I am always searching for ways to lower my golf score. As an experienced player, one would think that I have a great idea on how to lower my golf score without the challenge of trying to overhaul my swing. For the most part, this is very true. The new golfer (and some experienced player) may not have that luxury of knowledge of your swing or even an understanding of the basic science of a golf swing in order to make adjustments to their game. As it turns out, I came across a video by Chris Ryan that offers five mistakes that beginners make that can be applied to every golfers game regardless of their skill. Chris’ observations are simple, common sense, and fixable by every golfer which in turn will lead to lower golf scores.

When first learning the game of golf, I had no concept on the goods, the bads, and the uglies of golf. I grabbed some clubs and swung away hoping to shoot a lower score the next time out. My hunt and peck method to lower golf scores was reasonable for a 14 year old who just wanted to have fun. As I matured, I realized that I needed to take a more focused approach or else stay in the land of denial and frustration of high golf scores. In those days, there was no internet to quickly research golf swing challenges. Therefore, I relied on advice from my Dad and other players. It was a slow process. After years of stumbling and fumbling with different concepts, I found my path to a better game. I just wish Chris Ryan’s video was available way back when:

The key concepts present by Chris are exactly what beginner golfers need to know. The common mistakes that he mentioned in the video are summarized as:

• Understanding the forces that create a draw or slice
• Where the club face should make contact with your ball with an iron
• Under clubbing
• Using the wrong club in the rough
• Using too much loft around the green

As an experienced golfer, I am aware of the common mistakes in the video. Although I am aware of these perils, I still struggle with under clubbing. On any given day, my iron distance can change up to 5 yards due to my swing. This distance often determines whether I hit the green or not. Unfortunately, I do not adjust quick enough during some rounds and throw away a few strokes. Or I remain obstinate and refuse to change my clubs because I know I can hit a specific club to a specific distance. Either error is mental and does cost strokes if I am not focused on my game.

The five common mistakes that beginners and experienced players make does cost strokes. Understanding these concepts and working towards fixing them is a great path to venture for beginner golfers to lower their scores. They might seem like simple fixes, but part of the challenge is recognizing that they apply to our individual games. When we accept that we make these mistakes, we can take steps to eliminate them from our golf game. This path of improvement will lead to lower golf scores and way more fun on the links.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!