Beginner Golf Swing Tips - Golf Swing Path
April 7, 2008
I need to really learn how to get a better golf swing path. Would you so kindly dispense some beginner golf swing tips? Thank you. - Michael in Salisbury, MD
First off, for people who aren’t quite familiar yet, your golf swing path determines the starting direction of the ball. Knowing the type of swing path you currently have is the key to understanding your shots. It’s very important to recognize the type of shots that each swing path produces.
This will allow you to effectively analyze your swing. Watch the shape of your shots and the way the shots curve, after you have taken the time to do this, examine the depth and direction of your divots. Also, keep in mind that every swing has two separate golf swing paths. There is one golf swing path for the back swing, and one for the down swing.
As for your back swing, the height and the distance you stand from the ball will determine the best angle of this path. You should begin your take away by keeping the club head low and your hands as far away from your head as possible. This helps you create a larger arc and gain club head speed. As your shoulders turn and the club head rises keep the club on this path.
Imagine a line from the ball to the target. If you can keep the club on this golf swing path, you will have the club aligned at the top of your swing and this is critical as you begin to transition to the down swing. Another thing to keep in mind - there is no perfect golf swing path.
Your body build type determine the best path for you to take and you can work this out with the guidelines above and through your own hard work. A good golf swing tip for you… as long as your club is parallel at the top of your swing in relation to the ball, your shot will be a lot more accurate.
Remember, by practicing your golf swing path daily will help you to make this movement automatic and in turn will make you a better golfer. Take the time to really examine what you are doing and don’t get mad if you aren’t seeing progress over night. Simply get out there and you will be amazed at how far you’ve come with consistent and determined effort. Happy strokes!!
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Golf Explained - Etiquette of Golf in 13 Easy Steps
April 3, 2008
Your very own “beginner golf tip girl” the Golf Virgin, felt that it was time to help out with some common sense driven golf course etiquette. She has recently been appalled at stunningly stupid behavior from “people” who should know better.
Here is a nice, quick and easy chart… < - - loves charts, for all of you to fold up in your pocket and carry with you onto the green. You’ve now been forewarned. Learn this simple, etiquette of golf and be saved the misery of wide open mouths staring at you in disbelief. See below - golf explained.
| 1. Arrive at your scheduled tee off time. |
| 2. Be sure to be patient and respect other players on the course as you wish to be respected and don’t make any loud noise. Normal speaking or conversation is ok but hooting and hollering at your buddies isn’t. |
| 3. Check your marker and your ball number in order to avoid confusion during the game. |
| 4. Do not take practice swings on the tee off zone. |
| 5. For the sake of common sense, do not stand close behind, near or in front of any other player and be as quiet as possible when a player is about to take a shot. |
| 6. Normally, the player with the lowest handicap starts the game by taking their first shot. On all other tees the player with the best score out of the previous hole has “the honor”, meaning he has the right to play (with) his ball first. |
| 7. Always be prepared to play your ball in order to avoid any delay in the game and leave immediately after you’ve made your shot. (Sounds like most men doesn’t it?) |
| 8. Don’t play your stroke if other players intend to do their puts on any green in the neighborhood. |
| 9. Don’t take a shot in the direction of another player that may be in hitting distance. See the post why we yell fore in golf for more info. |
| 10. Be kind, nothing will piss off a Superintendent more than not replacing divots or fixing any other damage you cause to the course. And make sure to rake those bunkers back into perfect condition! |
| 11. To avoid looking like someone of lesser intelligence, don’t drive your cart over tee off areas, greens or through a sand bunker. Also, before putting be sure to leave your cart somewhere beside the green, preferably in an area beside the next tee off zone. |
| 12. Try to stand somewhere beside the player who has to do the next shot. |
| 13. If possible, try to observe not only your own but also the balls of the other players in your company. This will help to save time in case one of your partners may not be able to find his ball immediately after his shot. |
I could go on and on and on, especially after some of the absolutely, thoughtless behaviors I’ve witnessed in my time. So now y’all know some quick and easy ways not to look like “fantard” swaggering around, looking for a beating. Use this etiquette of golf and if you don’t hey… don’t be surprised if someone takes their club to your head. Happy strokes!!
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Beginner Golf Tips for Everyone
April 2, 2008
Hey beginner golf tip girl. I’m in need of some help here. I find that I have trouble with my stance. My buddy says he sees my left knee dropping in sometimes when I swing. But he couldn’t really tell me how to fix it. Worthless bastard huh? Anyways, what golf tips could you give me young lady? - Anonymous
Beginner golf tip… girl? Why don’t you just be proper and call me by my name? Golf Virgin… you’re not shy about that are you? Wow, all these people wanting golf tips left and right just makes me happy as a lark. Definitely makes me perk up when I know people are getting help. So Anonymous Name Person, golf tips I will give.
