Golf Basics: What You Really Need to Know
1 The game of golf is fun. At first, it seems like it’s only a simple game of hitting a small ball into a hole in the ground, but it’s not. There are many variations—that’s why no two golfers play alike. But to play at all, you must learn several basic things.
2 First, you must know how to hold the club correctly. Your grip on the club will affect how you swing it. Take the club in the hand that is opposite from the one you write with. Hold the club with your thumb facing the ground. Then, take your other hand and lock your fingers around your bottom hand, holding the club loosely in your grip. One variation on this is the interlocking grip. This means that the forefinger on the top hand weaves together with the pinky on the other hand.
3 Next, to master the game of golf, you must learn the swing and stance. It is important to stand in a certain way. With each different club you use, you have to adjust the swing and stance. In golf, you have a bag of clubs called woods, irons, wedges, and putters. There are even different levels of each club type. A good golfer knows how to change his or her swing and stance to use each of the different clubs. This makes the ball go right where it should.
4 Finally, proper aim and follow-through are indispensable. You must know where the ball is going, pointing the flat end of the club toward the target. After the swing, keep looking at the target. Don’t drop the club in another direction, as that can make the ball go sideways. When that happens, it might go into the trees or tall grass, and there’s another set of instructions to get out of that mess.
