A Great Golf Swing Depends on These Lessons

In last week's Golf for Beginners column, the benefits of golf clinics were examined from the perspective of a group gathering, so that the gathering could discuss common problems and receive quick range fixes from the lesson.

A speedy review of your golf swing issues at the time they occur as well as a quick drill to help you overcome that slice or pull can help you at the moment but then you must consistently practice that drill in order to make sure it becomes second nature...so you don't have to think about it on the golf course. 

Many people come away from a golf clinic with a better understanding of a certain problem they have but rarely remember to practice exactly what they have learned...but most of the folks on-hand were NOT beginners.

For the golf beginner, a single lesson or series can help you get a more in-depth knowledge of your golf swing - it's spring so you want to get better at the game, don't you?

A lesson might last for a half-hour or even an hour, and will consist of a conversation with your golf instructor about where you are and where you want to be in the game,
any problems you are currently having (can't get the ball in the air, for example),
and then he or she will ask you to take a few swings to assess your level of competence.

Golf instructors have the option of using state-of-the-art technology to see everything from your set-up to ball launch speed but usually start a lesson by observing your golf swing.

Golfers can also opt for a package consisting of three or more personalized lessons so an instructor can get to know you, to assess any issues you are having and know your future goals. Golf instruction is a process and, if you stay with it and properly practice what you have learned after each lesson, you should see improvements for the very next session. I spread out each my lessons over a week or two so that my body and mind have time to ingrain what I have learned.

In conclusion, if you are looking to improve your golf game, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned amateur, the future of your golf swing is determined by lessons given by a qualified professional and proper practice ...take a notebook with you if you cannot remember everything you learned and stick with the process!

Share your thoughts on this golf blog in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

A Quick Fix Provided by Golf Clinics

Golf clinics are not only fun but they are also educational and may offer a quick fix (and an a-ha moment) when you need it most!

After attending a local golf clinic last week at Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center, I realized that the problems faced by many golfers also resonate with me - I slice at times, am off balance, sway a little - basic issues amateurs face if not corrected regularly by a qualified teaching professional.

Why should you attend a golf clinic?

A group lesson is a great way to review the basics of the golf swing.

At first, you receive an overview of the fundamentals to a reliable golf swing - grip, alignment, stance, posture (remember to GASP). Next, everyone hits golf balls while the teaching pro goes around to each station and, one-by-one, gives you the single best improvement you should practice for your particular golf swing at the moment he/she sees you.

Sometimes, the fix is a real revelation!

A few golf tips I learned during the clinic given by Dale Ketola, Director of the Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center:

- Learn one step at a time and practice the first step.
- Never try and learn multiple improvements
- Taking your lesson from practice to the golf course: How long does it take to translate the lesson to memory? It takes hundreds of golf balls to ingrain muscle memory and stop thinking about what you are doing!
- Practice with a purpose: don't just go out onto the range and bang balls - think about the lesson and what you have learned and apply it each time you step up to hit a shot.


If you break down the learning process into easier, smaller fixes, and practice regularly, your golf swing will improve and the golf clinic will have proved successful.

Have you found a value to attending golf clinics? Let us know in the comments section of our Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Leader in Myrtle Beach Golf Adds New Travel Column

It is with great pleasure to announce that, in addition to authoring this golf blog, I will also be writing a golf and travel column for "the leader in Myrtle Beach golf.".

MBN.com, a long established tee time service for the Grand Strand, wanted to add a new perspective for travelers visiting the Myrtle Beach area and locals who would be interested in stretching their familiarity beyond the beach and golf courses. With a wealth of over fifteen years of publishing golf and travel blogs on Golf for Beginners and beyond, writing about Myrtle Beach was a natural match!

Exploring Myrtle Beach has brought us to this point - when my husband and I moved to the Grand Strand, (from New York) we wanted to feel comfortable in our new hometown. Five years after making the migration to Myrtle Beach, it is my pleasure to be able to share my experiences and unique perspective with my audience.

What better way to kick off the new MBN.com column than with an article about how to balance golf, your dog and a Myrtle Beach vacation! Einstein, our seven-year-old German Shepherd, goes practically everywhere with us (except on the golf course, but he does have his very own golf cart). 

Future articles subjects may include, "Where to Shop While Your Husband Plays Golf", "Places to Play More Golf After Finishing Your Round", and more! I'm hoping that my readers will help with more topics.

For my readers that may be considering a trip to the Myrtle Beach area (or even surrounding areas), feel free to ask me questions and I will be most happy to give you the "skinny" on the best of the beach.

Post your suggestions in the comments section of this golf blog and also on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Is Your Driver To Blame for Lack of Distance or Is It You?

Both driver and golf swing can be to blame for lack of distance off of the tee ...here's why.

During the course of a conversation with my teaching pro, Dale, I mentioned that I need to find ways to increase my driving distance. I am just not getting enough length off of the tee to put me into striking distance for more birdie opportunities. 

We investigated my golf swing and yes, my kinematic sequence is off so I am practicing driving more from my legs but there also seems to be a problem with the length of my driver shaft.

Dale measured me - and my Callaway X2 Hot driver - and found that my driver shaft is too long - Dale is about 6'2" and his driver shaft measures out at approximately 1 1/2 inches shorter than mine!