I’ve come across a lot of golfers who let their left knee collapse toward the right during the backswing. When your knee falls in like that, it causes your shoulder to drop, and makes you end up turning too far into the swing itself. Now in order to correct this problem, imagine taking a solid stance with your left knee going out toward the target on the backswing.
There should be a feeling of stability in both knees. If this is difficult to visualize, imagine a basketball between your knees. This basically gives you a perfect idea of how your golf stance should look and feel like.
Keep in mind that on the backswing, it is highly important to keep your weight on the inside of the right foot, and maintain a slight bend in the knee. If this does not happen, it can lead to poor contact when the clubhead meets the ball and a definite power loss.
Think of it this way, as you are drawing back the club, imagine that the right knee is rooted into the ground. Doing so allows for your upper body to coil behind the ball which enables you to powerfully swing through and make a nice clean drive.
Another good beginner golf tip for you Anonymous Name Person is that in order to work towards and maintain an accurate and powerful swing, practice making the extension and follow through with your club after you’ve taken your swing. Finally, put a tee about 8 inches in front of the ball that you are going to hit.
Make an effort to hit not only the ball but also the tee. This will help to train you to swing through the ball, not at it, just don’t get too overzealous and begin wacking away like a drunken old fogey in hysterics.
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Hit a Golf Ball Straight
April 1, 2008
I saw your last post and it got me thinking that while I can get alright distance, I have trouble sometimes when I try to hit a golf ball straight consistently. Any beginner golf tips you could give me too?? Thanks. - Nat in Conroe, TX
Hey, thanks for checking out the other posts. In seeking that perfect golf shot, many golfers experience frustration because they have yet master the basics of a good golf swing. Refer to the super quick list of steps below for another beginner golf tip so you can get those basics down. If you are able to develop control over the club and achieve a relaxed swing you will start to hit a golf ball straight.
Step 1:
Stand behind the ball and pick a mark just ahead of the ball in the line of your target.
Step 2:
With both feet together, stand facing the ball and stand about three-quarters of an arm’s length away from the ball.
Step 3:
Take a small step forward towards the ball with your left foot, and take a normal step backward with your right foot. The distance between your feet should be about a shoulder width apart.
Step 4:
Pull the club straight back from the golf ball to the top of the backswing. The club should be parallel to the ground.
Step 5:
Swing the golf club back down along the same path, without pausing at the top.
Step 6:
Keep your head down and hit the golf ball solid. Allow the club to follow through until it reaches your back.
Use your golf muscles to support the club and think of it like it was a whip that is an extension of your arms. Now, use the leverage you get from this to get a clean connection with the ball. This gives you a straighter drive.
Simply follow this little bit of advice and put the effort forth that is required when you are serious about learning something new and you will begin to see a perfect golf shot time and time again arc through the sky and land exactly where you want. Happy strokes!!
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Average Club Distance
March 31, 2008
Hey, can you help out with a beginner golf tip? What is the average club distance that I should looking for? It’s seems like almost everyone can shoot farther than I can and I want to know how to improve. - Hagen in Emporia, KS
Great question there, and a simple beginner golf tip is this.
I love charts, and there is a quick one below that provides a guide to measure by. This is a simple format that generally states what the normal yardages are for both amateur men and women golfers using a particular club. But remember this isn’t the end all and be all of the average club distance someone should expect. The ranges are pretty large, and represent short hitters, mid hitters and long hitters.
| Club | Men | Women |
| Driver | 200-230-260 | 150-175-200 |
| 3-wood | 180-215-235 | 125-150-180 |
| 5-wood | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 2-iron | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 3-iron | 160-180-200 | 100-125-160 |
| 4-iron | 150-170-185 | 90-120-150 |
| 5-iron | 140-160-170 | 80-110-140 |
| 6-iron | 130-150-160 | 70-100-130 |
| 7-iron | 120-140-150 | 65-90-120 |
| 8-iron | 110-130-140 | 60-80-110 |
| 9-iron | 95-115-130 | 55-70-95 |
| PW | 80-105-120 | 50-60-80 |
| SW | 60-80-100 | 40-50-60 |
There are, of course, people who hit it longer, just as there are people who hit it shorter, so don’t become attached to a certain number. Don’t be too hard on yourself, if you haven’t spent that much time golfing be patient and realize that it takes time to get your average club distance up to where you aren’t thinking about it so much. Then again this is something that we can all strive to improve upon, myself included.
