After golfing for 45+ years, I have gained a bit of knowledge. Most of my understanding of golf was gleaned from my own experiences, plus a helping hand for far more seasoned players. I accepted their help because at the time my need was great to get over a hurdle or two. It all worked out and I was fortunate to be able to use this information to catapult my game to the next level. Recently, I was asked to share my golf knowledge with some aspiring players. I happily agreed to help, but it is important to note that I went in with my eyes wide open.

When helping younger players (which I have done over the years) the first thing I like to do is analyze or watch them hit balls for a bit. My intent is never to change a swing that works. Yes, there might be some flaws, however if the player (at least in the beginning) can hit the ball well, then it is important to let them do their thing. In the case of the young golfer two nights ago, he had a very good swing that did not need any fine tuning.

Noah hit the ball a long way under very good control. He is a young strong athlete that does not really struggle with distance or control. Therefore, before we even started, I asked him what he was looking to improve with our 9 hole jaunt around the links. He stated that help with his short game was what he was hoping for, hence he narrowed our focus for the round.

As we navigated the first hole (I was still watching him without saying anything) two things popped up that I know would be simple fixes that all golfers should understand. After completion of his first hole, I explained the benefit of a pre-shot routine. Prior our talk, he would grab a club he thought, walk up to the ball and hit away. He it the ball well, but by as his own admission, he was unsure of what the results were going to be after his shot.

As we continued with the round, I had Noah talk his way through his fledgling pre-shot routine. He became more confident and started to understand the importance of following the same steps for each shot. At the end of the round, he was considering many of the factors that would influence his ball flight. I feel that by following his pre-shot routine for all shots (he has one for putting) then Noah’s game will go to the next level.

The other aspect of Noah’s game I noticed was his ability to hit his irons. Contact was not an issue, but knowing how far it travelled was the challenge. What we did establish during the round is that 52° gap wedge flew a consistent 120 yards. The rest of his irons was a bit of a guess. On a side note, he hit his 5 iron about 200 yards, but he did not have any real control on the distance from this iron. Basically, Noah did not know how far he hit his irons. That is a challenge for him and any player in the same situation. Knowing how far we hit our clubs is very important to being able to develop a course management strategy.

The above two tips I offered Noah did not address his request about helping with his short game. Not to worry, we did spend most of our time working on his shots from 100 yards and closer. I will discuss that in my next post, but for now, Noah can drastically improve his game by continuing to work on his pre-shot routine and finding out how far he hits his irons. For any beginner or novice golfers, the above advice will work of your game as well.

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