Golf in a Nutshell for New Golfers Over 50

The amount material available to the beginner golfer these days could fill an encyclopedia. With so many resources to choose from it can be overwhelming for the startup golfer to decide which tips to listen to. So many new players get caught up in the swing tips, strategies and techniques and before they know it those expensive new clubs are gathering dust in a broom closet.

Most of the frustration new players experience is entirely mental. They become overwhelmed by information and this causes them to make even more mistakes. In reality, there are really just a few basic golf tips for seniors just beginning that can make for a more enjoyable learning experience every time you step on the golf course.

Golf in a Nutshell

Golf is made up of a variety of parts. For example, you have the long game which will require great timing and strength. Then of course you have the short game, which will require precise motor skills with your hands. You then have putting, which will demand aiming ability. To top it off, every hole you play will have specific hazard zones you need to avoid when hitting the ball.

Developing your long game will require hours on the practice tee and driving ranges testing various swing techniques and ball positions. Developing your short game takes many hours on the practice greens familiarizing yourself with your clubs and improving your accuracy in pitching, chipping and putting.

Practice, Patience and Perseverance

Nothing in life comes easy. Golf is a sport that takes great skill and skill can only be attained through practice, patience and perseverance. You can read every golf tip and watch every video but nothing is going make you a better golfer faster than being patient and practicing your technique, but you can’t let the learning curve discourage you. The reward for your hard work will be a great shot…and there is no better feeling in the world.

The fact is that golf is a game of patience. If patience is not one of your better virtues, beginning golf is a good way to develop it. It can take years to get to a point where you have absolute control over your swing and the ball. But the journey is fun and rewarding as you progress.

As a new golfer over 50, remember that learning comes a little harder and teaching new movement patterns to our bodies can take time. Just stick to it, even when it gets tough. Golf is a game you will truly enjoy and have fun with the rest of your life!

An Expert Golf Tip for Golfers Over 50

The Internet is littered with so many articles promising to expose the secrets of success in golf. I’m sure at some point you have encountered titles like “Secrets to a Lower Golf Score” or “Golf Strategies Only the Pros Know”. While many programs provide some excellent content, you know as well as I that the odds of these tips changing your game overnight are slim to none…

What if there was a “secret” expert tip to a lower score, a strategy time tested that even the seasoned professionals employ every time they play? What if to use this “secret”, you didn’t have to change how you play golf at all? Here is the secret tip for playing a consistently strong game for golfers over 50:

Never Hit A Shot That You Have Not Yet Practiced

It seems so simple, and you might be thinking to yourself, “That’s it?” The truth is that following that incredibly simple piece of advice can prove pretty tricky. Think back to the last round you played and see if this scenario seems familiar:

Your shot off the first tee slices just a bit, plopping the ball down in between trees. You have the option to play it to the side and back to the fairway or launch a super-straight, low long iron shot through the trees. The second choice could put you right at the green, but there are a lot of obstacles and you aren’t very familiar both with the terrain and not very comfortable with your long iron. Because it can put you closer to the hole, you go for the second choice… and before you know it, you’ve started your round with a triple bogey or worse.

It might seem like you are adding extra strokes by playing it safe, but sticking with shots you are confident about will probably save you strokes, not to mention embarrassment, in the long run.

You wouldn’t bet your life savings on your first-ever hand in poker. You wouldn’t drop the steepest cliff on the mountain your first time skiing. In any activity you have to build up your skills comfortably through practice. You never want to introduce something brand new to your golf game in the middle of a round.

Stick to the shots you know you can execute when playing most games and especially in competition and use your practice time to expand your repertoire and try new shots. This is a sure fire way to lower your score and show dramatic improvement each and every time you play golf.

Honing Your Golf Skills At The Driving Range

When you are at the driving range practicing your golf shots, you should always have a plan. Before your day begins you should know exactly what the intended goal is for that day.

When practicing at the golf driving range, it’s all too easy for golfers to lose their focus; with such wide-open spaces it can be hard to resist the temptation to pull out your driver and start whacking away. Many senior golfers simply don’t show up to the driving range with a plan.

Before you hit your first ball you should decide what part of your game needs concentrated practice. Think back to your last round and piece out the areas that cost you strokes. An important thing to remember is that you want to pinpoint one specific goal for your time at the driving range that day.

Once you decide on what to practice, it’s time to take some warm up shots. Nope! Don’t reach for that driver! Try warming up with some wedge shots and middle irons. Once you’ve gotten back in the groove, head directly to the club/shot/goal you decided on. While practicing, here are some other things to keep in mind to gain the most from your efforts:

Assign A Shot Target

Your ultimate goal for every hole in golf is just that… to get the ball in the hole. If every shot you hit at the driving range is just knocking balls into the air with no particular target, how can you hope to gain any useful technique from your practice? Every shot you take at the driving range must have a specific target.

