Most people that are new to the game of golf have a natural swing, youngsters between the ages of 5 and 12 years of age. They swing the club with good rhythm, balance and grace. The beginner has not yet been tainted by an overly enthusiastic golf instructor.
The first few golf instructions create a unique opportunity for the instructor to instill a strong desire in the student to do better. This is most easily done through simple instructional techniques. Let’s face it- the student is there to learn and have fun, and “having fun” is what the game is all about. Too many instructors just don’t place a high emphasis on having fun. Think about it, how many students will actually be scratch players in 5 years, or for that matter, ever? The point is that most players do want to improve their games but not at the expense of having fun! This is certainly not to underestimate the importance of instruction, practice or good technique.
There is a common tendency with most instructors, in spite of their best intentions, to over instruct their students. Let’s face it- their job is to try to find flaws and correct them, however, sometimes tampering with a natural swing can be detrimental to the student.
Instead of sticking with the major elements of the golf swing, instructors usually attempt to get into details of the swing that the beginner does not understand. For instance they may use terms such as “strong” or “weak” grip. To the beginner that could mean many things. Terms like “swinging from the inside “, “parallel at the top” could mean different things as well- you get the idea. As the instructor tries to explain and implement these various terms and techniques the beginner becomes confused and in some cases discouraged. That is the last thing the student needs.
Most beginner golfers, especially below the age of 12, are just concerned with being able to hit the ball, never mind “hook or slice”. If anything they may tend to swing too hard because the natural tendency is to think that the harder you hit the ball the farther it goes. The smart teacher knows that for a beinner just getting the ball in the air consistently is a major accomplishment. Getting the ball airborne and flying towards the target should be the goal of the first lesson.
Beginner golf instruction should be kept simple and uncomplicated. The golf instructor should be concerned with the basic fundamentals such as grip, aim, stance and posture. When a student sees their ball going straight they instantly become more enthusiastic and motivated. This type of motivation should be the initial golf of beginner golf instruction. Golf can be fun and exciting, and if the instruction is simple it will be!
