Famous author Mark Twain once wrote, “Golf is a good walk wasted.”
Many people feel this way. After all, what’s so fun and interesting about hitting a little white ball with a metal stick trying to get it in a little hole?
However, the truth is there is fun to be had on the golf course as is evidenced by the millions of golf enthusiasts all over the world.
Ever since the game of golf was invented back in the 15th century, people have been fascinated with mastering this often frustrating game.
In 1750, the game of golf evolved into what we know it as today, and since that time, technology and technique has improved on the game, but mastering the game of golf still lies in the individual playing the game.
One of the great things about golf is that it is more than a physical sport.
Your mental state can play a huge part in your golf game. If you hit a bad shot, it can really affect your next stroke and so on and so forth.
It’s important to realize that if golf were less challenging, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.
People can spend thousands of dollars in efforts to improve their golf game.
They buy videos, books, new equipment, and lessons from a professional.
Improving the golf game is a multi-million dollar industry as it seems like there are all sorts of people offering advice on things you can change to improve your score.
Just as the golf swing has been improved upon over time, so has the equipment used to play golf. In the 1800’s, golf bags came into use as an easier way to carry around clubs and balls.
Golf balls were made lighter and able to travel further and tees were used to help make the ball easier to hit off the tee box.
But even with all this new technology, no one has really perfected the game of golf. If that were the case, there would be scores of 18 with a hole in one on every hole. The truth is that even the professionals can’t perfect their golf game.
Man is fallible and he makes mistakes. But when it comes to the game of golf, mistakes are inevitable.
I’ve heard many golfers tell me that they played great but scored horribly.
That statement made me really think about my own golf game. I, too, have had rounds where I’ve hit the ball well but it wasn’t reflected in my score.
How is it possible that we can hit the ball so well yet still take a 6 on a par 4 hole? The answer isn’t easy, but it can be addressed.
I’m not a golf pro, but I do love the game of golf. I’ve always wanted to improve my golf game, so this book will help both you and me.
I decided that researching what the pros have to say would be a great way to put their advice to good use. Compiling all of that information into this book would also be a great way to share that advice.
Let’s look at different aspects of the game of golf and find some easy ways to improve our scores!
Equipment Needed
Believe it or not, the equipment you use in your golf game can truly make a difference in how well you strike the ball.
With new technologies in club designs and materials used to make the clubs, you can get overwhelmed at the various choices you will have when buying golf equipment.
We’ll look at this section from the perspective of your skill level.
Because you are just learning the game, you will want to have clubs that are more forgiving when you make bad shots – and those bad shots will come.
The beginning golfer should be looking for clubs that are the most forgiving when the ball is struck off-center.
Perimeter-weighted clubs place the most weight of the club around the edges, which prevents the club head from turning with a poorly hit shot.
If you would like something that makes it very easy to get the ball in the air, you should look for irons that have more sole weighting.
Sole weighting lowers the center of gravity by putting the weight under the ball, helping to get it in the air quicker.
Titanium is stronger, denser and lighter than steel, thus the club head can be made larger with the same amount of material.
A larger head also means the size of the sweet spot will be larger. Since off-center shots will make you lose distance, a larger sweet spot will be the most forgiving.
Some heads feature an "offset" design to prevent your shots spinning left-to- right and giving a straighter ball flight.
The offset means the face is slightly behind the hostel of the club head. This gives you an extra split second in the swing to get the face back to the square position.
For your driver, the larger the head the more forgiving it will be.
These are all going to have the largest face, producing the largest sweet spot. This is very important, since a beginner doesn't always hit the ball right in the middle of the clubface. (Studies have shown you lose 10 yards for every 1/8" of an inch you miss the sweet spot!!!)
For fairway woods, the lower profile woods make it easier to get the ball airborne, as the weight is mostly below the center of the ball.
Graphite shafts are the most forgiving shafts for poorly hit shots. They absorb the vibration like a shock absorber, allowing for a much better feeling shot.
Graphite shafts are lighter weight, so you will pick up some swing speed which will give you more distance.
For this reason graphite shafts are more popular than steel shafts in the metal woods when distance is your primary goal.
Steel shafts don't feel as soft, and they are heavier, but they are more accurate than graphite.
For this reason, they are usually better for the irons, since you are less concerned with distance and more concerned with accuracy since you are hitting into greens and at the pin.
