmag.com/

To get good at golf you probably need to play 2-3 times a week at least for the first 3-4 yrs, in my opinion. You can't really get good playing only once a week.   

Find a group of player with near or better ability that you can play with  -

Read golf magazines (on line) for instruction  - there also a lot of free sites with clips on techniques.

Have someone video your swing from various angles.

Take a 3-4 day lesson school - offered at a lot places  usually $500-1000 but worth the investment for a lifetime of golf pleasure.

Watch golf on TV and try to copy what you see.

[Morgan]

My post was intended for the OP.  Hopefully Bucco40 after you finish college and make a few $$$ you can treat yourself to a golf school to get your game started. There's a good one down in Sun City Center called the Ben Sutton Golf School.

[Morgan]

No problem - just dawned on me that some people just get a kick out of hitting balls at the driving range - no intention of learning golf- I guess that's okay - no need to take the game seriously. But if you really want to be good, there's a logical way to approach the game through lessons, starting w/ short-middle irons, and reading/watching instructional videos.

[mjs020294]

I like smashing balls at the driving range.  When I play slow on a course I am a fairly controlled golfer but get me at the range and I have little attention span to practice properly.  I usually end up smashing balls as hard as I can trying to put them in the woods at the end of the range. 

[Bucco40]

mjs I want to thank you for that video that you showed me. I had a little hard time figuring out what exactly to do but I went to the range right after work today and I practiced a little. Man did I see an improvement in my overall swing and distance. The ball was like a rope and they were going over 200 yards. Normally I hit in the 150-175 range but I was smacking them 200-225 this time around. I appreciate the help.

[mjs020294]

You need to watch stuff like that a lot, and understand the components of a good golf swing.  There are some half decent training tools as well.  One of the best I have found, and a few pros use it, is the Momentus.  It is a really heavy club with a molded grip.  It makes you hold the club properly, and the weight makes you take the correct swing plane and stops over swing.  When I first used it my driving went from averaging 260/270 to over 300 yards, and much straighter and more accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/Momentus-Swing-Trainer-Golf-Training/dp/B001CECSKS

Walmart do a cheap copy but I don't think it comes with a DVD.