How To Learn Golf

What is the best way to learn golf? Most people tend to learn from friends and family. Typically, they will head to the driving range with a friend, or even a spouse, get a few tips on how to hit the ball, and off they go. Unfortunately, most of the information they receive is wrong. The fact is, most people are not qualified to teach. The end result of learning how to play golf this way is that you really never learn.

Other people who want to learn the game will participate in group instruction. Unfortunately, the size of these groups may result in a lack of personal attention. A student to teacher ratio of no more than 6 to 1 is the maximum recommended for these types of clinics. Any more than that and all the student receives is a broad overview of the mechanics of the golf swing, but they end up having no idea what they themselves are actually doing. The fact is, adults tend not to imitate very well compared to children. The gain some very basic knowledge from these clinics and lessons, but never really improve.

Another source of information to the prospective golfer is the internet. The internet is saturated with golf websites and golf tip videos. The prospective golfer may also venture to the nearest bookstore or library and find a wide variety of books on golf. Just about every great player to ever play the game has penned a golf book. However, even among the greats, and great instructors, there is some conflicting information, and the fact is, that information can be quite overwhelming. Furthermore, the golfer is still not provided with any personal feedback. Again, there is very little improvement to show for the effort of reading these books and studying all the video tips available.

So where does that leave the prospective golfer? Well for most people, the best answer is private golf instruction from a qualified professional. Unfortunately, private instruction can be quite costly. The best teaching professionals command anywhere from $75 to over $200 per hour. Some of the top instructors, such as Butch Harmon, require a minimum commitment of a full day of instruction, which could cost thousands.

Is private instruction a good investment? The answer to this question really depends upon the student and the instructor. There is a wide disparity in the quality of golf instruction offered to the public, so it is necessary for the prospective golfer to do some research and find an instructor with a track record, knowledge, playing ability and whom they feel comfortable with in general. After that, it is completely up to the student to take responsibility for their own learning.

Golf is a very difficult game to play well. The best players devote a significant amount of practice and effort to learning the game. They also understand that positive results take time. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people seek instant gratification. These types of golfers will never experience long term improvement.

So, what is the best way to learn golf? The best way is to seek a qualified instructor, keep an open mind, take notes, ask questions, and practice! The person with average ability can break 80 within a couple years if they develop a proper plan for improvement and execute that plan. People with greater athletic ability can accomplish this is in a year. Yes, it can be done, but only with proper planning and execution of that plan. The investment may be as much as several thousand dollars over that period of time, but the benefits will last a lifetime!f