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Help needed - Bad habit golfer looking to start over

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laso2687

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Hi all,
I decided to start over learning golf but have no idea where to actually start. The goal is to get rid of some of the bad habits I’ve more than likely created, and get more serious as I have more rounds with clients and with work presenting themselves.
Worth noting:
- I have never had a lesson, pretty much taught myself from online tips and videos, so have created some bad habits more than likely
- Decently well rounded athlete coming from volleyball and softball, but have been playing (trying) golf for 10ish years
Any tips or suggestions on how someone that has been playing golf can start over as a beginner? Anything helps!
 
Lessons. Definitely get someone who knows what they are doing to take a look and give you advice. Either in person or online. (Online lessons have come a long ways)
 
A PGA teaching pro should be a decent start. Find a well regarded pro in your area and give it a shot. I’d suggest finding someone as interested in teaching you, as you are in learning from them.

Lack of enthusiasm and communication on their (and your) part will be non-productive. I’m sure there will be many additional suggestions well worth consideration.

Bottom line, get started and have fun doing it. Good luck!
 
Only try to fix one thing at a time. A series of 5-10-12 lessons isn’t a bad place to start because it gives your coach a chance to learn and adapt to you. It also gives some opportunity for you to regress and recover. 1 forward 2 back when relearning muscle memory.
 
without enlisting the guidance of a pro, I'd say identify and list your "bad habits" and attack them singly.
one change may affect/cure another.
be aware that changing 10 year habits is a long haul.
you may change them on the face of things, get under pressure and they may resurface.
you have to play a lot of golf with the new changes to really get them set in.
 
I’m guessing you are in your 30s maybe? Great time to start. Lessons, lessons and lessons. This is the stock answer. And a good one. But….
-Be prepared to spend some money. Good lessons aren’t cheap.
-Search till you find the right instructor that fits. Don’t settle if they don’t.
-Be prepared to practice what they teach. If you don’t it’s a waste of money.

You have to do homework they assign you. Drills, routines and even some fitness by some coaches will be “assigned”. If you don’t do them most will lose real interest in you getting better and they will just take your money. Golf instruction is a business. Make no mistake. It is.

A cheaper way is online instruction or “Swing” courses. With todays virtual possibilities there a ton of options with this. But everything above still applies. The more YOU put in the more YOU will get out of it.

Above all have fun. Golf should be fun. Always. If it’s not fun then why do it? 😁
 
If you’re going to start over, start from the beginning. How’s your grip, stance, posture during address? When I came back from a years long hiatus that’s where I started. I just wanted to be confident that I was building off a solid foundation instead of Jenga blocks. We started adding pieces into the instruction as we went on, basically strengthening the weak areas with small changes so I could still play for a score.
 
NeverWiff said:
A PGA teaching pro should be a decent start. Find a well regarded pro in your area and give it a shot. I’d suggest finding someone as interested in teaching you, as you are in learning from them.

Lack of enthusiasm and communication on their (and your) part will be non-productive. I’m sure there will be many additional suggestions well worth consideration.

Bottom line, get started and have fun doing it. Good luck!
Click to expand...

No PGA pros in our area, there are Professional Instructors I’m sure that I could go to (pending price of course). But that is my next step possibly, I think it’s time to have someone else take a look at what I’m working with and go from there!
 
Get some lessons, most courses have instruction available.
 
hackitup said:
If you’re going to start over, start from the beginning. How’s your grip, stance, posture during address? When I came back from a years long hiatus that’s where I started. I just wanted to be confident that I was building off a solid foundation instead of Jenga blocks. We started adding pieces into the instruction as we went on, basically strengthening the weak areas with small changes so I could still play for a score.
Click to expand...

I think recently I have been looking more at these items more in depth, but seem to have trouble organizing myself and tend to have range sessions where I’m trying to do too much at once
 
Jason89er said:
I’m guessing you are in your 30s maybe? Great time to start. Lessons, lessons and lessons. This is the stock answer. And a good one. But….
-Be prepared to spend some money. Good lessons aren’t cheap.
-Search till you find the right instructor that fits. Don’t settle if they don’t.
-Be prepared to practice what they teach. If you don’t it’s a waste of money.

You have to do homework they assign you. Drills, routines and even some fitness by some coaches will be “assigned”. If you don’t do them most will lose real interest in you getting better and they will just take your money. Golf instruction is a business. Make no mistake. It is.

A cheaper way is online instruction or “Swing” courses. With todays virtual possibilities there a ton of options with this. But everything above still applies. The more YOU put in the more YOU will get out of it.

Above all have fun. Golf should be fun. Always. If it’s not fun then why do it? 😁
Click to expand...
Lessons seem to be the next step it seems! My own research and online resources seem to have me trying to do everything at once
 
laso2687 said:
Lessons seem to be the next step it seems! My own research and online resources seem to have me trying to do everything at once
Click to expand...

This is my opinion. Find one coach or one swing that you want to learn and stick with it. Nothing will stick after trying it for just 2-3 weeks and then moving on to something else over and over. You gotta fully commit to the process.

Now you can find a coach who is a “work with what you got” kind of coach and that can help of course. Other coaches are more “my way or the highway” types. They only teach one swing and they won’t deviate very much or even at all. Much of it depends on how much time and energy you can commit to improving. If you try and take short cuts it won’t work in most cases.

What helped me the most was doing drills given to me by my instructor. Over and over and over again. It can get quite monotonous. But for me it was worth it.
 
laso2687 said:
Hi all,
I decided to start over learning golf but have no idea where to actually start. The goal is to get rid of some of the bad habits I’ve more than likely created, and get more serious as I have more rounds with clients and with work presenting themselves.
Worth noting:
- I have never had a lesson, pretty much taught myself from online tips and videos, so have created some bad habits more than likely
- Decently well rounded athlete coming from volleyball and softball, but have been playing (trying) golf for 10ish years
Any tips or suggestions on how someone that has been playing golf can start over as a beginner? Anything helps!
Click to expand...
I have had to start over from scratch a few times myself.

Each time, to speed up the process, I started with putting, then chipping, then pitches, then longer approach shots until I worked my way back to the tee box.

Each time I felt I was proficient with a shot, I would move to the next, longer shot.

Example, once I could average 2 putts or less from any where on the green, I would move to chip shots. Once under 2.5 chips, and putts from anywhere off the green, I would move to pitch shot. Since my chipping stroke is nearly identical to my putting stroke, that part didn't take long at all.

With pitches, up to 40 yards, I was looking for 3.0 average to hole out with putts.

After pitches it was approach shots from 50-120 yards. Again my average number I was looking for was 3.5+/-...

These are just my ball park numbers. Others might use lower, or higher numbers.

The idea is to get the easier shots out of the way first. Then letting them save strokes, while learning the longer shots.

Not a popular way to learn golf by professional instructors, but I've seen it work too many times to discredit it. I still practice this way.
wway.oousin taught golf this way to friends, and relatives. They were usually shooting scores in the 80s in less than a year. His Granddaughter can beat most amateur men from the tips. She's only been playing for 3 years, and is a single digit cap.

Worth a thought, and try.
 
I’m starting over as a beginner to and I notice that I either have a slice swing or a hook swing. It’s mutually exclusive rhythm for either one or the other
If you have one pattern then just work with it. My pattern is hook and I’m okay taming my hook swing Rather than trying tame my slice swing for the long game
 
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