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Are Balata Balls for Virgins?
March 8, 2008
Hey Golf Virgin, I have heard about balata balls from my friends and I wanted to know if they were better? - Ivan in Bay City, MI
Gosh, I love virgins… so naive… so willing to try new and interesting ways of doing things. Has listening to your buddies talk about their balata golf balls and how much better they feel got you curious hun?
Balata balls are covered by a substance derived from the gum of the “Bully” or Balata tree of the West Indies and Northeastern South America. These types of balls are said to have more “action” or spin to them along with a better feel but not necessarily the distance of other balls. Here is something that you should remember though, beginners should avoid these because they are not as durable due to the covering and can be more expensive.
Just keep playing with the golf balls you have right now and soon, one day… you can open your package of fresh new balata golf balls and with your nice and shiny balata putter, sink one deep into the 18th hole for The Golf Virgin. Enjoy!!
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How to Put Spin on a Golf Ball
February 27, 2008
I really want to learn how to get a good spin on a golf ball when I’m trying to shoot over an obstacle or get the ball to land in a position where I can make an easy putt. It’s something I’ve always been curious about but could never get a handle on and I wanted to see if you knew of the best way to make this happen. - Jimmy in Little Rock, AR
Being able to put spin on a golf ball is not an easy thing to do. However, getting the ball to stop almost where it lands can help you keep your score down and ultimately win a game. This becomes especially useful when you’re hitting onto firm greens or when the pin is placed directly behind a bunker or body of water. Listed below are some simple to follow steps towards becoming familiar with the basic technique of adding a good spin on a golf ball.
Step 1:
Stand closer in your stance for a normal golf swing which is a shoulder-width apart, so go ahead and stand about 1/3 shorter of the regular shoulder-width stance.
Step 2:
Also, stand a little closer to the ball so that its closer to your back foot.
Step 3:
Use a 60-degree wedge which is also known as a flop wedge.
Step 4:
Make sure to swing your club on a steeper plane than what you would during a regular shot. Basically hit down at a steeper angle.
Step 5:
Hit directly underneath the ball before taking a divot and do your best to take a divot that is long and shallow.
Step 6:
Follow through as you would during a normal shot.
An easy way to look at is to take an analogy from playing pool. When you put backspin on a golf ball it’s very similar in nature to putting backspin on a cue ball. To accomplish this you strike the cue ball at a steep downward angle with a great deal of force which then imparts this energy on the bottom half of the cue ball and sends it flying.
Perhaps you had the experience of being able to make the ball actually hop up into the air over other balls on the table to achieve a desired effect. Wow, all these different types of ball shots can be a bit mind boggling. But, balls are balls and the harder you hit them, the farther they shoot.
Adding spin on a golf ball allows to hit shots over obstacles such as bunkers, bodies of water, the rough or whatever it is that is in between you and the green. If you put enough backspin on the ball, it takes a couple of bounces and stops. In a perfect world, you would like to be in the position where you hit the ball about 15 to 20 feet from the pin and have the it stop a few feet from the hole and this will leave you a with short putt.
So if you like watching your balls soar through the air and land exactly where you desire then dedicated practice is key to your ability to put spin on a golf ball. But keep in mind that this is one of the hardest shots to master.
Update to Post:
Hi all, recently I’ve had readers take a lot of interest in this particular post and wanted to provide links my other posts on this topic. So go check out my other posts to get a better understanding of this technique by reading Making Golf Spin Happen and Beginner Golf Tips - Key to Golf Ball Spin
Happy stokes!!
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What Golf Ball Types should a New Player Buy
February 20, 2008
Golf Virgin, Hey what type of golf balls do you recommend I use? - Dawson in Kansas City, KS
Truly, buying top of the line golf balls can get expensive, especially as a beginner. A common experience one may have is knocking your golf balls, accidentally, into a pond or losing them deep in a bush. So what to do about choosing the perfect set of golf balls for your new hobby? Well, not a whole lot really.
Honesty, save your money and for now spend a lot of time and I really do mean a lot at the driving range. Putting out a few bucks into some ball buckets will be worth the time invested in the long run and you will save yourself a great deal of cash by smacking away at a range ball. Secondly, if you are of the more adventurous type, used golf balls are the way to go. One word of caution though, stay away from used golf balls with any clear signs of defect such as cuts in the cover, bulges or discoloration etc.
It’s not the most sought after way of improving your game but really, who cares and these 2 golf ball types are far easier on the pocketbook. So get out there on the range and put those dirty golf balls where they belong.
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