As a spectator, you might not appreciate golf that much.You miss the loud and vibrant energy of stadiums filled with people watching athletes score and defend their bases from the opposing team. You like cheering for your team and even jeering, all in the name of a good match. You like eating popcorn while you watch or hold your huge tarpaulin declaring your love for a team or a certain player. You chant with the crowd and make sure your part of the stadium is the loudest. There’s the sound of the drums, a half-time show, and even the dreaded or loved kiss cam going around.You won’t get any of these from watching golf. You might not even understand the mechanics of the game aside from a golfer swinging his or her club and targeting a certain hole in the golf course. You wonder how they are able to control the ball or predict where the air is going to take it to land the perfect shot. You are confused with the scoring, not understanding anything about par score. (Well, let us tell you that in golf, every shot is considered as one stroke and your score depends on the number of strokes under, even with, or over the par score).Nonetheless, even though it’s quiet and you don’t literally go head to head with another player, golf is a difficult sport to learn; moreso, master. It’s not something you are immediately great at after one day at the golf course. You don’t simply swing the club from one point to another. It might look easy as a spectator but playing the sport is far from it. You have to put in the time and commitment so that you would enjoy and eventually know the sport by heart.There are many things that you have to study when you are playing golf. The best start for you to have a good foundation of the basics is to learn golf from a PGA teaching professional. You may also enroll in a group lesson if you’re a beginner. Then, you could practice on your own or with a loved one. Afterward, you are now ready to go to the golf course and land balls on holes.So how do you play golf, exactly? Here are the basic steps to follow if it’s your first time ever to play the sport.
1. Get your starting stance right.
Grab a club and grip it with both of your hands, fingers overlapping and interlocking one another. According to Golfweek, the club should sit diagonally between the first and second joint of your index finger all the way to the base of the pinkie. Your feet must be spaced apart as wide as your shoulders. The knees are bent, your upper body leaning forward before you do the shot, and hang your arms from the sockets of your shoulder.
2. Position your ball in the right spot.
After you get your stance right, the next step is to make sure the ball is in the right place. Place it left of center towards the direction of your front foot. For a tee shot, your foot must be below your front shoulder socket. If you are using a lofted club, you should move the ball at the center of your stance.
3. Check if the clubface is square to the target.
This is not really a necessary step but many golfers find it helpful to get a winning shot. What they do is set the clubface to the target line even before doing the first two steps. You will pick an intermediate target which could be a twig or discolored grass, something that could be a marker for you on the turf. This target should be around 2 feet in front of your ball between the pin and your ball. This helps you, the golfer, stay aligned while you lower your head for a shot.
4. Make a shoulder turn around your spine to move the club backwards.
This is the start of the classic golf move and it takes time to perfect. It might look easy especially if you are watching expert golfers but it is very different when you are holding the club yourself. You want the club to swing backward by turning your shoulder around your spine. You will shift your weight to the back foot with your wrists at 90 degrees. The arms and the club should be in a parallel position to the ground.
5. Make your shot.
Now you are ready to score! Relax, take a deep breath, and be focused on what your goal is. You might get pressured that every shot counts but don’t worry about where it will hit first, just focus on hitting the ball the right way. You move your front knee towards the direction of the target. The hands, arms, and body must be engaged as you shift your weight to the front foot and hit the ball with the club, hoping that it will land as near to the hole as possible and at a position that would help you score better than your opponents.You might think that golf is monotonous and the same all throughout the game. But it is during the quiet moments that your composure under pressure is tested. Half of the game happens in your mind where you strategize on how you could advance and get the best score. You are also able to chat with your friends or family who you are playing golf with. The sunshine and the beautiful view of the golf course are also two factors that could help you love the sport even more. Once you understand it by heart, we can guarantee that you would love the sport!
Store Your Equipment Properly
Golf equipment can get quite expensive so you want to prolong the life of your golf clubs and balls at home as much as possible. Store them properly in your garage by having room for it. Install smart storage solutions such as overhead storage racks and wall shelves from FlexiMounts. From the same brand, buy hooks to attach to the storage offers. Your golf bag could hang onto these hooks, guaranteeing security, proper storing position, etc.
So how do you play golf, exactly? Here are the basic steps to follow if it’s your first time ever to play the sport.
