Yes, it is one of the most difficult sports to learn, but it is well worth the struggles early on. While it can be frustrating, the well struck shot or the low score on a hole often keeps the golfer coming back.
The good news for beginner golfers is that there are plenty of resources, great technology and people that are willing to help you learn the game.
Golf is a game enjoyed by people of all ages and ability levels. The beginner golfer should have the mindset that the game is hard to learn, but the journey along the way is fun and rewarding.
We love to read some of the famous quotes by the greatest of all time. They give us insight into how hard golf is to learn and then to master! The journey never ends!
Why Golf is the best Sport! (11 Reasons)
“One reason golf is such an exasperating game is that a thing we learned is so easily forgotten, and we find ourselves struggling year after year with faults we had discovered and corrected time and again.”
Bobby Jones
Embrace the journey, strive to get better and enjoy the company you keep on the golf course!
Being able to join a group of friends or business people on a golf course and socialize and do business helps improve the quality of life.
Throughout the golf journey as a golfer breaks 100, then 90, then 80 and strives to potentially break par, there are ups and downs and highs and lows. The game of golf can be mind boggling even 30 years into the journey.
Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But such is certainly not the case.
Arnold Palmer
Is Golf Hard To Learn: 5 Tips
- Take A Lesson
- Get Plenty of Repetitions
- Play the Game to Practice
- Keep A Journal
- Have Fun
Tip #1: Take A Lesson
Whether you are new to the game and just starting your journey or you have been playing for 20 plus years, taking a lesson and getting 1-2 fixes for your current swing fault are a great way to start every season. Over the course of time, the best golfers can build a quality, consistent swing to play their most consistent golf. This starts with having someone guide you on your journey to ensure you are spending your time in the right areas.’
The beginner golfer should sign up for a series of lessons about a month apart. Take your first less and then get to work. Come back after you have put some quality time to working on the drills your instructor assigned to you.
Take your second lesson and then get to work again, don’t return until you have put quality time into your improvements. Go back for your third lesson and continue this process. Make sure you commit to your game improvement and work on the drills or skills assigned by your golf instructor. Keep in mind, there are really no secrets to the golf swing.
Tip #2: Get Plenty of Repetitions
“The secret is in the dirt”
Ben Hogan
There might not be another golf quote that has been more often debated than the quote above by Ben Hogan. We believe he was telling you to own your swing, get to know your swing and you have to put the time in to find your keys and your secrets to this wonderful, yet mystifying game.
The golfer has to commit to the journey, get plenty of reps in and continue to work on both strengths and weaknesses!
How To Improve Golf Swing For Beginners: 5 Step Process
If you are someone that lives in a cold weather climate in the winter, I would suggest a golf simulator setup or something as simple as a launch monitor and a hitting net to continue to strike golf balls 12 months out of the year!
Use a launch monitor in your garage, backyard, driving range or golf course. Find a place where you can safely hit balls into a net or out to a range and you are setup. When you can mix the launch monitor with 1-2 golf swing training aids, you are in business and have the tools to finally improve your golf swing!
I think it can be summed up by this quote below:
“Swing your swing. Not some idea of a swing. Not a swing you saw on TV. Not that swing you wish you had. No, swing your swing. Capable of greatness. Prized only by you. Perfect in its imperfection. Swing your swing. I know, I did.”
Arnold Palmer
Tip #3: Play the Game to Practice
While the driving range has its place in the game of golf, try to get out and play at least once a week. Working on your game at the range is key, but also taking your skills to the course is essential to your overall growth.
Also, don’t forget the short game, as we believe it is the fastest way to lower scores for the beginner or mid level golfer! Saving pars when you miss the greens is a great formula to overcome the weakness of distance or ball striking if you are struggling in this area!
Plus, playing the game on the course with family or friends it the most fun. Find a way to play 18, 27 or even 36 in a day or weekend or back to back days and see what type of improvement you can have during that period of time and over a golf season!
Best Golf Swing For Beginners!
Tip #4: Keep A Journal
Some items to record in your golf journey:
- Scores
- Notes of great shots
- Notes of swing thoughts
- Notes of swing feels
- Great experiences and people you meet
- Courses you played
This golf journey can be something you refer to when you are seeking what you were doing previously that might have been producing quality results. Maybe that simple swing thought or feel can get you back on track.
It will be fun to look back over the years at the journey that you went on to get your game to a certain level. In this journal, I would recommend keeping your scorecards to track your improvement and relive some great memories that might have been created!
Golf Etiquette Guide for Beginners!
Tip #5: Have Fun!
Don’t forget that golf is supposed to be fun! Enjoy the journey and embrace the challenges. If golf was easy, it wouldn’t be as fun. Part of what makes it so fun is the challenge of the physical, emotional and mental state of the golfer every time they tee it up! Love the journey and enjoy it greatly!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.