Are you finding that no matter what you seem to do, you just aren’t improving? You may play quite a lot but your scores aren’t getting any better and in some cases, your scores are increasing.
There are various reasons why your game isn’t progressing as you want it to and not all the reasons are when you have the club in your hand. As a beginner, just wanting to get into golf isn’t enough. Luckily for you though we help you identify the most common problems that beginner golfers face.
1. You’re not taking the game seriously enough
This is so true for many golfers.
And not just golfers. There are so many things people do where they don’t put the effort in required to help you succeed.
Golf can be one of the most annoying games to play. There’s no team to hide behind when things aren’t going so well for you. Mistakes are magnified and multiplied and there’s no magical quick fix to help you become the golfer you want to be
2. You probably bought the wrong clubs
Buying golf clubs can go wrong if you don’t get the right guidance.
It’s vital you get golf clubs that are suited to your game and it’s even better if you choose to get custom fitted (unless you are a VERY BEGINNER, then we’d recommend you to develop more of a swing).
Don’t be one of the people who buys the brand rather than what’s right for you. Just because some brand new 2018 irons came out, doesn’t mean a) it’s going to improve your game or b) that the clubs are suited to you.
3. Golf membership is too expensive
Golf membership doesn’t have to be expensive but with this one, we do kind of agree that golf memberships can be too expensive for the very beginners which certainly acts as a barrier to playing.
To get a handicap you need to be a member of a golf club.
Another sticky point is the joining fee which some clubs are still charging. With dwindling numbers playing golf, more and more joining fees are disappearing and clubs are more eager to entice golfers. Young golfers (27 and under) can usually benefit from cheaper memberships than older players.
If membership really isn’t for you, tee-off times offers some great deals at some decent golf courses.
Everyone needs to have a favourite local course.
4. You’ve got the right clubs but want “better”
“I’m playing poor but if I buy that new £200 fairway wood which replaced the one I just bought 10 months before, I’d be able to save a few shots”. How many times have you heard a friend wanting to get new clubs to rectify their bad golf technique?
Don’t buy into the hype.
As beginners, the problem isn’t the golf clubs it’s the golfer. The truth is if you’re playing poorly with your clubs now (which you spent £400 on 12 months ago), getting a shiny new set of irons isn’t going to help you.
At best it will give you a few days of extra motivation but won’t do anything to improve your overall game.
We can sell you a new Driver, Fairway Woods, and Putters and custom fit them for you all day long, but the smart decision is usually always to get qualified PGA tuition from a local professional who will change your game.
5. You don’t know how far you can hit each club
When you don’t know the yardage which you’re getting from each club it’s hard to come to an informed decision on which club to use which often leads to golfers picking a club with too much length.
Arranging a distance gapping lesson cohttp://thegolfschool.co.uk/distance-gapping-and-club-yardages/uld just save your game.
Take time to study your shots on the driving range to get a better understanding of the distances you’re getting with each club.
6. You could be benefitting from custom-fitted clubs
Not for the very beginner.
But once you’ve been playing golf for a while a developing your golf swing, if you’re stuck at around 20 handicap points, you might benefit from being custom fitted.
Being custom-fitted can help you bring your scores down. There’s not going to be an instant reduction of 20 shots but having clubs fitted to your game can only benefit your swing and put you in a better position to improve your game.
7. You haven’t developed a consistent swing
Even worse than this, some beginners develop a consistent swing but it’s a bad one. This is one of the biggest issues with not having golf lessons. When you do your own thing, you get into bad routines which actually makes it harder to learn when you find out the correct techniques.
You don’t have to be the biggest hitter, consistency is the true key to unlocking golf.
8. You’re trying to WHACK the ball
When you try and whack the ball, generally, what you’ll find is that the ball doesn’t go as far as you planned it would. We all want to smash the ball down the fairway and outdrive everyone.
There’s a popular saying, “Drive for show, Putt for doh” and this sums up the game of golf perfectly. On a par 4 and 5, smashing the ball may look good but it doesn’t necessarily set you up correctly for your next shot.
9. You’re putting the tee too high
When you put the tee too high this dramatically alters the way you swing.
Because of this, the Driver for example, the club face will generally be striking the bottom of the ball which sends the ball high on a very high swing path.
10. You’re NOT playing it safe
Everybody wants to score the best they can but sometimes golfers are taking unnecessary risks time and time again which adds extra shots to their overall round.
11. You’re aiming for the hole
Ok, maybe if you’re incredible, you can sometimes aim for the hole but for the rest of you, it’s usually a bad idea to aim directly for the hole.
12. You don’t plan for hazzards
OK, there’s a hazard 180 to the right but since i’m planning on hitting the ball straight this shouldn’t affect me. Golf courses place hazards where they know you’ll be vulnerable.
13. You’re playing 18 holes when you may benefit more from 9 holes
You may think playing more will improve your game but if you’re not enjoying it and you not improving, what’s the point in playing? Instead of 18 holes once a week, try playing 9 holes twice a week.
Your attention span and patience won’t be as tested and you’ll have more fun without scoring high on the first few holes and dreading the back 9.
14. You can get fixated on which ball you using
What ball do you use? We all know people who want the latest everything and balls are no different.
The only advice you need to know about getting golf balls is don’t buy the cheapest ones out there (unless you’re losing 15 balls a round)
15. You’re not playing with people on their level
Some of us get into golf because of a friend or colleague who plays. But what happens when you’re playing off 28 handicaps and your buddy is near to scratch? Obviously, you can play together, that’s what handicaps are for but you’re going to slow your friend down or he’s going to speed you up.
