My 1st decent evening !

elvis jones

Only started swinging a club properly a few weeks ago and am going to the to range 3 times a week with my 130 set of starter clubs:D

Well i hit about 100 balls a session and this evening for the 1st time about 90% of my balls went well !!

I've had an awful time with slicing off the driver but even that went well this evening.

Its good to to leave the range smiling for a change:cool:

I'll keep this up and play some par 3 for a few months. Off to the states next year where i'll upgrade my clubs !!!!!

Any advice or tips for a newbie. I'm in it for fun and exercise and not competitions etc........

ratzy

I used to slice my driver then i closed the face of it a little now there going dead straight

elvis jones

Yeah I tried that and it's helped a lot. When I am buying a driver should I look for 1 with a closed head ? The one I have at the moment is just a cheap starter.

SoupyNorman

Good man Mr. Jones, welcome to a very very frustrating game when it's going bad and the greatest game in the world when it goes good.

My two cents is dont try pull apart every little thing so soon in your immersion in the golfing world. You could hit 500 balls straight and true in the range but out on the course it's a different kettle of fish, all this you will learn.

Dont put too much emphasis on the clubs either. No matter how cheap clubs are they are designed to hit the ball, technically Tiger Woods should be able to win with a set of Dunlops!!

I myself am getting back into the game, I couldnt really play while in college for 4years as I had to work weekends so I bought a new set of Rams for about 300euros and heading out at every available opportunity.

Also, get yourself familiar with the Handicap system and how Stableford points work (if you dont know already).

redzerdrog

id recommend leaving the driver in the bag and concentrating on your irons and woods for a good while

SoupyNorman

redzerdrog wrote: »

id recommend leaving the driver in the bag and concentrating on your irons and woods for a good while

I was playing St Margret's Sat. Kept trying to burst the ball with the driver with disastrous results so after 5 holes of this madness I took out my 5 Iron and hit that off the tee for the rest of the Par4/5's. Scored on nearly every hole after including a Par on the index1.

It's an awful mindset to have, thinking a driver is the only option on the tee box.

spacecoyote

My advice would be to get yourself out swinging on a golf course. Its all well and good spending time on the range, but you really won't get a feel for it until you start playing some golf. I know there can be a bit of fear factor heading out for a game that you might embarass yourself or hold people up, but everyone has to start somewhere, so go out for a game with some friends who know where you're at and relax and enjoy the game no matter how you're scoring

elvis jones

Thanks for the posts !!

I just mentioned the driver becuse of the slice, i spend the majority of my time with the irons working on my swing and the putting green.

The range i'm a member of has a great area to work on fairway shots. Just want to have a basic level of shot beofre i go near a course.

There is also a great Par 3 (140 to 210 ) there that i am going to play weekly to work on approch play and putting.

I understand playing off the tee is only one part of the game and within the next 8 weeks i do intend to play a course !

6 Iron is the club i like the best, i use it a lot to work on my swing and stance. Is this good ?

Any advice of a good course to play on dublins northside for a newbie ( there will be 2 of us going out )

Myksyk

elvis jones wrote: »

I'm in it for fun and exercise and not competitions etc........

Yeah, it starts like this. But you'll soon find it different as the addiction progresses!

elvis jones

Myksyk wrote: »

Yeah, it starts like this. But you'll soon find it different as the addiction progresses!

Na, up until a few weeks ago i hated most things about the game ( sorry ). A lot of it is so far up its own ass that its not funny. By that i mean the idiots that look down their nose at you because you have sports clothing on you at the driving range:rolleyes:

The man that got me interested was John Daly. I like his laid back style and personality ( rare in golf )

I hope no one is insulted by the above.

elvis jones

Also meant to ask if you think lessons are a good idea. I did one a few years ago and fill my basic stance and swing are there, but would a lesson just help out and stop bad habits before they start ?

Daithio9

elvis jones wrote: »

Also meant to ask if you think lessons are a good idea. I did one a few years ago and fill my basic stance and swing are there, but would a lesson just help out and stop bad habits before they start ?

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

elvis jones

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

Thanks for your toughts Daithi........

Whyner

Myksyk wrote: »

Yeah, it starts like this. But you'll soon find it different as the addiction progresses!

+1

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

-1

elvis jones

Ok i'll give a monthly addiction update:D

Kai

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

So no-one has ever improved their game by getting lessons from a professional. :eek: I have not taken a lesson but that statement is just nonsense tbh.

ratzy

elvis jones wrote: »

Also meant to ask if you think lessons are a good idea. I did one a few years ago and fill my basic stance and swing are there, but would a lesson just help out and stop bad habits before they start ?