What impact can a too-long driver have on the average golfer?

According to Dale, and to PGA Tour professional Bubba Watson, the length of your driver can affect your distance off of the tee. Where you might think that the longer the shaft the more distance off of the tee, the opposite is true.

"Trying a longer shaft is a popular suggestion these days, but most players should, if anything, try a shaft half an inch shorter than what's in their driver. (The average, off-the-rack driver shaft today is 45½ inches)", writes Bubba Watson.

 "Tiger Woods at his longest used a relatively short 43½-inch driver, with a steel shaft to boot. You'll find it easier to hit the sweet spot with a shorter shaft, and you can go after tee shots without losing much control."

 What else can you do to a driver in order to get more distance?

Golf instructors believe that a higher lofted driver will increase your launch angle and provide you with more carry and roll.

Where these two factors (shaft length and loft) should help improve distance with your driver, it is also important to have a teaching professional look at your golf swing as the problems may not lie with your driver but with your angle of attack.

According to PGA Pro Mark Crossfield, "the way you deliver the club to the ball also has a massive effect on launch and spin."


Is it your driver or is it you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Are Changes to the Rules of Golf Hurting Your Game?

For amateurs during a friendly golf game forgetting, or even neglecting, to follow some of the rules changes may not add up to a big difference in score but, in professional tournaments, the results could lead to unfavorable decisions.

Recently, several PGA Tour players have complained about the new rules of golf.

Rickie Fowler at the WGC-Mexico tournament, for example, dropped a ball from shoulder height (instead of at the knee) and incurred a one-stroke penalty. Fowler said, "I think, with the new rules that have been put in place, it's not doing any favors for our sport. I get to drop from my knee and look stupid.' So, no, like I said, it was on me, but I think it's a terrible change."

Related: How Flubs from PGA Tour Golfers Teach the Rest of Us

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers' take? "As professionals, we all have to know the rules...the rules are an important part of our game."

How are the changes to the rules of golf affecting your game? (For a detailed list, follow the link.)

First, let's briefly go over a few of the positive rules changes:

1. No penalties for accidentally moving your golf ball during search and on the putting green.
2. Relief is given for an embedded golf ball (except in sand).
3. Eased rules on touching impediments in the bunker.

Related Read: Sportsmanship and the Rules of Golf

Perhaps these would be considered negative rules changes:
1. Drop golf ball from knee instead of from shoulder height.
2. Leave flag in when putting.

As an amateur, I struggle with the new rules change of leaving in the flag when putting - my playing partners have asked me, "do you want the flag in or out" when, in previous events, there was no choice to be made.

Dave Pelz has mentioned that the flag left in the hole can actually help the odds of your ball finding the bottom of the cup.

"Perhaps most surprising, when the flagstick leans either slightly toward the golfer or away, the odds of it helping to keep the ball in the hole increase: With the flagstick leaning away from the golfer, the hole becomes effectively larger; when the flagstick leans toward the golfer, the ball rebounds downward, again helping shots find the hole."

It is important, however, to check the severity of the flagstick lean as it can also prevent your ball from going in the cup.

Do you find that the adjusted rules of golf have had unfortunate consequences on your round (you have been penalized, for example)? Feel free to write your comments below and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Strengthen These Muscles to Improve Your Golf Swing

Phil Mickelson's calves are trending!

The internet is abuzz about Phil Mickelson's calf muscles, previously visible to friends and family but now seen by all those who search thanks to a new PGA ruling allowing shorts during practice rounds.

Calf muscles (aka gastrocnemius and soleus muscles), combined with other muscles of the leg, "help you to keep a solid base during the swing, and also are responsible for generating some power through impact, adding swing speed," states Paul Myers in his swingmangolf.com article.

The @PGATOUR just announced that shorts are allowed for pro-am and practice rounds. Word is they saw my Insta-structionals in shorts and felt this move needed to happen. Well played, Sir. Well played!😎 pic.twitter.com/vGCM36EoEF

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 18, 2019

A fitness regimen which includes calf flexibility exercises can improve power in your golf swing.

What other muscles should you work to improve your golf swing?

In addition to leg muscles, the buttocks, chest muscle, obliques, forearms and Latissimus Dorsi, when used in concert and properly functioning, all aid you in your golf swing.

It isn't just about muscular strength, said Mickelson after winning the AT&T at Pebble Beach. Proper stretching and a nutritious diet are helping Phil stay competitive against the PGA Tour's up-and-coming 20-somethings.

“The science is so much better nowadays than it was in his time,” Mickelson said. “The medicines, the fitness knowledge, the nutritional knowledge in all these areas, we're able to take advantage of that and get our bodies to recover, get our bodies to perform to function much more efficiently." ...Phil Mickelson

At almost 49 years old, Phil Mickelson is still a force to be reckoned with on the PGA Tour, attributing his success to increased recovery time, a healthy diet, exercise and creating a more stable base rather than working at building bulk.

For the young guns of the PGA Tour, take a tip from Phil and get started on a fitness regimen today and you might still be competitive when you hit the ripe old age of fifty!

Is Mickelson getting stronger on the PGA Tour? Voice your opinion in the comments section of Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.