Golf, the famed club-and-ball sport, is one which is easy to learn but definitely hard to master. Just look at the pool of golf legends that we have as of today. Ask any one of them, and they would surely agree to the above statement. Well of course they have an innate talent within them, but they still worked hard to earn their spot. If you would really think about it, golf doesn’t technically deserve that infamous term “lazy man’s” sport. With the discipline that has to be embodied to be really good at it, a golfer is far from being an indolent player.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player and whether you are in for recreational purposes or for a competition, there are ways to make the best out of it and enjoy the whole game. Why play it if you won’t have a good time, right?
Here are ten ways that would help you to make that possible. Be ready to have your best golfing experience ever!
1.Invest in a few good clubs and balls
First and foremost, you can’t play golf if you don’t have what you need to play it. Buy clubs and balls which are of good quality or from those brands who are known for their good products. If you are on a tighter budget, fret not. There are second hand clubs and balls which are surely still in good condition. They key is having the right eye for such quality equipment.
Now, before you officially purchase, try them first. If possible, go to a larger golf shop or driving range, and test your clubs. In a golf game, you can carry as many as 14 clubs in your bag but not necessarily that much.
2. Invest in teaching lessons
There a lot of golfing teaching lessons available. There are some whose way is teaching indoors with an exact replica of a real outdoor golf course. Choose a coach or a professional who can help you by teaching you the basics and then honing your skills as you progress. A good teaching lesson would really help tremendously in your game and it would give you the confidence that you need once you enter the golf course.
If you are confident in your abilities, success in the round is very highly probable, thus increasing the chances of you having your best golfing experience.
3. Clean your balls
The balls might be at the bottom of the list of your priorities in golfing or not even there at all, but they actually matter too. Believe it or not, a ball’s condition has an effect on its speed and trajectory. So before you play, make sure that your balls are all cleaned up from any dirt or tiny debris that might be caught in there. It is a miniscule detail but still as important as everything else. Remember that little things do matter in having the best golfing experience ever.
4. Your equipment and your skills ARE SEPARATE entities
Yes, put effort in acquiring quality equipment. On the other hand, don’t forget the other variable which is just as important. Your skills must be present too if you want to have the best golfing experience you could ever have.
A best golfing experience is one which you can make the lowest number of strokes called a stroke play or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round known as a match play. That is possible, not only because of good equipment but more because of good skills. Good skills, on the other hand, would be possible with lots of practice and determination.
So yes, it really takes two to tango. Good equipment and good skills must both be present but must be dealt with separately.
5. Your hands, arms, and shoulders AREN’T SEPARATE entities
Never ever let your hands work independently from your arms and shoulders! The result would be a not-so-good stroke and swing that won’t end well. Remember that these are the sacred trinity of golfing.
An excellent work combination of the three would give you a good grip of the club and the right strength of the swing that will send that ball down the hole. You can achieve that by doing exercises which target your muscles in those areas. Toning them would give you power that would result into your optimal performance in the golf course.
6. Work on your stance
Wherever you want the ball to land, it won’t go there if your overall stance is poor. In order to not fail in this, you have to bear in mind the distance between your club and your body, the bending of your knees, your hips, and your posture. Make sure that all four are just right. It will take time, maybe months, for you to feel at ease and not stiff nor awkward with your stance. But isn’t every good thing comes with time?
7. Don’t be unsettled by other golfers
This one can ring a bell especially with beginners. In a huge golf course, you would most likely end up in the same vicinity with other players, some of whom might be a seasoned player compared to you. You might feel shy to be watched by them which is okay, but don’t let their presence take away your A-game.
If they aren’t nice people and seem to be menacingly criticizing your grips and swings, don’t show them that you are affected. Now, most of the time, some of them are actually nice and just really wants to watch you or maybe even learn techniques from you too.
Always remember that golfing is also a chance to make friends and form many connections that might come in handy for you one day. Don’t take away such opportunity from yourself by being unsettled with other golfers’ presence. You should rather see it as a perfect time to show off what you have got.
8. Move on when it’s frustrating
It is a no-brainer that golf is quite difficult. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or one who has already been playing a lot. There might be instances where you just can’t easily put the ball to where you want it to be. Swing after swing but nothing. You might be so embarrassed that you just don’t want to keep scores anymore.
Frustration is a golfer’s main enemy. If you let it take over you, you would really have a very bad golfing day. So when you find that your grips, swings, as well as all the outer factors aren’t going in your favor, just let it go. Every golfer has his/her bad days. You aren’t your losses. Just shake it off and just enjoy the fact that you have the time and resources to play one of the world’s most favorite sport.
9. Prepare for the 19th hole
The end of a golf round is usually the best part of the experience. After all the 18 holes, the 19th hole comes which is just a fancy term for the bond of the golfers after which usually includes a lot of talking, laughter, and drinks.
The players would finally have the time to engage in a much more pleasing conversation compared to what they could have back in the golf course during a round. Here they could compare their scorecards, talk about their story of being fond of the sport, inquire about cheaper but high quality equipment, and so much more. Plans for another game on another day might be made which could induce more feeling of excitement.
10. Believe in yourself
Ultimately, you have to trust in yourself. You might have the quality equipment, the competent lessons, the skills, the right stance, the right attitude, but if you deeply doubt yourself, all of the others would do nothing at all to make you enjoy your game.
It doesn’t matter if you are only playing for fun or if you are keenly keeping scores. Know that you are the one gripping the club, meaning that you are in charge, so really give yourself some credit. Even just a mental mantra saying that you are a good golfer might go a long way.
It has been proven that a positive outlook, in general, manifests positive or good things. Meaning that even if you aren’t that excellent yet, thinking positive might make you more energized and more believing, thus resulting into a performance that might really surprise you, yourself.
So there you have it! The ten ways to have the Best Golfing Experience. From the equipment to be used down to things you should control on yourself, having a good game really needs effort. There are a lot of other things which could be added into this list, but if you follow not just one but all these main ten advices, a nice game could already be expected. It is a promise that you would leave that golf course with the biggest smile.