Not having a target means you won’t have a clue as to your accuracy. Maybe you can make a ball soar beautifully into the sky, but can you do that and make it land next to a 4.25-inch diameter hole? Those super-shots can soar gracefully right into bushes or out of bounds, into water hazards or bunkers… not a pretty scenario in games or competitions.

Pretend that you are actually on the golf course and keep in mind that if you were hitting balls the same as you are on the driving range, with no focus or goals, you would spend the entire afternoon walking through the rough or the out of bounds area.

Boxers use bags to simulate the opponent, hitters use a machine to simulate pitches and you as a golfer must use the driving range to simulate an actual round. Pretend that you are on an actual course trying to get as close to the hole in as few strokes as possible.

Lesson Learned: When to Back Off

You may find after some practice that the technique you were hoping to improve is coming around; the shots are looking near perfect and the ball is landing right near your assigned target. This is where most senior golfers tend to over-practice.

If your technique starts becoming consistently successful, then it’s time to walk away and practice other shortcomings. At first your shots will be wonderful and your confidence will soar, but that confidence will keep you swinging until you start to fatigue. Your shots will start doing the same old thing, the same mistakes you had just fixed (so you thought) will come back. This will put you in a negative frame of mind and, unfortunately, probably put an end to your day.

Sometimes when you have achieved goals the best thing to do is just walk away and take a break, relishing the feeling of a job well done. If you use these tips each time you head to the driving range you can bet you will achieve a lot of goals, too.

Making the Most Out of Golf Practice

Many senior golfers can be found out on the practice greens several hours a day, constantly working on improving their technique. It’s unfortunate how few golfers over 50 really understand how to practice properly.

The next time you find yourself at the practice range, take a look around. Odds are that the majority of golfers practicing seem to only be “practicing” getting rid of their balls as quickly and with as much power as possible. There certainly is a place in your practice to groove your driver but the majority of your practice time should be spent focusing on the way your swing works and learning new strategies to implement for success on the course.

Practice Thinking!

The purpose of the time you spend practicing is to develop a natural swing and a sort of “golfer’s intuition” that keeps conscious thought to a minimal on the actual course.  Practice is where you think about and deconstruct your shots, applying new techniques to real life scenarios and preparing yourself for the mental and physical rigors of a round on the course.

Remember, what you practice is dictated by your ability.  If you are a beginner golfer spending all of your practice time trying to master professional techniques you found in a magazine, you are likely to a.) Never get anywhere and b.) Get frustrated and give up.

Before you practice take a moment to reflect on where your skills are and what little steps you can take to improve upon them.  Make your practice sessions customized to you!

The Practice Routine

Analyzing your game and deciding on the skills you need to improve with the day’s practice session is the first step towards progression. Now you need to establish a routine to implement your plan.

1. While practicing, always stay focused on your set goal for the day.  Since you are only practicing, ignore mistakes except to understand how you made them. A positive outlook is essential in attaining your goals.  In practice, there’s nothing to lose or be frustrated about.

2. Don’t expect to begin each practice session immediately.  Warm your body up with some simple stretches and then start with your shorter irons with smooth, slow swings. You don’t want to take full-power swings right away, before you have re-established your rhythm and fluidity… this is a good way to get hurt either physically by pulling a muscle or mentally by hitting a series of terrible shots early on as the basis for your practice session.

3. Practice isn’t just about swing mechanics, shot power or distance.  Rhythm should be an integral part of every practice session because proper rhythm promotes coordination and timing.

4. Even when hitting for distance, it’s important to always have an intended target.  If you just practice hitting the ball 200 yards without a target in mind and come to a hole where you need to hit 200 yards slightly left, all of your confidence from that practice session is immediately negated. Hit to the practice greens or trees in the distance so you are focusing on both distance and accuracy.

Of course, do not neglect your short game in any practice session. You should spend at least as much time at the chipping green as you do on the driving range. If you are short on time, you’d be better served to only practice your greenside touch rather than pound your driver for 20 minutes.

Lastly, realize the difference between a pre-round warm up and a practice session. Use your pre-round warm up to get your blood flowing and your rhythm set for the day. The pre-round warm up is not the time to try to implement some new swing tip you read this morning in Golf Digest. However, your focused practice session is where you want to groove your swing, implement advice from your golf lesson, and ‘listen’ to your body and mechanics. There is a big difference between pre-round warm up and practice sessions – use them both wisely.