If you’re a golf newcomer you’ve already figured out an obvious reality; golf isn’t an easy game to learn. Sure, you’re well capable of picking up a golf club and hitting the ball. But as it turns out there’s far more to the game than just wielding a club. The name of the game is, after all, to get the ball to the hole. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, depending on where you’re playing.

The fact of the matter is that golf is extraordinarily challenging, more so if you’re still making amateur mistakes.

Don’t Reach For The Driver

There is a common perception that golf is all about whacking the ball as far as it can go. Sure, there is a time when grabbing the driver is necessary, but that time probably isn’t when you think it is. Golf newbies often grab the driver repeatedly, thinking that they can simply jump the ball over various hazards along the way. But here’s a hard reality; you likely can’t hit the ball that far. Or at least you can’t hit it that far with any degree of accuracy.

The greatest golfers in the world shy away from their driver, choosing instead to land the ball closer to the hole without taking major risks. If pro golfers are scared of their driver, why are you so eager to reach for it? The club you’re really looking for is an iron. Unless, of course, you’re keen on hitting an online gambling casino on your phone while the caddie searches for your ball.

Keep The Ball Grounded

Following on from the previous point, you also want to keep your ball on the ground as much as possible. Again, you might decry this suggestion, insisting that golf balls should fly over the ground, not crawl along it. Here’s the hard truth; you’re not a pro, and your ball shouldn’t be flying through the air, full stop.

Golf newbies are far too eager to send their ball into the stratosphere, forgetting that sand traps and other hazards aren’t just for decoration.

Take More Clubs

So you think you’ve got this course figured out, and only need a 9-iron. Think again. You might have made a previous shot on this same course with a 9-iron, thus assume you can make the same shot this time round. But are you taking into account the conditions of the previous shot? Are you factoring in that the weather is very different today?

Always take more clubs than you think you’ll need, as a rule, just in case. It’s as simple as that.

Ease Up

Lastly; stop trying to be Tiger Woods. You’re not going to hit the ball as far as he can, and you’re almost certainly going to send your ball into no man’s land. Play it cool, accept the extra strokes, and settle for safer shots that will keep you on track. Get better at golf, then think about shooting for the moon.