Golf Swing Tips for Beginner Golfers

If you are new to golf, you need to learn the basics of the golf swing. The reason most beginner golfers struggle with their golf swing, is they do not understand what causes the ball to do what it does. If I had been taught at the beginning, I would have eliminated a lot of frustration.

Cure your slice

The most common swing mistake that amateur golfers make is coming over the top in their downswing. This causes the ball to spin clockwise, sending the ball curving to the right, if right handed and counter clockwise, sending ball left, if left handed. In this article we will be referring to the right handed golfer for the remaining golf tips. When I first started playing golf, I remember swing the club and almost every time the ball would slice. I would go to the driving range and hit hundreds of balls, with no improvement. That is until I learned what was causing the slice. There could be several reasons why your downswing is coming over the top. This means that your swing  is going threw the ball with an outside to inside path. The best way to analize your  downswing is to take a practice swing without the ball and leave a divot. Your divot should be parallel with the target line. If your divot is angled and pointing to the left of your target. You have come over the top and ball will have spin, causing a slice. Also, make sure your club face is square at impact. An open face club at impact will cause the ball to slice as well.

Fix slice Tips:

Use a strong grip, light grip pressure and relaxed forearms (This helps square the club face at impact).
Take club straight back on backswing, and change the swing plane to inside-out on downswing.
Don't spin your hips at the start of your downswing. Start your downswing with the dropping of your arms first and then your legs, hips and shoulders should shift toward target. concentrate on shifting your hips toward your target. Your hips will turn naturally.
Cure Hook

A hook shot is when the ball is curving in a right-to-left motion across the sky. For the ball to do this, it must be spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. Like explained above you can  confirm this by looking at the direction of your divot. The divot will  be pointing right, with the ball ending up well left of the divot's direction. This is a classic hook. Hitting a hook as a beginner, while rare, can happen.  With beginners a hook is usually caused by a closed club face at impact. Although, hard for beginner golfers to accomplish, you could also be swinging with an extremely inside to outside swing path. Or a combination of both.

Fix Hook Tips:

Weaken your grip to a more neutral position (turn hands to the left).
Check your aim and alignment, pick your target and place a club along the line of your feet, place another club parallel to this one and position the ball in the middle of your stance.
Check that your aim is where you want the ball to go! The ball being further back in your stance will delay the club face closing through impact.
make sure your hands and wrists are in the correct position at impact . You absolutely must be sure your wrists are not turning over too soon.
Cure Topping The Ball


Topping the ball is very typical of a beginner golfer, There are even times when the pros top the ball. Understanding why this happens, will help you figure out why you are doing it. There are a few reasons why you could be topping the ball. First, your body is raising up through impact. In other words, You started your setup with your body bent over, then you raised up your body at impact. Because of your head and arms raising up, your club comes off the ground, above your initial set up position. This raising of the club face at impact is causing the topping of the ball.

The next reason could be, you set up to the ball with your arms extended out, and in your downswing you are bending your arms. This bending of the arms (chicken wing) shortens the swing arc. resulting in the club face coming into contact with ball at a higher point.

How do we fix topping the ball?

fix Topping ball:

Swing at it easier! Beginners should concentrate on getting good contact with the ball not distance. Once you have perfected your swing and consistency, the distance will come. You need to learn how to crawl before you walk and walk before you run.
Concentrate on keeping your head from lifting up and keep arms extended on impact.
use a short backswing,
When on the practice range, only try to hit half the distance you would normally. You will be surprised how much further your ball will go when your club face and swing path are correct.
Start your practice shots with short irons (wedges, 8,9 iron) and work your way up to the longer shots. perfect your short game and Ultimately accuracy will give you distance.
These are some of the most common problems beginner golfers have when trying to play this great game. Golf can be very frustrating. Most beginners will give up way before they figure out the why's and how's of the game. Be patient and calm. Most of all, have fun and enjoy your time on the course or practice range.