Tips for a new golfer?

If you want a simple, easy way to get a feel for adding the speed without getting too bogged down in the technical stuff, follow Danny Maude and his "catapult" method. Even better would be to find you a pro and start a long-term lesson plan. I wish I had done that 30 years ago instead of developing lasting bad habits. Good luck Charlene. We need you and all your friends to play, enjoy, and grow this game.

Hi Charlene and welcome to the #TeamTitleist forums! That is a great question. Definitely check out these two drills from a couple of Titleist Staff Members and let me know if these help to answer your question!

Jennifer Hudson's "Golf Walk" Drill: www.titleist.com/.../golf-walk-drill

Dave Phillip's "Step Change" Drill: www.titleist.com/.../the-step-change-drill

Hi Emily!

Just checked out those videos! They were definitely informative. Can't wait to put what I learned into practice the next time I hit the range. Thanks again for your response!

Welcome Charlene, Great advice from Emily; any visual cue you can take from a video and translate into your own swing I'm sure will help you.My thoughts since you're asking; when you take the club back and are at the top of the backswing, the more lag you create (meaning the club remains at the top as you transition to the downswing)the more power you'll achieve at impact.As your body rotates toward the target, the arms and club will come down on their own, and release through impact, almost like a spring release when you trigger it.

There are many videos that can help, the best advice someone may give you is to find a teacher and get a lesson! Im sure in your area there is a PGA professional that would love to help you get started. Most importantly, have fun while you're out there! Good luck!

Hi Charlene:

Welcome to TT. If you have not yet, I suggest getting a lesson from a PGA teaching pro. They will be able to look at your fundamentals and give you some drills to develop a swing that will fit you, not a swing for someone else you have seen on video.

Not that some videos are not helpful, however, trying to emulate what you have seen without feedback is extremely difficult. Good luck, wishing you fairways and greens.

This is all such great advice! Thank you to everyone. (and thanks for the warm welcome as well!)

I will definitely try getting a lesson from a PGA pro in the future (Hopefully soon though, because finances are kind of tight for me right now.

As a follow-up question (open to answers from anybody! I love reading everyone's answers and advice), because finances are kind of tight for me and I might not be able to get a chance to get a lesson from a pro anytime soon, what might be a good starting point to start building a swing? I understand (from Erich's post) that peoples' swings all differ in some way, but I feel like the fundamentals should be the same (correct me if I'm wrong). Any tips for that?

Thanks again!

A good book that covers the fundamentals is "Ben Hogan-The 5 Fundamentals of Golf." It's been around forever.It should be pretty easy to find.

Great question & great responses from everyone. And welcome to TT. I agree that videos are great to watch but still recommend lessons where you can get instant feedback and drills to practice. My wife starting playing a couple years ago and while I showed her some basics taking lessons with a pro who knows what they are doing was priceless.

Good luck!

Charlene
Glad to see interest of the younger generation in the game, and glad to see the willingness to learn more about the swing. Just by inquiring and seeking help, you show that you take the game seriously, and I bet that you'll be very successful with the game, and anything else you pursue. Lots of videos are available, and yes a few lessons will be helpful if you can work it in. Sometimes what you think you're doing isn't what you're actually doing, so have someone film your swing for comparison and review. I have a friend who is a golf instructor and every time she gives me tips about my bad moves and I think I'm working on it, she pulls out the I phone and shows me different. For me it makes it more challenging and makes me more aware of my flaws. Good luck with the game and keep us informed on how well you're doing.

To answer your question: your forward hip starts the through swing.
If you take an stance with or without a club and just practice turning to a comfortable position you will notice that your hands start your backswing and your forward hip starts the through swing.
Definitely watch the videos EMILY suggested..
WELCOME ABOARD ...madgolfer hitemstraight

Hi Charlene:

One more book recommendation for you. Jack's "Golf My Way". I look at it every year before starting the season. One of the best things he says in the book is that he started every season by stressing the fundamentals, grip, stance, set up. Get these 3 things consistent and you will see instant improvement.

For short game practice, find an old Tom Watson book from the library. You can't go wrong!

To add to the other responses, its also a good idea to record your swing in slow motion. Seeing and feeling are 2 different things! I wish I had access to all the goodies like slow motion videos, launch monitors, and numerous slow motion videos of pretty much every current pga player when I was younger! Good luck and enjoy getting better!

I watch hours of videos from
Michael Breed
Mr. Short Game (Matt Fisher)
Eric Cogorno
Rick Shiels
Keith Bennett (instagram)
Me and My Golf (Andy Proudman and Piers Ward)

Plus the Ben Hogan book

To answer your original question, the hips start to turn back forward slightly before your hands stop moving backward. Just like a baseball batter is stepping forward as the hands is loading backward. The hip/shoulder separation creates rotational speed.