Handy golf tips

Handy Golf Tips Every Beginner Needs to Know

Golf is great whether you’re out there with friends, colleagues, or even strangers. But every golfer wants to play better. The game is just a lot more fun when you’re playing well. Here’s some golf tips to get you on the right path toward better playing, lower scores, and better times on the links with your pals.

Avoid Big Numbers

There’s nothing like a triple or quadruple bogey to ruin your round. Not only does the scorecard look ugly because of that big number, it also is difficult to forget and move on with the rest of your round. Big numbers (like the dreaded snowman triple bogey on a par 5) are usually the result of a mental error and can usually be avoided with a little clear thinking. Have you been missing your tee shots to the right all day and there’s out of bounds on the right hand side of the hole?

Do yourself a favor and aim down the left. Even a nasty lie in the left hand rough is better than out of bounds. Speaking of the rough, maybe you’re in it with 200 yards to go and there’s a water hazard in front of the green. Sure it’s possible you could pull it off but you’d probably be better served wedging out and then hitting another wedge to a few feet and making the putt for par.

But even if you have to take a bogey, that’s a lot better than dumping it in the water and walking off with a 7 on your scorecard. Tour pros tend to win when they have the best strategy and think their way around the course. Adopt a more disciplined and smarter mental approach to the game. You’ll avoid the big numbers, play better, and enjoy the game a lot more.

Dress and Pack Appropriately for the Conditions

I know, this sounds silly but you don’t have to go out and buy the most expensive and fashionable golf attire. But you definitely want to make sure you’re dressed properly for the conditions you’ll be playing in. Take a look at the weather forecast and dress accordingly. If it’s going to be cold be sure you’re wearing pants, a jacket, and maybe even thermals underneath. Golf is difficult enough even when you feel totally physically comfortable. It gets exponentially more difficult when you’re frozen to the bone because you wore decided to wear shorts and a shirt when it’s frigid outside. Oh and if there’s any chance of rain you should definitely bring rain gear, extra gloves, and a proper golf patio umbrella. I’ve seen some absolutely great rounds played in the rain but never when the player wasn’t prepared with the proper gear.

The same principle applies for hot weather. Some pros are actually petitioning the PGA Tour to allow shorts during rounds where the temperature is over a certain number of degrees. And recently the Tour has agreed to allow shorts during practice rounds. But why do the pros want this? Well, there are legitimate health concerns about heat stroke when playing in high temperatures and high humidity but you better believe that the pros are also thinking about their scorecards. It’s much more difficult to play well when you’re close to collapsing from heat exhaustion. If you know it’s going to be hot don’t wear black slacks and a black shirt (even though that outfit usually looks quite slick). The best thing to do is dress in light colors and be sure to drink plenty of water. You’ll be able to focus on your game rather than struggling to merely stay conscious and you’ll play better as a result.

Practice Chipping and Putting Twice as Much as The Long Game

You may be thinking something like “Wait a minute! Dustin Johnson is now the number one player in the world and he hits it farther than God. I need to crush it off the tee if I want to play better golf.” Well, just because something makes sense doesn’t mean it’s true. Dustin has always been a beast but the improvements he’s made in other areas has made him the best in the world for now. Of course, it would be nice to fly it 330 yards off the tee but should probably be like DJ and focus on other aspects of the game. It’s much more important to hit the fairway rather than to be a bomber. And year after year the most important stats tend to be greens in regulation, scrambling, and putting average.

You’ll still get to grind away on the driving range but in order to lower your scores and enjoy the game more, you need to improve your short game. Check out a few chipping and putting articles and go put them to work. Maybe even take a lesson or two and then apply what you learn. The point is to recognize that we all can’t bomb it off the tee but we can all play better. Next time you’re watching a PGA event pay close attention to guys like Zach Johnson and Jordan Speith. They don’t smash it. They hit fairways, putt intelligently, and are wizards around the green. This is how you’ll play better golf.

Develop a Pre-shot Routine and Stick with It

A proper preshot routine is the simplest and most effective way to play better golf. Many amateurs never bother to develop a preshot routine and their games suffer for it. Maybe they think preshot routines are only for the pros or something silly like that but rest assured that every pro uses a functional preshot routine for a reason. They play better because of it.

Observe the pros and see how they approach every shot. They do essentially the same thing every time. But you don’t need to copy any specific player. Feel free to add your own personal style to your preshot routine but it needs to clear your mind and prepare your body for the next shot you’re going to hit. And it needs to be simple and repeatable.

Use proper Gear​

With the increase of the tech, there are a lot of devices that can help you be a better golfer. Rangefinder and GPS Watch are one of those tech that can help take your golfing to anther level try buy one and try to stick with them and surely the will transfer you with time to a good golfer, ​

Follow these handy golf tips and you’ll be well on your way to better golf.

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