The Five Basics for Beginners: Me and My Golf
Are you just starting out and feeling overwhelmed by all the advice? Andy Proudman and Piers Ward of Me and My Golf say there are just five essentials they’d focus on if they had only one lesson to give you: grip, body rotation, ground contact, clubface control, and a learning plan.
To be continued
What the lesson shows
The first basic, according to Andy Proudman and Piers Ward of Me and My Golf: build your grip with the club held up in the air, with the clubface vertical, at belt-buckle height. Building it with the club on the ground puts the grip too vertical in your hand, whereas it should run diagonally, from the middle of the index finger to the base of the little finger. Close your left hand, with your thumb slightly to the right of the grip: you should see two knuckles, and the “V” should point toward your right shoulder. The right hand comes on as if shaking hands, and you start with a baseball grip, hands touching. Second basic: the pivot, summed up by “turn, transfer, turn”. Turn on the backswing without sliding, shift toward the target on the downswing, then turn until you face the target, up on the toe of your right foot—first with your arms crossed, then with a club.
Third basic, with an iron: touch the ground after the ball, and not before. The best players hit the ball and then take their divot in front of it; you practice with practice swings next to the ball, aiming to brush the ground farther forward. Fourth basic, illustrated with a ping-pong paddle: the clubface, which determines the starting direction, opens on the backswing, returns square at impact, and closes through the ball, as if shaking hands with someone on your right, then on your left. Trying to keep it facing the target costs consistency and blocks rotation. Fifth basic: follow a plan rather than flitting from one tip to the next on YouTube.
The Exercise, Step by Step
- Hold the club up in the air, with the clubface vertical, at belt height.
- Place the grip from the middle of your index finger to the base of your little finger, then close your hand.
- Add your right hand as if you were shaking hands, using a baseball grip.
- With your arms crossed over your chest, repeat “turn, transfer, turn.”
- Make practice swings, brushing the ground after the spot where the ball would be.
- Use a paddle to mimic the clubface opening and then closing.
- Choose a plan and stick to it.
Key Takeaways
Mistakes to Avoid
- Building your grip with the club resting on the ground.
- Sliding sideways instead of turning on the backswing.
- Trying to hit the ground before the ball.
- Keeping the clubface pointed at the target on the backswing and through the ball.
Driving Range Mode
Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.
- Cross-arm pivot, turn, transfer, turn, without the ball
- Practice swings next to the ball, brushing the ground after it
- A ping-pong paddle that lets you feel the face open and close
Your Questions
How do you take your grip properly as a beginner?
According to Andy Proudman and Piers Ward, hold the club upright with the face vertical: the grip runs diagonally from the middle of the index finger to the base of the little finger, then close your hand.
What does “turn, transfer, turn” mean?
Turn your hips and chest on the backswing, shift your weight toward the target at the start of the downswing, then keep turning until you face the target, on your lead leg.
Should you hit the ground before the ball?
No: with an iron, you hit the ball and then the ground, and the divot is taken in front of where the ball was.
Should the clubface stay pointed at the target?
No, it opens on the backswing, returns square at impact, and closes through the ball. Keeping it facing the target hurts direction and rotation.
Learn More
Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Andy Proudman). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.