5 Golf Fundamentals Every Beginner Should Know - Guest Post

This week, Golf for Beginners is excited to have Justin Kuehn, Hampton Golf's V.P. of Marketing, write a guest post on golf fundamentals. Enjoy!
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Golf is a game of fine motor skills and discipline. If you don't have the basics mastered, you'll never succeed. Here are 5 golf fundamentals which every beginner should become acquainted.

Are you ready to get serious about the game of golf? If so, you are joining one of the most popular clubs in the world. In fact, nearly 1 million new golfers entered the ranks from 2015 and 2016. What a world awaits you on this journey.

There are over 33,000 golf courses in 209 different nations across the globe. Now is the time to master the basics so that you can compete on any golf course in the world.

Read on to learn more about golf fundamentals. Explore 5 golf fundamentals that every beginner should master.

1. Golf Fundamentals Start With Knowing the Rules

Before hitting the green, you need to read up on the rules of the game. There are far too many rules to learn in just one sitting. Also, each different course may have its own specific rules regarding the field of play.

The Rules of Golf are very particular and you are penalized for not following them. There is a rule for everything from the number of clubs in your bag to moving items that are obstructing your swing.

2. Learn How to Score the Game

After reading up on the rules, you have to learn how to score a game. A term called par is assigned to each hole on the course.

This is the number of strokes that it will take a skilled player to complete the hole. Par is determined based on the length of the course and its difficulty level. If you complete the hole in one or two strokes less than par, it is called a birdie or eagle, respectively. If you finish in one or two strokes more than par, it is called a bogey or double bogey.

3. Develop Your Stance

Golf is a game of fine motor skills and rigid discipline. Mastering stance is one of the first things to develop in your golf game.

You want to set your feet about shoulder-width apart. This allows for an even weight distribution on each foot.

The next step is to slightly bend your knees to allow for flexible lower body movements. The final step is adjusting your hips. Set your hips slightly back to generate momentum for your swing.

4. Keep Your Head Down

Now that your stance is set, it is time to swing. Even the professionals continue to work on their swing throughout their career.

A fundamental tip for your golf swing is to keep your head down from start to finish. This will help you hit the ball squarely and avoid shanking the ball off target.

5. Follow Through

Many beginners suddenly stop their swing after contact. This is a mistake and greatly reduces the forward momentum that propels the ball.

Instead, you should follow through after making contact. Continue your swing upwards after contact until you reach the back of your opposite shoulder.

Wrapping It Up

Golf is a popular and competitive game with worldwide appeal. While the game is complex and requires a fundamental understanding of rules and scoring, you can quickly become passionate about all things golf-related! If you’re ready to start learning this rewarding and enjoyable sport, start by reaching out to golf pros in your area and schedule some lessons.

Justin Kuehn is VP of Marketing for Hampton Golf, one of the top Golf Course Management companies in the United States. When he’s not working he can be found on a golf course getting his swings in.

Want more golf beginner tips? Comment below and @Golf4Begnners!

How to avoid a snowball effect in your golf swing.

With the New Year upon us, golfers thoughts turn to fervid resolutions of more purposeful practice with the hopeful results showing through fewer strokes and a lower handicap.

 

Work and life get in the way and, for golfers who had glitches in their golf swing from the start, it is inevitable that those inconsistencies will creep back into the swing. Practicing the basics of the golf swing can save your season and can stop a small swing flaw from turning into into a swing hitch.

 

Golf for Beginners presents excerpts from an article by Brant Kasbohm, PGA Director of Instruction for FixYourGame.com called "The Snowball Effect".

 

What better way to start a New Year than with the fundamentals of a good golf swing?

 

The Snowball Effect, By Brant Kasbohm

 

We all know how (in our lives) one bad decision can breed others, or how one small white lie can lead to more & bigger ones. Such is true in the golf swing. One minor flaw in any of the core fundamentals will only compound and grow as you swing the club. This is the snowball effect—think of the cartoons of the snowball rolling down a hill getting bigger and bigger as it continues to roll. The problem (both snowball and golf swing) gets bigger and bigger the farther it goes.

 

So how do you stop the snowball from rolling when it comes to your swing?

 

You have to focus on the core fundamentals—grip, posture, alignment (aka G.A.S.P.). Most people grip the club poorly (commonly known as a weak grip) with the club in the palms of the hand. This limits the flexibility in your wrists and forearms, which inhibits your release of the club, which causes an open club-face, which causes a slice. People also have bad posture, with their spines crooked, and out of balance. This limits the flexibility and inhibits the torso rotation which reduces club-head speed, and can cause an outside-to-in swing path, which also causes a slice. To correct these flaws, people aim farther to the left to allow for the slice, and guess what happens? The farther left you aim, the more the ball slices. This is how the snowball effect works in golf. I’ve seen this happen hundreds of times.

 

Read the full article and view videos on FixYourGame.com

 

"Mr. Kasbohm's instruction philosophy focuses on the core fundamentals of grip, posture, alignment, weight transfer, and acceleration. These fundamentals are not sexy or exciting, but provide a solid foundation for a repeatable golf swing." FixYourGame.com

 

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