<p>I am a late pseudo-beginner at golf at 57. I hacked around the garden with one club and one ball as a kid, so I actually have a reasonable feel for it and think I could progress quite fast. I have played just a few complete rounds, but have access to a driving range and willing to put in the effort.</p>
<p>I would like to get to a level where I can comfortably play socially with pretty much anyone, without embarrassment.</p>
<p>Anyone have experience and tips on improvement at this kind of age? How did you progress? What could I hope for after a year or two?</p>
<p>^Definitely lessons- maybe an hour a week for 5-6 weeks with lots of practice time at the driving range in between. Then maybe go out with an understanding golfer friend (are there any ‘executive courses’ nearby, like ones where all the holes are par threes? Those are great courses to cut your teeth on). Going forward from there, keep going to the driving range and playing, and in a year, you will be exactly as good as you were the first day, lol, because that’s the cruel sport of golf. But you will be able to play with a group without embarrassing yourself too much and may even hit a great shot or two.</p>
<p>Yes, agree on the lessons. And then just play a lot. Be sure you learn the rules and etiquette, that is a big part of playing without embarrassment. But there will always be someone who is better… learning when to pick up to avoid slowing the group down too much, and how to just play without making excuses or acting embarrassed even when you are clearly the high scorer is also key (it can actually be pretty hard to do).</p>
<p>Lessons with a pro, and not just someone at a driving range, would be advisable. Or even a week at a golf school, if that’s in your budget. Do you have clubs? Make sure you have someone knowledgable to advise you and fit you for equipment. I agree with the recommendation that you learn the etiquette and rules of the game. Very important. There’s no way to predict what you can expect after a year or two, without knowing your innate talent, your amount of practice time and willingness to put in the time, and opportunity to play. Good luck! Golf is a game where the vast majority of its serious players are unhappy with their game, so patience is surely a virtue.</p>
<p>If you have done rotational sports - hockey, baseball, softball, maybe lacrosse - your ceiling will be much higher than if you have not. We bought my son, a baseball player retired by injury, golf clubs last week and he already hits the ball pretty well and scary long.</p>
<p>Play quickly and keep a good attitude. Pick up at double par as a guideline.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick replies. Yes, my friend is helping me on the etiquette side.</p>
<p>I had one lesson with a pro, which was good, he told me to stick my butt out and keep my back straight.</p>
<p>I can hit good shots especially with a 7 iron, my childhood club. Of course consistency and distance are not there, but the decent shots give the addictive rush. I would normally beat double par already …</p>
<p>By far weakest is off the tee with a wood, I guess that will respond to driving range practice. Usually on the range I do 50 shots each with 4 clubs then quit.</p>
<p>Two more things. While you are learning, try to find a course that looks like a giant cow pasture, not a links course with sand traps and water everywhere. It is much more forgiving of less than optimal shots and will have mostly other beginners on it.</p>
<p>Second, to tee off, use the longest club that you can consistently hit straight. My wife, a beginner who plays once every few years, hits almost every shot with the 3 iron.</p>
<p>If golf school were within your budget, I would recommend it at the point that you feel you are serious about devoting some time to becoming a better player.</p>
<p>Otherwise, do what you’re doing and practice. Hogan said “the secret is in the dirt”. It just takes a lot of swings and strokes to develop the “feel” for the game. Plus golf uses some odd muscles that need to become acclimated to the demands you’re putting on them. </p>
<p>Regarding the driver: I went to golf school years ago and had Davis Love Jr. as an instructor. He observed that he didn’t think most golfers should use their drivers until they were playing to less than a 10 handicap. Otherwise use a 3-wood or an iron off the tee to keep it in play.</p>
<p>I would buy and read Harvey Pennick’s little red books of folksy, simply golf advice. They’re priceless.</p>
<p>You’re probably not going to hit the ball a long way so concentrate on developing a simple repeating swing. I’ve heard a physics professor/golfer talk about his analysis of golf swings from data he developed by sticking sensors in the club shaft. Two main points. First, all the good golfers stop at the top of the backswing. No exceptions. Bad golfers rush that. Second, a main determination of distance is the release of the wrists in a relatively small area - often referred to as the hitting zone in golf magazines - so if you concentrate on that area, on developing your wrist release and thus clubhead speed there, you will do better than if you try to swing faster to hit it farther. He demonstrated that bad golfers tend to hold their wrists pretty still and then try to hit the ball far by swinging faster instead of swinging with an easy, natural rhythm and confining the explosive part to that small area near the bottom of the swing.</p>
<p>And of course, half your shots are putts and more are around the green, so concentrate on learning some basic wedge shots well, meaning distance and control, not how far you can hit it. It’s a really good idea to have someone show you how to explode out of a sand trap because it’s a simple trick - open club face, swing under and through the ball and it comes right up. </p>
