Get Into Enjoying Golf - Your First Practice Routines

Travelers often question me about the first things they should do to start enjoying Myrtle Beach golf and my reply is always the very same. Beg, borrow or purchase a inexpensive putter and a pitching wedge for around $10-$12 each. Get 20-25 golf balls from your friends, a nearby golf club or a cheap sports goods outlet. That is all you need - one putter, one club and a bag of balls.

Go to that preferred Myrtle Beach golf course where there should be a practice putting green. This can typically be free or very low cost. To start with just learn to putt from all parts of the green - uphill and downhill putts; short ones and longer ones, straight ones and 'curved' ones. Dedicate as much time as neccessary with your putting skills.

When you feel you have the hang of putting, learn to chip shots from somewhere between 5-12 feet from the green towards the flag. This can be more difficult then it sounds, and in a round of golf this is where most shots are dropped.

Often the biggest difficulty novice golf players have with the chip shot is how far back to take the club and accelerating through the ball. This demands practice and many, many chip shots.

The actual common slipups which golfers make playing this shot are 'grounding' (hitting the ground first) the club before striking the ball or 'topping' the ball - hitting it too high.

Chipping will require you to use a much more upright stance - that is with your feet almost together and no more than 2-3 inches apart. Your hands will need to be 'ahead' of the ball, this means that they are at a slight angle in front of the ball as you strike it.

You really only need to take the club back a limited range to strike the ball - probably no more than 12-24 inches dependent on how far you would like the ball to travel. Ensure that you make good, clean contact and ensure that you strike the ball in the center of the club. This is vital.

All you want to do is lift the ball a little up in the air to be sure you will clear the fringe around the putting green and land the ball on the green to run towards the hole.

To help you evolve your chipping approach, observe how the pro's do it and to note of their stance, how they address the ball, the extent of the backlift and accelerating through the ball as they strike it. Constantly practice these techniques and practice, practice and practice doing this yourself around the green.

Chipping is a much ignored component of the game for amateurs, and I can assure you, as a new golfer you will have to play a lot of chip shots. Often excellent golfers do, but they practice them often. You must keep your eye on the ball and always make sure you strike it in the right place at the correct speed to prevent these blunders.

These particular two simple practice methods will assist you in being well prepared for learning other parts of the game. You most certainly need to put in about 50-60 hours just learning to putt and a identical amount of time on chipping and, of course, the practice needs to be sustained if you want to develop into a very good golfer.

Keep in mind - Tiger Woods, Anikka Sorenstam, David Beckham and Roger Federer did not come to be the great sportsmen/women they are without first learning some basic techniques and you won't enjoy your game so much without learning how to do it appropriately. Start by talking with a golf master to find the best