Golf for Beginners: a complete Starters Guide

Putting is the action of rolling the ball over the grass to get it close to and eventually into the hole. You use this technique only when your ball is on or very close to the Green, (the very very short grass area directly surrounding the hole).

For Putting, you need a club that is called a Putter. This Putter has a 'flat face', which means that the 'head' of the club has a flat surface, with which you gently hit the ball to get it rolling. The ball should not leave the ground! It should not fly. The ball stays in contact with the ground.

Please be careful not to damage the greens, so make controlled actions with your club, only sweeping it across the grass, and not hitting it into the grass. Think of the Green as a Snooker table surface, you don't want to damage it or make holes in it.

Watch the video for your first practice lesson!

'Reading' the green is really important if you want to get that ball into the hole.

Is the green flat, is it sloping upward, downward, to the left or to the right?

Are there irregularities in the green? Adjust the way you take your shot to these variables.

Click on the video to see how to do this.

How to hold a Golf Club? For Putting, there is no right or wrong way and the grip you use is very individual. Just hold it the way that's comfortable for you.

But after Putting, we will start the Chipping technique and finally the Swing technique. For these techniques, holding your club the right way is really important because it is your only contact with the club you are swinging. The way you hold your club is what we call 'The Grip'.

There are 3 different ways to grip the club. Watch the video to see which 3 and try for yourself which one you like the best. After the video, check the PDF with extra information.

You can find the Grip Guide PDF below the video.

After you know how to grip your club, you will need to know how to stand. We call this the Set-Up.

You will need to bend over a little, have your knees unlocked and your arms hanging straight down.

Watch the video for visual instructions.

Check the PDF for extra information and visuals and go and practice this yourself until you feel comfortable in your stance.

You can find the Set-up Guide PDF just below the video.

The second technique for The Short Game is the Chipping technique. Chipping is used when your ball is somewhere in the areas around the green. So it's close to the green, but not yet ON the green.

In that case, you can use an iron to get the ball from the ground into the air and make it fly for a short distance, trying to land it on the green, and let it roll more or less, towards the hole.

Watch the video for more explanation!

So, now you know how to Putt and how to Chip! Time to practice your Half Swing (or Pitch).

For the Half Swing, you can use any type of iron, but we usually use an iron with some more 'loft', so with a clubhead that has a bigger angle to the clubface, to get the ball higher into the air.

The Half Swing is used for somewhat longer distances, when you want to get your ball close to, or on the green. You also use the Half Swing if you want to get your ball out of trouble, for instance when the previous shot made your ball land in The Rough (the area next to the short grass of the fairway), in a bunker or when we need to play a high shot over an obstacle.

With the Half Swing, you can get your ball pretty high up into the air, so that can come in handy. This high flying shot that stops quickly when it lands is commonly known as a Pitch shot.

This Pitching technique is perfect to practice your swing, because it is only half a swing (Not as big a swing as with the Full Swing), which will help you with balance, control and timing, before moving on to the Full Swing.

Watch the video to see how to perform this Half Swing or Pitch Shot.

Feel comfortable with the Pitch or Half Swing? Then it's time for The Real Thing!! THE FULL SWING!!

This technique is used to get the ball to fly over longer distances, for instance during your first shot on a hole, from the Tee Box. Often, the first shot on a hole will be your longest shot, in order to get your ball away from the starting area and on its way to the green.

The Full Swing is the most fulfilling part of Golf for some people as we use it to send the ball a long way.

For this technique, you can use all of your irons, hybrids or fairway woods or even your Driver, when it's a really long hole.

The Driver is the longest hitting club there is, with a very big clubhead.

Watch the video and start building your own Full Swing. Enjoy!

And then it happens.... You hit your ball into a bunker.... That's the sand trap!

Don't worry, you can get your ball out of that bunker.

Just use a Wedge and stay calm.

Watch the video and discover what to do.

The Putter is the club we use on 'The Green'. The Putter has a flat clubface, which means the part of the head where you hit the ball with, is flat and with a 90 degree/ vertical angle to the ground, so no loft (well, almost no loft). This flat face makes the ball roll instead of fly.

Watch the video to discover the different types of Putters and see which one suits you the best.

The irons are probably going to make up the biggest part of your club selection.

Each Iron has its own length and loft so it is designed to hit certain distances.

Watch the video to find out more.

The shortest Irons in the bag have the most amount of loft and have their own club category: The Wedges.

These versatile clubs are a must have for any golfer.

Check out the video to learn more.

Hybrids are one of the newest types of clubs in the golfing world.

Designed to replace long irons, they can be the key in getting more performance.

Watch the video to find out what Hybrids can do for your game.

Dedicated to the longest clubs in the bag and the clubs that will probably give you the most distance once you learn to control them, this video is about the Fairway Woods and the Driver.

Although we still call them "Woods" they are no longer made from felled trees, but instead of materials such as Titanium, Steel and Carbon Fiber.

Check out the video to learn more.

Besides clubs, there are more things in a Golf Bag. What you want to bring with you in your bag, is personal and different for every player. But my bag has more or less everything possible!

In this video, I will show you what else is in MY bag and give you a short explanation why.

