Brand New to Golf

[NewGolfer_Keith]

I am brand new to golf and by brand new I mean I have been to the driving range maybe 10 times in my life. Earlier this month I purchased a set of Wilson Tour Distance Starter clubs from Sports Authority and set a goal to play a round of golf by the end of the summer. My brother's friend has been playing golf since high school and through college and will be training me along the way.

 

My objective is to learn the game in the cheapest way possible, so any help finding used training equipment and freebies would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

How long did it take for you to be able to play a round?

[xerpro]

Honestly, driving ranges are fun, but you want to play golf, not play driving range.
I would suggest a local public course on a weekday mid afternoon. Should be low amounts of play, and would allow you to work on your game.
Golf isnt about having the perfect swing or perfect equipment, it's strategy, dealing with adversity and having fun......
Key point is having fun....It is a game after all....
Best of luck to you and welcome to the greatest game and website!!!

And as far as cheaply, dont allow yourself to become a "ho" like the rest of us....Thats the key to keeping it cheap...

X

[NewGolfer_Keith]

[quote name='xerpro' timestamp='1362497706' post='6551229']
And as far as cheaply, dont allow yourself to become a "ho" like the rest of us....Thats the key to keeping it cheap...

X
[/quote]


HAHA what do you mean a "Ho" ?

[jurr80]

Welcome aboard!
Okay- this comes from a guy that picked the game up in earnest about 3 years ago.

It takes a LOT of practice to get your coordination set up to the point that you aren't just "swinging at a golf ball".

The golf swing, in order to combine control and power, takes time.

Do NOT get discouraged by your first attempts. It is a process.

The first thing you need to do is get your grip down COLD.
The grip gives you anatomical permission to make a correct swing.
Without the grip set properly, your arms cannot move in the proper manner.

Watch videos about the grip. I recommend that you look up golfwrx threads on the slicefixer grip. It is a great start.

After that, I would recommend you learn about posture. We set up with slight differences to account for the different club lengths.
Most newbies struggle with the driver for this very reason.

Learn as much as you can about grip and posture, and stick to that.
These are things that don't require any movement to get right, and once you get them correct, the movements needed for a good golf swing are easier to achieve.

You have an opportunity to get decent faster if you don't pick up bad habits.
A lot of bad habits are the result of poor grip and posture.
The last bad habits result from the tension involved with an instinct to hit at the ball.
That will be fixed with reps, once you trust that your swing will contact the ball.

Grip. Posture. Practice.

[jurr80]

[quote name='NewGolfer_Keith' timestamp='1362497946' post='6551265']
[quote name='xerpro' timestamp='1362497706' post='6551229']
And as far as cheaply, dont allow yourself to become a "ho" like the rest of us....Thats the key to keeping it cheap...

X
[/quote]


HAHA what do you mean a "Ho" ?
[/quote]
A "ho" is a person that is always tweaking his golf bag.
He is getting new irons, new drivers, new shafts, and new grips.

There are two main types of "ho".
The first has no game and buys stuff thinking it will miraculously lower his scores.
The second is the ho that has a good game but just loves having the latest and greatest equipment.
These guys are always "tricking out" their clubs with different grips and shafts, always aiming for that last little tweak to be the best they can be.

[Kadin 25]

Welcome to Golfwrx A "Ho" is someone who keeps buying equipment and gear like a hoarder.

[duffer987]

Welcome to the forum Keith
If I was you I would find a 'Get Golf Ready' program at a course near you. They are cheap at $100 for 5 hourly group lessons over 5 weeks. The instructor should be able to give you a good all around introduction to the game.

It's been a long time since I started, but I played par 3's and executive courses when I started out, before finally stepping onto a full course. I preferred the executive courses as they let you hit all the clubs in your bag and helped build confidence with all my clubs before playing the regular courses.

Anyways, have fun and hopefully you enjoy the game and play it for a long time.

[NickPhillips]

I would start playing a round now, keep accurate score, you will shoot in the 150's probably... That's fine, next time you will shoot 130 then 110 then 100 then 90's and so on. This will show you are actually improving and not just feeling like you are getting better. This is what I did, I have every score card since I started and look at how bad I was and how far I have come.