Hi. Im new! (I also need to get better at golf)

Hi all,

I'm a 21 year old golfer on the Isle of Wight, currently playing off around 24. I've been playing very casually (and poorly) for about 5 years now and I've finally decided I want to improve and get more out of the game. Unfortunately I can't afford lessons and my time is very limited, so I've only,been able to get tips off YouTube and I'm lucky if I play once a week!

Does anyone want to put in their 2p on what positive steps I could take, or what has helped them cut their handicap in similar circumstances? Looking forward to meeting some new people on here!

Happy golfing!

Joel

Welcome Joel. This is an excellent forum for advice and chit chat. If you are only 21 and knocking it round to 24, you have plenty of time to improve, but are already doing quite well. Not knowing your game I would suggest that you nail the short game (putting, chipping and pitching). These are the shots where you can score. Having said that , how's your long game? Enjoy Golfshake. There are plenty of golfers here better qualified to advise than me... Mike.

If you can't get any lesson (which by the way I have found to be overated in the most case unless you find a good pro) learn to understand your golf swing, especially before picking up random tips from magazines of the internet. When I say understand your golf swing I mean what type of golf swing you have mopst swings fall into 2 bands 1 plane or 2 plane. Both are good swings both work very well but the fundementals are completely opposite and mixing elements up will cause you some serious problems, some people do have a hybrid of the swings but these guys have probably spent years working out how to get it to work.

A very good book to read is The Plane Truth for Golfers by Jim Hardy, this helps you identify which type of swing you are so you can work on the fundementals from one swing and ignore tips and hints that may well relate to the opposite swing.

Have a look at this link and it will help you pick which swing you should be using http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2008-05/breakingjimhardy

after many years trawling youtube, all training books and magazines and trying evrything that you can think of and becoming more confused and mixed up i began by thinking solely about impact, no matter what club knowing what the clubhead does at impact and being relaxed really help my striking and when you are striking the ball well the rest seems to take care of itself.

I agree with you Paul. I have been playing for many years now and only ever think about my contact with the ball, once I have taken my stance and aligned myself . To have your mind on other swing aspects must be very difficult. I occasionally get someone to video my play but they stay very much in the background and I analyse the video at a later time. Recent video has been very pleasing as my swing length looks full and my balance is good. That said it is all about impact for me...