Buying your first Golf Clubs can be daunting. There are several aspect to take into account:

1. The length of the club, it should suit your body and arm length.

2. The material of the club. There are steel and graphite shafts, which make a big difference. The steel shafts are for players with a strong physique. The graphite shafts are much more suited for senior players, beginners and children. Or players with a handicap.

3. The sort of grip that is on the club. There are grips in different sizes and the grip should match the size and the strength of your hands. Also, the grips should not be too old and slick, if you buy second hand grips. They still need to have sufficient 'grip' or otherwise, they should be replaced.

Watch the video to learn more and download the Bonus PDF 'My First Clubs Buying Guide' to learn everything you need to know.

Have you ever thought about how to get yourself from hole to hole when playing a round of Golf?

You can play 9 holes or 18 holes and the distances that you will need to 'travel' can get quite long. So how do you want to travel? You have 3 options:

1. Walk and take your golf bag on your shoulders.

2. Walk and put your golf bag on a push cart (trolley), you can get an electric one or just a normal one.

3. Take a Buggy and drive around the course!

Watch the video to learn all about these different options.

What to wear and what not to wear?

When you just go to the practice facilities (practice green and driving range), you don't need to wear specific clothing.

But when you are going to play a round of Golf and thus head out on the Course, there are some rules to your outfit.

And besides that, there are some things that are advisable, like gloves and a good pair of golf shoes.

Check the video to see what the rules are and what items could come in handy!

The Golf Etiquette rules are designed for:

- Safety on the course
- Playing Tempo (Pace of Play)
- Care for the course
- Respect for other players

Getting anything wrong concerning Golf Etiquette will not affect your score, but every player is supposed to know and adhere to its rules.

Watch the video to learn all about it.

If you want to play a game them you need a basic understanding of the rules.

In this video I will guide you through the basic rules of the game.

Don't worry, it might seem like a lot to take in, but you don't have to become a rules expert overnight, and experienced players are aways willing to share their knowledge.

There is a complete version of the playing rules as a downloadable PDF included in the Bonus module, as well as a practice quiz with 30 multiple-choice questions to test your understanding of the rules.

In the next lesson you will also find an explanation of the Stableford (Handicap) scoring system.

In this PDF you will learn all about keeping score in a Stableford game.

In normal "Stroke Play" the player that completes the round with the least amount of shots will be the winner,

But when playing with players of different ages and abilities, the Stableford system can be used to level the playing field so that everyone can play a competitive and fun round of golf.

Download the PDF 'Stableford Explained' to learn about this Handicap System.

One very last, but very important thing before we really do Your Very First Round of Golf.

Pre-Shot Routine!! To make or break your game, the Pre-Shot Routine is not to be underestimated.

Take your time before each shot. Think about what you need to do, check where you want to aim, how far the hole is, how the wind blows, what obstacles there are. Then decide on the best way to deal with each shot. What club do you take? What swing are you going to make?

Check your Set-up or stance, look at the goal, breath and relax, and then make your Swing.

Build a solid and repeatable pre-shot routine, to build your golf confidence.

Watch the video on how to do this!

There you are! You made it to this last and most FUN video! Your First Round of Golf!

So, you want to head over to the Golf Course, what happens now? How does everything work?

First, you book a so called Tee-Time. That is the time your round of Golf starts. You can book this over the phone or on the website of the Golf Club you chose.

Make sure to be at the Golf Club way ahead of your Tee-Time (about 45min), to deal with some administration in the Pro Shop or at the office, pick up your clubs and/or your buggy and have some time on the Driving Range and Practice Green to warm yourself up.

Then be at the first Tee about 10 minutes before your game starts, where on some clubs you will meet the Marshall or Starter, who will give you the sign when you can start your round. You can ask this Marshall all you want to know, they are not police, they are there to help the players.

Now go ahead and watch the video where I show you all of this in real life at my local club, so you can be confident that your first real round of Golf will go smoothly and without stress.

ENJOY! And let me know how it went!

Use the excercises or Drills in this video to hone your skills on the green and step up to the ball with your putter in hand feeling confident you can get the job done.

Watch the video to learn two new Drills to practice your directional and distance control.

Use the Chipping Drill in this video to gain more control over the landing zone of your chips.

This is a major step in controlling the length of your chips and get them close to the hole, ready to score.

An overview of the most used Golf Terms, first organized by category and if you scroll down in the document, you will also find them in alphabetical order.

This makes it easy for you to find what you are searching for.

Download the document below.

Here's a Practice Exam that I have used hundreds of times to prepare my students for their Golf Rules Exam, that can be obligatory to take for some Golf Federations when getting your first handicap. You can also use it to check your own knowledge after you followed all the modules in this course.

The exam consists of 2 documents: the questions and the answers.

You can download them below.

If you want to know if you are obliged to take an exam for the Golf Federation in your country, just ask the receptionist at your local Golf Club or the local Pro, or send an email to your club. They will be happy to advise you.

A PDF document with information that will come in handy if you're about to go buy your first Golf Clubs.

Included is a print-friendly checklist to take with you to the Golf Store.

Download the document below.

Download the PDF below to obtain a printable version of the Putting and Chipping Practice Drills and also a little extra bonus on how to practice your Swing.

Take it with you to the Practice Facilities and work on your techniques.

Enjoy!