FPS space

At our Learning Center at Bay Meadows we get a lot of people who are just starting out in golf. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a new golfer take up the game the correct way…. WITH A LESSON. Having taught golf now for close to 17 years to all ability levels, from professionals to beginners, I can tell you the hardest thing for all golfers to do is to break bad habits. Lessons form good habits from the start.
I personally started golf by picking up a club and firing balls at our local playground, one after the other, without any help from someone who knew the game. Actually, my big brother helped me in my early years, as he was a great athlete (professional hockey). Unfortunately for me, he was a 20-handicap golfer. Even today, I am still trying to “unlearn” his well-intended advice.
Learning golf the correct way means learning the fundamentals of the grip, posture and how far to stand from the ball. As the swing starts, there are only a few things that a new golfer must remember. Simply stated, a golfer needs to create the proper wind-up throughout the backswing and maintain one's posture throughout the swing. If you make a good backswing, it is hard to mess up the downswing. The problem with trying to learn a motor skill like the golf swing on your own is that everyone interprets advice differently. This advice can come in many forms; the most common way people get advice is through tips in magazines. Yet trying to incorporate a golf tip from a magazine into your own swing is probably the single worst thing a new golfer can do.
The old adage, “you get what you pay for,” also holds true in golf. A tip from a $3.00 magazine may cost you hundreds of dollars in lessons down the road.
The best advice I can give is to go to a PGA professional for instruction. The pro will build your swing through sound fundamentals. And most facilities will use high-speed video analysis. Professionals who do not use video support have to rely on the naked eye to detect swing errors, and this is very difficult, considering the average swing moves at close to 90 miles per hour. With video, you get instant visual feedback and can check your progress in real time. Video technology will make learning faster, and the game much more enjoyable.
The last bit of advice for beginning golfers is, when your spouse, friends or children offer counsel, run the other way. Advice like, “keep your head down”, “you’re looking up”, or the most popular, “slow down, you’re swinging too fast” may sound like good information during a stretch of rough holes, but believe me, the cause of the problem happened earlier in the swing than your companions realize. Phil Rodgers, a great tour player in the 60’s, who was my mentor during my years of teaching in Orlando, always said, “99 percent of the problems in a golfers swing happen at setup, the other one percent occurs during the first foot of the backswing”.
“I will never take a lesson”
If you absolutely cannot, or will not, take a golf lesson, there are a few things that you can try with your setup that will help you towards long-term improvement. The first is to check your distance from the ball. Research on the top hundred tour players revealed that they addressed the ball within a small variance from player to player. With a standard length 5-iron (38 inches is standard), the professionals were 23.5 inches from their left toe to the ball, plus or minus .5 inches. Remember, this is only with a standard 5-iron! This setup distance will force your body into the correct posture. You want to feel this same posture for every club in the bag. Next time you hit balls, extend a tape measure to this distance. Typically, our students stand too close to the ball, sometimes by four to five inches. Standing this close significantly limits how your lower body can clear through impact. Most people will compensate with their upper body when the lower body cannot function. Big mistake!
The research with tour players also revealed that the ball position remained constant from club to club. Play the ball just inside the left heel (1-2 inches) for all the irons. With the driver, move the ball to the arch of the left foot. The right foot is the only one you want to adjust as you switch club. A good rule to follow is, with the 5-iron the right foot should be shoulder width, with the 9-iron the right foot should be 2 inches inside the right shoulder, and with the driver the stance should be 2 inches outside the right shoulder. Good ball position at address will help develop the proper weight shift throughout the swing.
“Nothing beats a lesson”
If you feel intimidated or cannot afford a private lesson, get your friends together for a series of group lessons. Taking lessons in a group sometimes is better than private lessons. The person next to you might have the same problem you have. Watching them try to shift their weight a certain way, or get into a certain position, may trigger an image in your game that will help you with your swing.
“Golf is not Easy “
Many professional baseball, hockey, basketball and football players take up golf after they retire. When asked to compare golf with their sport, most professional athletes will agree that golf, by far, offers the most challenges. Its difficulty, and the inability for anyone to master it (except for perhaps, Tiger), are the reasons golf has become the most popular of the recreational sports. Golf is not an easy sport to learn, however, if you are planning to start, do yourself a favor, and get professional help.
Lee is director of the Lee Houtteman Learning Center at Bay Meadows golf course in Traverse City, which employs three PGA pros who are available for lessons. Ina Davis and Jeff Dean, along with Lee can be reached at 231-946-7927.
Lee spent twelve years as a senior instructor at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, then directed golf schools at The Homestead Resort and Grand Traverse Resort. From 1997-2001, Lee was the director of the Compusport World Headquarters in Las Vegas.