Golf is such an amazing sport, but it can be very intimidating when you are first starting out. How do you hold a club? How do you swing? What’s the difference between a 4-iron and a 7-iron? What happens when you hit your ball in the water? Investing in golf lessons early on can help lay a solid foundation not only for your golf game, but also for your appreciation and understanding of the game. Here are four benefits of golf lessons when you are a beginner.
Perfecting Your Technique
Sure, you can head out to the driving range or golf course and start playing. You may teach yourself how to swing or hold the club, but you may begin to develop some bad habits. A golf instructor will evaluate what you may find natural in your stance or swing and help you perfect it. Now, it may not be realistic to think you’ll take a couple of lessons and be set when it comes to your technique. Even the pros adjust their swings and techniques from time to time to find the most efficient way to play. But, nailing down what works best for you technically can help you practice more efficiently and in turn, boost your confidence which will show the next time you're playing a round.
Navigating Your Golf Bag
You're allowed a set number of golf clubs in your bag - but how do you know if you have the right ones or, better yet, how do you know when you should use each respective club? Golf clubs can get very technical and you may hear terms like loft or angle when hearing others discuss them. A golf instructor can help break down what the different clubs are and the situations when you’d be best suited to use them. Some things are obvious. You would not want to tee off using your putter. But other situations require a bit more knowledge such as understanding the differences between your woods, hybrids, or irons.
Learning the Game
Golf can be quite complex when it comes to the rules. What is the difference between a red hazard line and a yellow hazard line? What happens if you hit your ball out of bounds? Or, what happens if you want to move your ball away from a twig or branch? During your golf lessons, you can run through some of the more typical rule scenarios you may come across so you're prepared for any situation you run into on the course.
Understanding Etiquette
For as many formal, written rules there are as many unspoken rules when it comes to golf in the name of etiquette. These rules range from what to wear, how to help care for the golf course, and how to play with others. A golf instructor can walk you through some of the key things to keep in mind so you are comfortable on the course and keeping yourself and others safe. You’ll also want to learn about pace of play so you are keeping up with the group in front of you and not take too long with your shot.
This content was originally published here.