Learning how to play golf is hard. Not only is learning the nuances of the swing a challenge, but so is getting used to the etiquette and unwritten rules. By the time you step up to the ball to make a swing, there can be a million thoughts running through your head.
This information overload is to be expected when you start picking up the game. Every golfer — even the best in the world — was there at one point or another. To combat this paralysis by analysis, simplicity is key.
Your goal when standing over the ball should be boiling down everything running through your head into a singular thought. The golf swing might be a complex combination of motions, but your objective is to make the process as simple as possible.
Making solid contact with the ball is a great starting point for any beginner. But, according to Nick Novak of the Golf Performance Center, the best way to improve as a novice is focusing on your body after you swing.
“For a beginning golfer, the first thing we try to get them to do is hold their finish on every shot,” Novak says. “Whether it’s a putt or a chip or a full swing — finishing in balance brings some awareness to the whole operation.”
Novak explained that once beginners get comfortable holding their finish in the proper spot, they become more consistent in their swing and routine.
“You can actually get better if you keep doing the same thing over and over,” he says. “The consistency is key.”
After you hit the ball, take a moment to hold your finish while keeping your balance. Do it so many times that it becomes second nature. Once the fundamentals of how to finish your swing become routine, move onto the next component.
Do it enough times and you’ll be flushing full shots in no time.