Welcome to Play Smart, a new game-improvement column that drops at noon (ET) every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from Director of Game Improvement content Luke Kerr-Dineen to help you play smarter, better golf.
When I get interested in something, I get really interested in something. I go deep, for better or worse, and as such have a pretty defined set of interests. Golf, England, and history are three of the big ones. It’s rare that something will come along that exists exactly in the center of my little Venn diagram, but golf’s newest TikTok star is exactly my cup of (Earl Grey) tea.
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Known simply as “Brit Golf Dad,” he’s what the name of the account implies: A retired British golf teacher and father of two. His videos offer a series of simple tips about the swing in his delightful English accent, often from his back garden, occasionally with a cup of tea in hand. A straightforward formula that has led to explosive popularity: Brit Golf Dad has gained more than 66k followers in less than two days, and the first-ever video he posted amassed more than 2 million views in about 24 hours.
“I’ve been teaching golf for about 50 years and I really miss it,” he says. “But my kids told me about this TikTok thing so here we go.”
So pour yourself a cup of tea, and lets run through a few of Brit Golf Dad’s recent tips.
1. Importance of your hands
The basics of a golf swing don’t need to be complicated; it all comes down to your hands.
“Each hand is different so you should train it differently,” he says.
Flip the club upside down and first, grab it with your left hand. When you make a backswing, turn so your left shoulder is pointing at the ball, then make a “whoosh” as you swing through.
Do the same except this time with your right arm, swinging so the club releases around your body on the follow through.
Do that a few times with each, then feel the same motion but with both hands on the club. Simple!
@britgolfdadGolf – The Basic Swing ##golf ##golftok ##golfswing ##pga ##fyp ##foryou
2. Perfect posture
One of the keys to consistency in golf is creating a mechanism to set up to the ball the same way every time. Brit Golf Dad’s formula for this is simple:
1. Standing upright, grip the club with your left arm.
2. Tilt your upper body toward the ball, keeping your legs straight.
3. Place your right hand on the club.
4. Widen your stance.
5. Bend your knees about an inch.
@britgolfdadGolf – How to Stand ##golf ##golftok ##golfstance ##golfswing ##pga ##foryou ##fyp♬ original sound – Brit PGA Dad
3. A golf history lesson
We’ll get back to more tips shortly, but only after a slight pause to get a golf history lesson from Brit Golf Dad. Did you know the archers were responsible for making the first sets of golf clubs?
@britgolfdadGolf – A History, part 1. ##golf ##golftok ##golfswing ##pga ##fyp ##foryou ##golfhistory♬ original sound – Brit PGA Dad
4. Ball position
Ball position! It’s super-important, and luckily super simple to understand: For short clubs, like your wedges, the ball should be in the middle of your stance. As the length of the club increases the ball should move further toward your left foot until you finally reach your driver, the longest club in your bag, which should rest off your left foot.
@britgolfdadGolf – Ball Position. Hopefully the audio is better this time around. Lovely to meet you all! ##golf ##golftok ##whiffleball ##golfswing ##golfball ##fyp♬ original sound – Brit PGA Dad
5. Left-hand grip
A quick swig of tea, and then Brit Golf Dad talks about the left-hand grip. Start with the club by your side, then grip the club with your left hand as if you’re “gently pulling on a rope.” Make sure your thumb is slightly to the right of center.
@britgolfdadGolf – Hand Positions part 1, left hand – part 2 up now! ##golf ##golftok ##golfswing ##golfball ##fyp ##foryou♬ original sound – Brit PGA Dad
6. Right-hand grip
Once the left hand is situated, simply place your right palm over the top of your left thumb. Pros use lots of different variations based on their body type, but this is a pretty standard “neutral” golf grip.
As for overlap, interlock or 10-finger: Brit Golf Dad explains that most opt for the overlap, though golfers with smaller hands may prefer keeping all 10 fingers on the club.
@britgolfdadGolf – Hand Position, part 2, right hand ##golf ##golftok ##golfswing ##fyp ##foryou
7. More golf history!
Let’s close things out with another golf history lesson from Brit Golf Dad, who explains how the “gutty” golf ball prompted a change in golf club design, which together helped bring down costs which made the game more accessible for more people.
@britgolfdadGolf – A History, part 2. ##golf ##golftok ##golfswing ##golfhistory ##fyp ##foryou♬ original sound – Brit PGA Dad