# New to golf and i need help...



## srawlings (Oct 10, 2011)

I am 23 and trying golf for the first time, i think i could have alot of fun if i get the ball to go straight.

So far i havent even left the driving range as i cant get the ball straight. aside from the topping of the ball, trying to kill the ball, and trying to "hit" the ball, not hit through the ball... 

my consistant problem is hitting the ball right (i am right handed) and its not a slice, its hitting the ball straight right about 45 degrees they all land about 100-150yrds in a roughly 5 sq yrd area with a 7i (my only club,) when i aim 45 to the left i hit it in the general direction i should be aiming (straight for everyone else)

i have alot to think about during a swing (back straight, butt out, knees bent, on the balls of my feet) and im sure ill get better the more i practice ive probably hit only 200 or so balls but im pretty sure im leaving the club face open on the point of inpact which throws it out to the right, 

i realize it, i try to fix it and cant seem to, do any of you have an idea what i can do? id really like to hit the course but there is no point if i cant hit straight.

thanks for any help i can get.


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Welcome to the site. I'd say you are leaving the club face open my best advice would be since you are just starting go and get some lessons off a pro and this will teach you good swing habits from the start and head you in the right direction with less frustration. 

I am a self taught golfer and I pick up bad habits in my swing and when I finally went to have some lesson it was just like a light bulb went on, but in saying that it was a lot harder to break the bad habits that were in my game to correct my swing then if you just learnt it right from the start and form good habit. Sometimes now on the course I still slip into these faults and have to work my way out of it. That's my 2 cents anyway


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## Rothenfield (Jul 15, 2011)

While I completely agree with the above statement; as someone who has gone through, and am still going through, the process of developing a proper golf swing; it would seem obvious that getting the advice of a professional right from the beginning would be the best option. However, some people may not be able to get lessons. I, for one, have not been able to yet, but I plan to at some point in the future. I started by going to the local public library and checking out every golf instruction book that they had. Some of the advice can seem conflicting and confusing to a beginner, but the basics are pretty much the same. 

In the mean time, you might try this simple trick. Without a ball on the ground, take your normal stance and grip then swing slowly as if you are going to strike a ball. I know this sounds simple, but I started with a bad slice, yet it took a long time before I did this and realized that even though the club face seemed square at address, the face opened up on my downswing. With some tweaking of my grip, I have been able to greatly reduce my slice. 

Good Luck!


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## angelabby (Sep 5, 2011)

*new to golf*

I had the same dilema when I started this. you'd better take some lessons first. Then practice over and over again.


___________________
Many a good round of golf has contained a bad shot, I've yet to hear of one that contained a bad attitude 

Driver: Taylormade R9 10.5deg 
3-Wood: Taylormade R9 15deg 
Hybrids: Yonex Nanospeed 3I 19deg 
Irons: Ping S59 4-PW, White Dot 
SW: Ping Tour 56deg, White Dot 
GW: Ping Tour-W 52deg, White Dot 
LW: Cleveland Tour Action Reg.588 60deg 
Putter: Ping Anser 4 
Ball: Titleist ProV1 
Handicap: 9.9 (maybe 9.7)


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## Merlin76 (Aug 16, 2011)

The best advice given is to get some golf lessons, well worthwile
in the long run.

In addition to lessons, including remedial lessons, I tend to refer
to what I consider to the best golf instructional book written -
"THE FOUR MAGIC MOVES to Winning Golf" written by Joe Dante to get my swing in the groove.


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## Gas Hawg (Oct 10, 2011)

I too am self taught mostly because by the time I wanted to take lessons I could not afford to. So I have read many books and I have begun participating in forums like these and listening to many discussions on the swing, grip and stance. It wasn't until I followed some good advice as stated above on slowing down the swing without a ball to see what in the wild, wild world of sports was agoing on there. I had a good grip but I had a tendency to have too little rotation on the back swing which cause an outside in swing path. Once I noticed this I was able to focus some attention on the swing path and things have really started coming around. I am longer and straighter off of the tee than I have ever been.

YMMV but I hope the comments here and above get you into the ball park.. Uh, or the fairway I guess...


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## bredies (Feb 12, 2007)

Hey welcome to the wonderfully frustrating and rewarding game of golf.
I would most definitely start with your grip but lessons and books are a great way to learn. 
If your ball is going straight out to the right ie not slicing then it is likely what we call a "push".
This is GOOD news because you have an in to out swing (which is the good news) but an open club face.
Try closing your club face at address before gripping the club. Even if this is exaggerated. 
Do everything else exactly the same as you have been doing until the ball goes straight or with your swing path should even have a slight draw.
Don't worry if at the beginning it all feels wrong - these things always do.
You might hook the ball once or twice which is still good because it means your swing is still in to out but your club face is closed. What you are trying to find is a square club face through impact.
Good luck.


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## srawlings (Oct 10, 2011)

Thanks for the help, it was my grip, im still not where id like to be and not practicing as much either but with a new (uncomfortable) grip everything seems to straighten out... a few hiccups now and again but 100% better than when i started, 

i also have been trying out the tour striker and it seems to be working with the topping the ball as well...

thanks again


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## Indacup (Sep 12, 2006)

Your clubface is open upon impact.

That is for sure.


What is NOT known is WHY it is open.

It could be due to an out/to/in swing, could be shafts are too stiff, could be to clubs being ill fitted.

My guess is it's your swing.

First thing I'd suggest is put the ball further back in your stance...closer to your right foot.

This makes it harder to swing out to in and it also closes the face/delofts.


The best thing would be to get some lessons.....but the above "could" be a band-aid in the interim.

Remember, golf is a game of opposites...hitting down makes ball go up....aim right makes ball go left...etc


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

I agree with "bredies". Your club face is square to the sing path of your club head. In addition to closing your club face at address, if that does not work, you might also try moving the ball one ball width towards your target side foot. If you are a right handed player then this would be your left foot. A pushed shot is a good bad shot if there is such a thing.


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## ShaneC (Nov 16, 2011)

At first I thought I can just learn by friends' help, but now I've realized that lessons from the professionals are needed.


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## Rothenfield (Jul 15, 2011)

Getting a lesson from an instructor is the go-to answer when someone asked for help, and rightly so, but not everyone has access to or money for what is sometimes rather expensive professional instruction lessons. This is a big problem to those of us who would like to promote the game. It is not an easy game to learn! However, I’ve been able to learn the swing by reading books and magazine articles enough to play the game happily, albeit at a low level, which is good enough for me. 

My best advice for someone interested in playing golf is to swing the club, whatever it takes, just swing the club, the more you swing it, the more you will get it. I posted a long thread about trying to get to the course, and someone said that I should just keep practicing and if I stuck with it, suddenly it would “click”. That was advice I got right here on this forum, and they were right. 

Keep practicing hitting the ball; don’t be discouraged by mishits; there is a big reward when it finally “clicks”.

http://www.golfforum.com/general-golf-discussion/17912-i-want-pick-up-game-again.html


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