Golf Lesson The idea that golf is a game for retirees is untrue. The largest share of American golfers in 2017 was people between the ages of 6 and 34. They make up 69% of all golfers.

No matter your age, if you are interested in golf lessons, there are a few things you should know. Read on for what to expect from golf lessons and what you can do to get the most out of them.  

Set Golfing Goals

There are many reasons why you want to take golf lessons. You may want to compete, learn to play for social enjoyment or some other reason.

Before you seek out golf instructors, you should think about why you want golf lessons and what you hope to get out of them.

This will help you narrow down your search for a golf instructor. And it will help him or her tailor the lessons to your goals.  

Find the Right Golf Instructor

Finding a golf coach may take some time. You should interview each potential instructor either in person or on the phone to see if he or she is a good fit for you. 

This short chat will give you a good sense of the instructor’s personality. It’s also your chance to ask questions about scheduling, cost, group, and private lessons and so on. 

At the end of the day, you should choose an instructor that suits your needs. Check out the golf clubs in your area. Ideally, you want an instructor that is located near you

And you need to find someone whose personality fits your own. This will make the lessons fun and enjoyable. 

Come to Your First Lesson Prepared

Arrive at your first lesson early. Wear comfortable clothes and have your visor, glove, and water bottle. 

Take time to stretch and loosen up. Hit a few balls to warm up. 

You may want to come with a set of questions or topics that you want to address. 

Make sure to bring your whole set of clubs if you own a set. If not, provide advance notice to your instructor so that he or she can provide the equipment you’ll need. 

Bring a golf journal to keep track of what you learned, key takeaways and your action plan for moving forward.

During the Lesson

You can expect your first lesson to be a mini-interview. Answer questions truthfully. 

Don’t tell your instructor what’s wrong with your swing. Instead, talk about what’s been going wrong. A good golf instructor will be able to tell what’s wrong with your swing by the third shot. But explaining to the pro what’s been happening to your golf ball is helpful.

You don’t need to impress your instructor. Instead be open about how often you play and what you find difficult. This will make your lesson much more productive.

There’s no shame in not understanding some of the golf jargon. Get what you are paying for and ask questions.

Make sure you understand what you are asked to do and why. 

During your lesson, keep an open mind. Let go of assumptions about techniques and what “should” happen during this instruction time. 

Be open to your golf instructor’s advice and his or her expertise. Try what your coach recommends and see what happens.

You may be surprised to see that it really does work! 

Also, when you are working on technique, exaggerate the new motion pattern. This will help your coach fine-tune any corrections. And it will help you solidify the feelings of the new movement.

At The End of The Session

Once you are at the end of your lesson, ask your golf instructor for feedback. 

Get your instructor to help you summarize what you learned during the session and what one or two items you should focus on now.

It’s easy to forget something important that came up during a lesson. If you write it down, you won’t forget. And it helps cement the vast amount of new information in your memory.

At the end of your golf lesson, you should expect your coach to give you some practice assignments. If he or she doesn’t offer any, ask for it.

Think of this as homeplay instead of homework. And remember that quality, not quantity is the goal here. 

Practice As Soon As Possible

The sooner you can get practicing what you learned during a lesson, the better. Do it immediately after your session if you can.

Practice the drills and motion swings that your golf instructor gave you to cement how to do them right. Otherwise, you can show up at your next lesson and are no further ahead. That is a waste of your time and money.

You want to improve each time you have a golf lesson. And that can only happen if you practice in between sessions.

Making changes to your swing can be hard. Mainly, your coach wants you to get a new feeling down.

That means that you will be outside your comfort zone during practice. That’s OK. In fact, that’s a good thing.

You don’t want to slide back into your comfortable (and unproductive) swing style. That would be counterproductive to your learning journey.

During your practice time, have a positive attitude. Realize that you won’t miraculously be a PGA tour player overnight.

Set realistic goals that are within your reach. Work hard at them. When you reach those, repeat the process with more goals.  