<p>In terms of clubs, most players are more comfortable with higher number woods than long irons. Find your comfort point. If you can’t hit above a 5 iron with confidence, get a higher number wood. Very few people can hit a 2 iron confidently and now many people don’t carry 3’s or even 4’s. And some people find hitting a 2 wood is easier than a driver because of the extra bit of loft. </p>
<p>As for driving, it’s important to keep your swing under control but one bit is simple: tee the ball up the same way each time and learn where you have to stand at the ball for each club but particularly the driver and longer clubs because those are less forgiving. Better golfers do the same thing over and over while worse golfers stand here and then there.</p>
<p>My driver just broke after hitting a ball at the driving range this weekend. Instead of being mad, I’m actually pretty happy. Now there’s no longer the temptation to use it when I know the ball will just wind up on someone’s back porch.</p>
<p>One of my favorite quotes from Penick was something he told to a young golfer who had prodigious distance off the tee: “The woods are full of long-hitters”. :)</p>
<p>I picked up golf a couple of years ago. First of all, I am not good. I’m pretty sure I will never be good but I can play with people as long as they don’t have many expectations :)</p>
<p>I took a summer of group lessons and that was very helpful. One thing I do want to point out is how old are the clubs you are playing with. A mistake I think people make is using an old set of clubs thinking that when they get better they will invest in clubs. I bought a nice starter set. Clubs made today are much more forgiving than they were. Much easier to hit and you will be happier. </p>
<p>I don’t hit very far. I use my driver, my 3 wood, my 5 hybrid and my pitching wedge.</p>
<p>I don’t like driving ranges. If you go, do what a pro does. Jack Nicklaus, for example, has a set program in which he builds up from the shortest club to the longest. Very few people go to the driving range to hit wedges but you have to make your swing repeat, not whack it as far as you can. And if you can, go to one that has grass, not those mats.</p>
<p>A simple tip is to take some chalk. Seriously. Mark the side of your ball with the chalk - or rub it on the club head. That will show you where you are actually hitting the ball on the clubface. Another tip is to have someone take video of you - use a phone - and of you hitting a variety of clubs. </p>
<p>A warning about lessons. Pros tend to try to set you up the way a pro hits. But most people can’t bend very well, can’t even stand like they stand with any consistency, etc. It can be very frustrating; you’ll feel like you’ve destroyed your game. If you stick with that, if you are in solid physical shape, etc., you may improve. But it makes more sense, to me, to find a teacher who is more interested in getting you to swing well for you.</p>
<p>Play - play a lot. Find a golf course that is fairly empty in the evenings. Sign up to play 9 holes, preferably by yourself. Go out and play multiple balls. If you duff one, drop another and another. If you hit it 2 fairways over, just leave it. NOTE - DO NOT DO THIS IF ANYONE IS BEHIND YOU!!! Buy a lot of cheap golf balls - no more than $10/dozen. At this point, you can’t tell the difference between a good ball and what many golfers call a “rock.” You are not playing in the US Open, so don’t worry about your score. Just hit a lot of balls.</p>
<p>I always preferred this to banging balls on the range. It’s a lot less boring and you get instant feedback on your swing.</p>
<p>Get Golf Ready is the official PGA program for folks like you (and me)
but…<br>
as far as this…
LOL!!! I know what you are saying, but try watching some tournaments on TV. I love watching the pros hit it into the woods (hey, I can do that!!) or flub shots. If you are the sensitive type, your goal will be unattainable. As far as avoiding embarrassment, learning the rules and golf etiquette will be more important than hitting the ball far and straight every time. </p>
<p>Are we including golf tips too? I stopped using my driver. I play much better hitting it 160 yards off the tee with my 3 wood vs hitting it 190 yards into the trees with my driver. :D</p>
<p>Hubby tells me playing with me is like playing with a senior man. I may not hit the ball real far, but I can hit it straight down the fairway. I probably average about 125 yards off the tee. A pro told me if you don’t learn with the driver you’ll never transition to it naturally. </p>
<p>I went to a golf store and got fitted with clubs, not super expensive since I don’t play all the time.</p>
<p>I got a few lessons from a pro - I didn’t even know how to hold a club, but I think just playing helped more.</p>
<p>I rarely keep score. I try and play 9 holes because I get worn out by about hole 14. </p>
<p>For me I can hit off the tee and I can putt, it’s the in between. I have a mental block about using a club on the fairway - getting under it. I tend to either top it or chop into the fairway.</p>
<p>I try to avoid playing with a twosome I don’t know. I get intimidated playing the women’s tee’s while the men all stop and stare and it seems men can’t keep their traps shut on what I need to do to improve my game.</p>
<p>I play a lot of best ball as well. For work we do a lot of charity tournaments which is always best ball and if I’m out there and not doing well I just go to someone’s shot. Oh, I also throw my balls out of the sand - lol (I told you I don’t keep score)</p>
<p>What makes a good and not embarrassing golf partner? Don’t be that person spending 10 minutes looking for the lost balls in the woods. Don’t talk while someone’s up at the tee or in their back swing. Don’t make a shadow between the person putting and the hold. Oh, and a cute outfit makes up for a lot of bad playing.</p>
There’s no way to predict what you can expect after a year or two, without knowing your innate talent, your amount of practice time and willingness to put in the time, and opportunity to play. Good luck! Golf is a game where the vast majority of its serious players are unhappy with their game, so patience is surely a virtue.</p>