Golf is an intricate but exhilarating sport that people of all ages and body types can enjoy. You do not need to be a professional athlete to practice the basics of golf that will lead you to success on the green. Here are some tips for golf beginners about your positioning and types of shots to hit throughout central Florida, from St. Augustine to New Smyrna Beach.
Self-Positioning
Your posture, position, and grip are the first crucial steps to playing golf most effectively. You should bend your body to a 30-degree angle, and keep your spine as straight as possible when doing so. If you view the golf swing as a turning motion with your spine as the central column, you will have a more efficient putt swing. This requires strong strength in your core region, which may require some extra training. Flexibility is also an important component to this and will increase both your shot distance and accuracy.
The grip is another basic yet critical part to master. You want to hold your golf club in front of you at eye level with your dominant hand, and put the pad on your non-dominant at the top of the club, with your fingers closed around it.
Putting
When putting, your stroke should resemble a pendulum swing, and be kept at a constant speed. Your shoulders should stay level, having your putter in line with your forearm. You should never have the shaft of the putter dip below or above of your arms. Take a stroll in your EZ-Go golf cart and observe how the golfers out there position themselves and putt… observation is one of the best ways to learn!
Short Game - Chipping and Pitching
Chipping is often used for shorter distances, and therefore uses a smaller swing. It will spend more time on the ground than in the air, looking for a predictable and controllable trajectory. Your stance should be narrow with most of the weight resting on your lead foot, with the ball positioned close to you, just forward of the big toe of the trail foot. Keep your club handle even with your lead leg’s thigh, and keep the shaft more vertical. The strike point of a chip shot is ball first; you should essentially hit the middle of the golf ball. Your positioning allows for the shot to have a steeper attack angle.
The setup for pitching is similar to preparing for a chip shot. However, instead of leaning most weight into your lead foot like when chipping, you’ll only want to put about 55-60 percent of your weight into the lead foot. Your stance will not be as narrow, with your feet a bit further apart and knees more flexed. The ball position should be forward and in the middle line of your stance, creating a triangle between your big toes and the ball position. The strike point of a pitch shot, unlike that of a chip shot, will contact both the ground and ball at the same time; you’ll be hitting the bottom of the ball.
Long Game – Iron Shots and Hitting the Driver
When hitting the driver, your weight should be balanced equally on each foot. You’ll want to hit the ball on a slightly upward motion during your swing. Keep your weight equally distributed when making forceful contact with the ball.
When looking to make a long play, you’ll need to learn how to iron shot. As opposed to hitting the ball on the upward swing, you’ll want the club to hit the ball at the very bottom of your swing arc, with the ball sitting slightly forward of the center of your stance, with a little over half of your weight on the lead foot. Keep your weight distribution the same when you swing, and make solid, strong contact. Though attempting these plays takes up a lot of space, there are many areas throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties you can practice on to master these.
If you’re considering getting into golfing more seriously, you’ll want to have a reliable golf car to get you around. Contact Tee Time Golf Carts today to take the first steps towards getting a safe, reliable, and fun EZ-Go or Tomberlin golf car for you and the whole family.