Final Thoughts on Golf Lessons

Thanks for reading. We hope you found these tips for getting the most out of your golf lessons useful. 

Remember, golf is meant to be recreation. If you are stressed about your golf lessons, you are missing the biggest element of golf – having fun.

With some quality instruction, you can improve your skills and get even more enjoyment out of the game.

Understanding How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap in 2020

If you are new to golf or starting to take your rounds more seriously, understanding your golf handicap is a necessity. Golf handicaps are a number that represents the golfer’s ability based on their previous golf round’s scores. It serves the purpose of comparing your performances with other golf players. For men, your golf handicap is generally between zero and twenty-eight, and, for women, between zero and thirty-six.

Knowing your handicap is a must when a player wants to participate in tournament-style formats. Your handicap is the great equalizer. Many tournaments format their play so that a players handicap is used to score a round. This increases competition and allows players who may not be the strongest golfers a chance to taste victory. But this leads us to a few important questions. What is your handicap, and more importantly, how do you calculate it? 

New handicap calculation changes were introduced in 2020 so we’ll go over what a handicap is, how to calculate your handicap, and what rules changed for 2020.

History of Golf Handicaps

Golf handicap began over 100 years ago and has been in operation ever since. In the previous years, it was known as a hands-on cap, involving three parties: the referee and two players. Later on, they changed the name to handicap in 1850.

Now, your handicap is used to gauge your skill level based on your score compared to a course’s par round. Handicaps are used in tournaments large and small. From a scramble with friends to club championships. 

What Your Handicap Means

Essentially, the lower your golf handicap, the more skilled you are. A player with a handicap of 5 means that the average of this player’s previous  rounds was 5 over par (criteria changed from 5 rounds to 3 rounds starting in 2020). Handicaps are often used to judge how a player performed compared to their average level of play opposed to a straight head-to-head matchup. Handicaps allow players to compete and win against more talented golfers based on how they each played that day.

For example, let us say you and a friend are going to play a 18-hole course with a par of 72. Your friend, with a golf handicap of six, is expected to play 78 strokes, or six over par. While you and your twelve handicap are expected to hit 84 strokes, 12 more over par. Your handicap, in short, is the number of strokes over par you should take in the course of the 18-hole round. In this scenario, let’s say you shoot a 82 and your friend shoots an 80. Technically, your friend shot the lower round, but because you incorporated handicaps (you are -2 and your friend is +2) you are actually the victor! 

How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap in 2020

If you have never played golf, your golf handicap does not exist. When you are ready to create your golf handicap, start by tracking your 9 and 18-hole scores. The scores should be recorded in a scorecard and must be signed by two people: you and the partner accompanying you to the golf game. The signatures are needed to minimize corruption and make your scores real and valid.

Number of Scores Needed to Obtain Handicap Index

As of January 2020, you must submit three 18-holes scores to obtain a handicap index. This can be made from a combination of 9-hole and 18-hole rounds; the handicap index will be revised at the beginning and mid of every month (1st and 15th). This change requires that you submit only three 18-hole scores. The revision to your handicap will be done daily as long as you update your third 18-hole scores before midnight.

Golf Handicap Calculation Changes for 2020

Before 2020, the calculation of course handicap was done using this formula: Handicap Index X Slope rating / 113

The 2020 calculation is done using this new formula: Handicap Index X (Slope rating/113) + (Course Rating-Par)

Notice the changes; the new formula includes course rating minus par. These changes were done to accommodate players who play from different tees. Because they are playing with different benchmarks, there is a need to make handicapping more fair.

The 2020 changes introduce new rules of handicapping, and it represents the strokes players receive in a competition. Therefore, the new formula for playing handicaps is the course handicap X handicap allowance. This new change introduces two new rules for handicapping that are: you will be allowed to use course handicaps to adjust your scores, and secondly, playing handicaps will be used for net competition purposes.

