All around the world there are people trying to learn to play golf. Many of them don’t know how to do it the right way. Most new golfers just rush around and try and get information from a variety of sources. A mix of professional coaching, golf channel, internet, magazines and golf books is a lethal combination. As a beginner golfer have you discovered that there is already differing opinions on all facets of golf?
Golf is such a random sport. Every golf course is different. Each hole on an 18 hole course is different from the last. The conditions on these different golf courses changes every day. The equipment is well manufactured but is not made perfect. The body of every golfer is different in terms of strength, balance and flexibility. This is why golf is such a random sport. This simple fact reflects why there is so much variation in golf instruction.
How does one learn to play golf then? My advice would be to seek council from a PGA Professional either in person or via the internet. Be careful though to not mix knowledge sources. The varied information from books, to videos on the internet will confuse you and often contradict the last piece of information that you heard. Listen to this professional, follow his or her advice to the letter and practice dilligently. This is the only formula for success. You need single mindedness and good clarity to become a good golfer. The professionals you are learning from have already followed this path over the past 10 years +.
Take bite size pieces of information from the professional and practice this until the particular skill is established. There is nothing worse than trying to play golf with a checklist of 10 things to go through when you’re swinging. Ask lots of questions from your professional but keep it around the same topic. For example if you’re are getting taught the grip, ask questions about the finer points of the grip and resist the temptation to ask questions about footwork, weight transfer or something unrelated. This is the best way to learn to play golf.