In either case, this isn’t good for golfers as the better players get a bit bored and the lesser players get more frustrated.
16. You comment on players’ balls before they stop
“Wow, Jezza, what a shot….oh….never mind”. Never comment on a golf shot until the ball has stopped moving and generally if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Giving advice to fellow players mid-round isn’t really productive, if you really do think someone will benefit from your guidance, let them know after and maybe they can work on that on the driving range instead of the course.
17. Your more concerned about fashion than the golf
Most groups of golfers have that one who loves fashion more than golf. It’s fine to be fashion conscious but you have to be reasonably good at golf.
18. You keep on checking your phone
Ok, so maybe not the car, it’s 2018 and there are a load of reasons you may need to check your phone every hour or so. But turn it off and leave in the bag and check it every 5 holes.
There’s not much more annoying on the golf course than the sound of a mobile phone going off especially when it’s in the middle of your backswing.
19. You keep on cheating or being very forgiving with your scores.
Everyone has bad shots even the professionals so don’t let it get you down. At the end of the day, cheating won’t get you anywhere. You know you cheated, they probably know you cheat so just be honest with your scores.
The biggest benefit about noting down those extra shots is it’s easier to beat your score the next time you play, rather than trying to beat a score of 85 that you didn’t even achieve.
20. You get carried away by one great shot
So you’ve had one great shot, put a monkey in an automatic car and he’ll probably get it out of the driveway and may even make it down the road but eventually, there’s going to be mistaken.
Great shots and bad shots are similar as they aren’t the norm. Your not always going to hit the ball the best you can, so when you do, perhaps give yourself a pat on the back once you have left the golf course.
21. You go crazy with one terrible shot
It’s just a golf shot. Unless your playing professionally or for an obscene amount of cash, your life isn’t going to change from a bad shot. But letting one bad shot get to you can totally ruin your game.
22. You could be benefiting from using hybrids
We’re not saying you shouldn’t buy a set of irons, but now with the availability of more hybrids which are generally easier to hit than irons, it makes sense to try a few out to see if your game could benefit.
23. You take too many or too few practice swings
You should always take at least ONE practice swing and we’d say go for two or three.
24. You don’t realise golf is a journey
You’re not going to become an amazing golfer over night. Heck, some people struggle to be an average player in a few years.
The best advice we can give here is find some golfers at your level to play with and get professional golf instruction.
25. You don’t practice enough
If you’re not prepared to put the time in to learning the basics of golf you’ll hate it and not want to practice.
Learning the fundamentals is crucial to progressing in the game of golf.
26. And when you do practice it’s wrong
The aim of visiting a driving range is to practice golf. Why are you practicing? Obviously because you want to become a better player. But to improve, you have to be doing the correct things.
Players who’ve had no golf tuition will often reach a point where they no longer improve and are reinforcing the negative methods that are causing the problems in your game. Always, always, always practice with a purpose.
27. At the range you practice with the same club over and over
100 balls? That’s 20 with the 5 iron, 20 with the 9 iron, 20 with the sand wedges, 20 with fairway woods then 20 with the driver. The problem with this?
On a golf course you’ll never, ever, ever in a million years hit 20 shots in a row with a 5 iron. We’re not saying NEVER do this, because they’ll be time when you need repetition to practice something new you’ve learnt.
If this is your routine every single time you hit the range, you need to mix it up by putting yourself in course conditions. Whack a driver, aim for a target 180 yards away etc etc. Mix it up
28. You don’t practice putting as much as the irons and drivers
Hands up, who likes practicing putting? And we don’t mean taking a few balls on the practice green and trying to sink some 30 foot putts!
To get great at putting, you need to practice a lot which includes drills to help you become more accurate and to give you a greater consistency.
Always practice short putts from 2 to 5 foot as this is where the majority of the realistic shots you can sink are from.
29. Your golf glove is wrong for you
It’s only a glove right? Well, not really. Your golf glove is what sits between the grip and your hand, so making sure you have the correct size golf for you is crucial.
Players who are more prone to sweating and developing callouses will benefit the most from a well fitted glove and try not to go for the cheapest.
Generally speaking, the cheaper the glove, the faster it will wear out.
30. You need comfier golf shoes
Now it’s much easier to get comfortable fitting golf shoes. Back in the day, most golf shoes were like business men shoes but now their closer to feeling like you’ve got your foot in a pair of Nike Air’s!
31. You’re standing too close to the ball
Standing too close to the ball and standing to far away are going to have a severe impact upon how you swing the club.
What will happen is your may have a good technique, but once you come in to hit the ball you’ll find yourself at some point needing to correct your swing.
32. You need to stop getting a buggy/cart
Getting a buggy seems like it makes the round more fun, but more commonly what you’ll find is that it hurries you up and affects your game.
Some golf courses have dedicated buggy tracks so you could be having a 40m meter walk to the ball and then realise you’ve got the wrong club.
33. You never play on your own
“I can’t get out on the course, I’ve got no one to play with”. Don’t be nervous.
34. You’ve never had golf lessons from a qualified PGA professional
We like to think of golf lessons as the maps of golf. Think about when you’re in a car and don’t know where your going, do you just hop in the car without a map or navigation or someone who know’s where your going?
No, you get guided where to go. Sometimes you’ll benefit from going direct on the motorway other times you’ll get directed through smaller roads which take longer.
Golf lessons can be intimidating because they think “If i’m this bad forever I’ll be paying for lessons forever.”
But all you need to do is find a reliable teacher.
35. You’ve never had your clubs regripped.
When did you last re grip your clubs? Infact, how long have you had your clubs? The grip can often be overlooked but it shouldn’t.