Course Handicap Calculation Formula

There are several apps or programs you can sign up for that will calculate your handicap for you, but if you like to do things the old fashion way, here is a complete breakdown in calculating your own course handicap. 

The calculation of handicap is based on several elements. Some of these elements include the slope rating, course handicap and the adjusted gross scores. Other factors that can be considered include the handicap index of the game, its associated handicap differential as well as the course rating. 

Step 1 – You need to change the gross scores into adjusted total score

To get adjusted gross scores, use the USGA’s equitable stroke control. Use the ESC downwards while adjusting the individual 18-hole scores to create a golf handicap. According to ESC, you are restricted to the maximum number of strokes you can enter in a given hole. The maximum can be obtained from the table below

Course Handicap	Maximum Score
Nine or less	Double bogey
10-19	7
20-29	8
30-39	9
40 and above	10

Step 2: Calculate the differential in handicap for each score

It would be best if you used this formula to calculate the handicap differential.

Handicap differential = (Adjusted Gross Score-rating of the course) X 113 / Course slope ratings.

The course rating is simply the scores of a new golfer on a normal course under a normal playing condition. Slope rating is the rating of 113 for a course based on the standard difficulty.

Step 3: Select the lowest handicap differential

Select your best, or lowest, handicap differential. In case you have entered more than 20 scores, the top 10 differentials of your 20 most current scores will be used for the calculation.

Step 4: Calculating the average of the smallest value from the differentials

If you have 10 handicap differentials available, calculate the average for the lowest 3 HDs. For 15 HDs calculate the average for the lowest 6. Once you have at least 20 scores, always use the 10 best from the most recent 20 scores.

Step 5: Multiplying the average of handicap differentials by 96%

The fifth step involves determining the average from net handicap differentials by multiplying the average differential by 0.96.

Step 6: Truncating, deleting the number to the value of right of tenths

Do not round off any figure in the scores. USGA states that the default maximum number from any handicap index in a golf match should be 40.4 for women and 36.4 for men if played on an 18-hole course. On the 9-hole course, it should be 18.2 for men and 20.2 for women. For example, if the handicap differential average is 13.196 after multiplication by 0.96, the truncated value will be 13.1.

Step 7: Calculate the course handicap

A course handicap is the number of strokes a player receives on a particular course.

Course handicap = Handicap Index X Slope Rating/113 + (Course Rating-Par)

Example: This course handicap calculation assumes a 12.7 and a course slope of 115

Course Handicap = 12.7 x 115 / 113 = 12.92 = 13

How to Improve Your Handicap

Now that you know your golf handicap, and are determined to improve it, what do you need? Here are a few tips to help you improve your handicap:

• Improve your swing – Improve your swing by practicing early and often. If you need professional help, look into personal golf lessons at Golf Club of the Everglades. 
• Ensure your equipment is perfect – Ill fitted equipment could affect your game and increase the risk of injury. 
• Push yourself – Always aim to set new records every time you play.

12 At-Home Exercises To Improve Your Golf Game

Exercising away from the golf course is a great way to improve when you are on it. With American’s currently spending more time at home than ever before, staying active has never been so important. What follows are 12 exercises to get and keep your mind and body in shape for your next tee time at the Golf Club of the Everglades!

Cat Camels

You can improve mobilization in the spine while increasing strength in your hip and lower back with this one. It can aid in your posture and will improve rotation through your swing.

Get down on all fours and keep your knees under your hips and your hands below your shoulders. Make sure your head raises up and tailbone sticks out as you sink your back in the cat phase. Lower your head and tailbone when you arch your back in the camel phase.

Core Rotations With Weight

Building up your abs not only gives you a solid core, but it also gives you extra strength for a more powerful swing. This exercise helps promote good posture and flexibility while also decreasing the odds of injury.

You can use anything from a one-pound hand weight to a heavy medicine ball. While sitting on the floor with bent knees and your feet hovering above the ground, hold your weight in front of your chest with bent elbows rotating at the waist to both sides evenly. Keeping your feet elevated will help isolate the rectus abdominis for the best results possible.

