How to Play Golf

You have gotten your feet wet and you have played golf for your first couple of seasons of golf. The following is a guide whether you can drive 250 yards down the middle of the fairway or the majority of your shots end up missing in action. The bottom line is that you love the game and you have decided you are going to become an accomplished golfer—and do all the work and steps below will help you get there.

Step 1: Visualize your shot before you hit it. Whether you are preparing for a tee shot, fairway shot, bunker shot, putt or shot from the rough, think about how you want to hit the ball before you address it. Think of what it will take to execute the shot and then step up to the ball and take a practice swing. If you are satisfied with that practice stroke, step up to the ball and hit it. If you don't like your practice swing, take another and do it until you get it right. However, don't change your approach. Execute the plan you decided to use before you stepped up to the ball.

Step 2: Don't try to overpower your shot. Here's the situation. A good golfer realizes that the swing is the thing and having good pace and tempo is much more important than muscling up and blasting away. The looser you are when you swing, the better the chance that you will have top clubhead speed at impact. That's what makes the ball go the greatest distance. Knowing NOT to swing as hard as you can represents a greater understanding of the game and maturity. That knowledge allows you to make significant progress.

Step 3: Plan ahead. Knowing what comes after you hit the shot will help you understand how to play the game and compete with other golfers. For example, the green may be 225 yards ahead of you, but a creek is 10 yards in front of that green. You can take your 3-wood and try to hit a perfect shot to the green and likely end up in that creek or way wide of the green, or you can take a 5-iron and hit it 175 yard and give yourself an easy approach to the green. The experienced and mature golfer will choose the latter.

Step 4: Learn how to read the greens. Once you've learned how to hit the basic shots of the game, you will quickly realize that putting makes the difference. Notice that downhill putts break either right or left while most uphill putts are relatively straight. Get behind the ball and see the slope and try to visualize how it will impact your putt. Then step up to the ball and stroke it confidently.

Practice, practice, practice. Whether you are going to the driving range, the practice green or going to play a round of golf, think about the ramifications of every shot and make the most out of it. While golf can be a relaxing hobby, it takes work and concentration to improve and become a competitor. You will enjoy your time on the course much more if you try to improve while enjoying your surroundings.