A beginner’s guide to a winning swing

By / January 24th, 2025 / There are currently 0 comments

Over the course of the last century, golf has grown in popularity, becoming one of the most popular sports in the world. Reasons for this surge are many: golf blends physical challenge with mental acuity; it fosters community through its strong sense of tradition, with origins that can be traced back to medieval Scotland. For those who’re well acquainted with the sport, it offers an inimitable way of getting out into nature and spending time with colleagues or friends, appealing to people of all ages, from all walks of life.

Though your interest in golf may have been piqued long ago, it is a little harder to access than other sports, which means starting to play, particularly as you get older, can be somewhat daunting. 

If you’ve decided to start playing but have found yourself worrying about the basics, wondering if you’ll ever know how to play golf, or even how to hold a golf club, worry not: this blog will take you through the basics step by step. 

Table of contents:

How to play golf

Nobody knows who invented golf; it simply seems to have evolved over a long period of time. Its earliest beginnings can be traced back to a game called ‘Chuiwan’ (translating, literally, as ‘striking small ball’) which was played in China in the 8th century.  

Despite its murky beginnings, the modern game was established in St Andrews, Scotland, where the first eighteen-hole course was built in 1764. If you’re ready to learn how to play golf, the version you’re about to learn originates here, though aspects of the game have, of course, changed over the last couple of centuries.

The essence of the game is simple: get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. Sounds easy? It isn’t. But learning how to play can be an enormous amount of fun and wildly rewarding. The number of shots it ‘should’ take per hole depends, generally, on the length of the fairway, but there are only three types – or ‘pars’ – in total: 3, 4 and 5. 

Using different types of club, you use your body and mind to navigate often tricky terrain in order to get the ball in the hole. If you match or play under par you’re doing fine, but going over par is bad news, as a high number of shots (classed as a high score) in golf is precisely what you’re trying to avoid.

How to hold a golf club: practising your long game

Keeping your score as low as possible requires all kinds of considerations, but, as with many things, it’s best to start with the basics and spend as much time with them as possible. 

For your long game, you’ll need to get used to holding and swinging drivers and irons comfortably. To get started, all you need to do is follow the steps below:

  • If you’re right-handed, start with your left hand on the club so it lies diagonally across your fingers.
  • Grip the club gently, then place your right hand below your left hand. 
  • Interlock your index finger on your left hand with the little finger on your right hand, then grip both hands around the shaft of the club tightly, with your thumbs overlapping in a V shape. 

Generally speaking, your grip shouldn’t vary too much (if at all) between driving and playing shots from the fairway. The only thing you might amend is your swing, which can also change slightly when it comes to your short game. 

How to grip a golf club: practising your short game

Holding your putter is different from holding a driver or iron. Not only is it a different type of club, but it is also a different type of shot, so knowing how to approach it is key. Here are a few things to consider when starting out:

  • Almost all driver and iron clubs have a round grip. Putters, on the other hand, can be flat-sided, paddle or pistol. They are also more ‘upright’ than the other clubs, making them more suitable for short, slow, accurate shots. 
  • To keep the face of the putter straight, your hands need to be facing each other rather than overlapping. 
  • Once you’ve got to grips with holding your putter, you should be able to swing it nice and evenly, almost like a pendulum, guiding the ball towards the hole at a nice, even pace. 

How long do 18 holes of golf take?

Alongside knowing how long a game takes to play, there are probably a few other things you need to iron out before you head out onto the course.

Given the average amount of time it takes to play eighteen holes is around four to six hours, you’re probably going to want to make sure you’ve got all the right equipment, from the right bag and trolley to the right spares and other accessories.

Golf at Jack Stonehouse

At Jack Stonehouse, our customers can choose from a wide range of equipment to help them get started, with golf sets for adults and junior golf sets available. 

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