Hand Walks

Golf is a game of repetitive movements, with you swinging from one side of your body many times throughout a round. This can lead to issues like tennis elbow. Preventative exercises keep you playing, which improves your game.

This exercise has you bending over so that your hands and feet are touching the ground. You walk your hands out into a push-up pose and then walk your feet towards your hands, stopping when you feel a good stretch.

Standard Push-Ups

This traditional exercise, if done correctly, requires input from and strength from many parts of your body. It is a great way to build up strength and helps with stability in your core region, such as your hips.

Keep your hands under your shoulders and your feet spread about shoulder’s width apart. Lowering your body to just above the floor and back up in a controlled motion. To enhance this exercise, squeeze your core muscles before you move to the top of the move.

The Body Turn

This is a fantastic way to build flexibility in your backswing. If done properly, you should give your trailing shoulder a nice stretch, along with the back muscles around it. You can also use this for a warm-up before a round.

Use a club so you can reach as far as possible. Keep the head of the club in the palm of your trailing hand with the fingers open as you go through your swing rotating only your hips.

The Glute Bridge

If you are looking to work the muscles you are usually sitting on throughout the day, this might be the exercise for you. This key part of your core is often overlooked and it aids in stabilizing your pelvis.

With your upper back on the floor and your hips in the air, keep your knees at 90-degrees and your feet flat. A trick people use is to place a rolled-up towel between their legs. Press your hips towards the sky until just your shoulders and feet are touching the ground and hold for 30-60 seconds. 

The Dead Bug

This simple exercise will strengthen your core, especially the spine and lower back muscles. You will be able to more effectively transfer energy from your lower to the upper body. It can also help to relieve lower back pain.

Make sure to keep your back flat against the ground, keeping your hips and lower back motionless. Once in position, go through the motions by simultaneously lifting your left arm/right leg then your right arm/left leg.

The Pelvis Rotation

Watching a great golf swing, you will notice that the player is able to really move their hips separately from their upper body. By stretching your torso muscles, you are able to build-up energy that transfers into your swing.

Use your club to help keep your upper body straight as you move your hips. Keep your feet planted firmly and focus on isolating your hips as you move from center towards one side and then the other.

The Side Step-Up

Looking for added core support that focuses on the upper legs? This exercise will help develop more hip stability that can aid in transferring power to your upper body during the swing.

Start off with a bench or step no higher than eight inches. If you raise your toe on the lower foot it will force the leg on the platform to lift your entire weight. Make sure to completely straighten your leg as you lift.

The Sword Draw

While this may benefit your base, it is your shoulders that really get the workout here. Keeping your golf posture and moving slowly will provide the best results and add to your shoulder’s rotational range.

Use a light hand-weight to offer some resistance as you move. Stay focused on your stance so that you don’t fall out of it. Start with the weight in your right hand with the weight hovering above the left side of your hip. Raise your slightly bent arm so that it crosses your body and is perpendicular to the ground. Pause as you reach the apex with the weight, just as you would with a club. Switch arms and repeat. 

The Split-Squat

This exercise works each leg, strengthening one while stretching the other. This will help your mobility as well as your balance, both of which are important to a golfer. It also stretches the pelvis and lower back and can help relieve aches in these areas.

You can kneel with the front foot flat and the back knee on the ground. Standing, pausing, and squatting works through the motions here. Use the wall or a chair to help to maintain your balance.

90/90 Shoulder Stretch

You will improve your shoulder range, helping to increase your swing rotation, power, and speed. This exercise will also increase your ability to move your shoulders separately from your hips.

While standing in a doorframe or the end of a wall, lift your arm so that your elbow is bent at 90 degrees and your bicep is perpendicular to the ground. Place your arm squarely against the wall while lightly pushing forward with your body. Switch arms and repeat.