Personally i tink lessons are great im only a junior i got a lesson before i went out playing a comp tried everything the pro told me a scored 42 points. 20euro for 30 mins isnt dat bad

SoupyNorman

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

Thats a very sweeping and inaccurate statement. I do understand that there maybe a general view that lesson dont help but I believe that there are many people who are chronic lesson takers and when they dont see immediate improvement from one pro they hop to the next.

Lessons can be an excellent helping hand on the road to becoming an accomplished golfer but the most important element is practice and some!

elvis jones

Had a look at deerpark for my 1st round, any thoughts ??

SoupyNorman

elvis jones wrote: »

Had a look at deerpark for my 1st round, any thoughts ??

Havnt played it in years but any Parkland course is probably the best to start out on.

Daithio9

elvis jones wrote: »

Had a look at deerpark for my 1st round, any thoughts ??

Be careful not to hit the deer.

elvis jones

Daithio9 wrote: »

Be careful not to hit the deer.

What night are you playing the comedy festival ? I might go, getting tickets shouldn't be a problem:rolleyes:

Daithio9

elvis jones wrote: »

What night are you playing the comedy festival ? I might go, getting tickets shouldn't be a problem:rolleyes:

It's your lucky night.

kingshankly

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

oh jesus not another one

elvis jones

WhAt, you mean his posts aren't serious :eek::D

elvis jones

Played 18 holes of par 3 today and shot 93. Only made par on one hole, but was happy with it overall !

My chipping and putting went well. Hitting from the fairway is something I really have to work on.

It's a lovely par 3 at the heritage and I'm a member there now so hope to play it a bit !

jimjo

Daithio9 wrote: »

It's your lucky night.

kingshankly wrote: »

oh jesus not another one

Was wondering were Conno went to!

ladyofthelake

Just goes to show that practice makes perfect. I've heard that golf is the hardest sport to master. Other sporting professionals in all disciplines say that the hardest sport it golf.
Just wait till you make your first birdie!

HashSlinging

Daithio9 wrote: »

Lessons are a waste of time and money you'll never learn to play properly with lessons from a pro.

I think getting lessons can be beneficial after one or two years of playing.

Theres some handy tips on youtube OP

Oliverdog

elvis jones wrote: »

The man that got me interested was John Daly. I like his laid back style and personality ( rare in golf )

There are many of John's attributes that we'd all do well to emulate. There are also also some that you might do well to steer clear of ! :eek:

When you take your bucket of 100 balls to the driving range, don't go blasting them all off with the driver. You never (or shouldn't) hit two drivers in succession on the golf course. Try to imagine you're playing holes of golf, and use perhaps driver/3 wood, then a long or mid iron, then a short iron, then on to your next imaginary hole.
You can even have an imaginary friend to discuss your game with as you go along.

This way, you'll develop a better feel for the various clubs you will use, and care about the set-up. And it's easier on the muscles.

elvis jones

I normally try about 15 balls with each club from my 9 iron down to the driver.

When the weather is good i do it in the grass area (with tees) outside and not in the bays. Also want to try working off the grass with my higher irons to work on approch play after a tee shot.

demac71

im playing years and wont use the driver at all. i have a bigger percentage of straight shots with 3 or 5 wood offf the tee and cant hit it much further with the driver anyway. and just so you dont feel bad about not using it, henrik stenson never uses a driver

elvis jones

I'm leaning that way at the moment. The 3 wood is so much easier to control and I like hybryd clubs as well.

The irons off the grass will be my focus this week. From my par 3 experience it's what I need to work on most, approch play from the rough and fairway.

My chipping and putting actually went well but the second shot on the hole was very weak !

BigAl>>

elvis jones wrote: »

Thanks for the posts !!

I just mentioned the driver becuse of the slice, i spend the majority of my time with the irons working on my swing and the putting green.

The range i'm a member of has a great area to work on fairway shots. Just want to have a basic level of shot beofre i go near a course.

There is also a great Par 3 (140 to 210 ) there that i am going to play weekly to work on approch play and putting.

I understand playing off the tee is only one part of the game and within the next 8 weeks i do intend to play a course !

6 Iron is the club i like the best, i use it a lot to work on my swing and stance. Is this good ?

Any advice of a good course to play on dublins northside for a newbie ( there will be 2 of us going out )

Maybe try Elm green as its a very forgiving course, no water or anything too tricky.

Tom Ghostwood

Lessons are so important. You need to learn the basics at the start to give yerself the best chance at improving. Playing sh*t golf is no fun.

Wear what you want on the range but I believe that on the course golfers should look like golfers.

elvis jones

Thanks guys,

haven't got to swing a club in a few weeks as we have a six week old baby......but i intend to get out on the range sat morning ( in my tracksuit bottoms:D ) and get back into the swing of things.