Golf - Skills, Rules, and Etiquette

This article is a complete listing of Golf Skills and Drills. I have included a section for Rules and Etiquette as both are very important in the game of golf. Enjoy!!

Golf

1.      Grip

1. V - There should be a V formed in between your thumb and your index finger.
2. Interlocking Fingers – The Index finger and the pinky finger should be interlocked.
3. Hiding thumb – The top hand should mostly cover up the thumb of the bottom hand.

2.      Stance

1. Shoulder Width – Your feet should be about a shoulder width apart.
2. Hanging Arms – Your arms should dangle straight down.
3. Club Length – The ball should be not quite a club length away from you. Your arms should dangle and the grip of the club should comfortably fit in your hands.

3.      Full Swing

1. L – When you draw the club back to swing, back or dominant arm should form an L. The same is true with the follow through, except the front arm forms the L
2. Draw Back – The draw back should be very smooth, not too rigid or too fast.
3. On Your Toes – When you follow through with the swing, your back foot should be up on your toes.
4. Weight Transfer – As you swing you should distribute your weight from both feet to your front foot. When you have finished the swing your front foot should bare most of the weight

4.      Full Swing Drill

1. Let everyone get a small cylinder that is about 1 foot long.
2. Have them practice their full swing by swinging this instead of an actual club.
3. This will allow them to work on mechanics, instead of how fast they swing the club

5.      Pitch

1. Pendulum – When you hit a pitch shot your arms should be like a pendulum in that however far you come back is how far you should go forward.
2. Back of Your Stance – Typically you want to position the ball towards the back of your stance

6.      Pitch Drill

1. Designate a square that is approximately 4foot by 4 foot.
2. Have students stand about 25 – 30 yards away and see how many balls they can land in the square.

7.      Chip

1. Y – Your arms and club should look just like a Y, both before and after the swing.
2. Plan for the Bounce – You need to anticipate for the ball to bounce and roll most of the way on a chip shot

8.      Chip Drill

a.       Have students stand about 20 – 30 ft away from the hole.

b.      Make sure that they are not on the green.

c.       Have them chip balls close to the hole.

d.      Make sure that you tell them to check the slope of the green so they can end up close to the hole so they can end up close to the hole

9.      Putt

1. Pendulum – Just like the Pitch, this draw back for a putt should be the same as the follow through.
2. On Top of the Ball – You should position your head so that you are almost looking right down on top of the ball.

10.  Putting Drill

1. Have students stand in between 3 – 4 holes that are at the most 15 foot apart. Have them putt balls into the holes.
2. You can make it a game where they compete to see who can get the most balls in with the fewest strokes, or you can simply have them put 1 ball in each hole.

11.  Down the Line

a.       Have student stand in front of a line on the ground

b.      Have students swing club and see if their swing plane has them swinging over the line

c.       Have students start out swinging slowly, gradually increasing speed of swing.

12.  Putt Putt Tic Tac Toe

a.       Draw out a tic tac toe shape on the ground. Have the students stand about 10 ft away. Have them play tic tac toe by putting balls into a square. The first person to get 3 in a row is the winner

13.  Mini Golf

a.       You can set up your own mini-golf course.

b.      Put obstacles in the way and have the students try to get their ball in the hole.

c.       You can limit them to using only the putter and pitching wedge.

 14.   Rules

1. Play the ball as it lies.
2. Don't move, bend, or break anything growing or fixed, except in fairly taking your stance or swing. Don't press anything down.
3. You may lift natural objects not fixed or growing, except in a water hazard or bunker. No penalty.
4. You may move man-made objects even in a bunker or water hazard. If they are immovable, you may drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. In a hazard, you must drop in the hazard. No penalty.
5. You may drop away from casual water, ground under repair, burrowing animal holes or casts. On the putting green, place, or in a hazard drop, at the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole; otherwise drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. No penalty.
6. In a water hazard or bunker, don't touch the water or ground with your hand or club before the stroke.
7. If you hit your ball into a water hazard and cannot play it, either drop behind the hazard or at the place where you played the shot. One penalty stroke. If you hit into a lateral hazard, you may also drop within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the hazard margin, or a point equidistant from the hole on the opposite margin. One penalty stroke.
8. When you hit your ball out of bounds or lose it, add a penalty stroke, go back and drop a ball at the place where you played the shot. On the tee, you may tee the ball. If you think you have hit your ball out of bounds or lost it outside a water hazard, play a provisional ball before searching for the first one.
9. When you have an unplayable lie, you may drop a ball at the place where you played the previous shot, adding a penalty stroke. On the tee, you may tee the ball. Alternatively, drop within two club-lengths, no nearer the hole, or any distance behind the unplayable spot, keeping it between you and the hole. If the ball is in a bunker, you must drop in the bunker, under either of the alternative options.
10. On the putting green, you may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line of the putt, but not spike marks.

15.  Etiquette

1. Quietness is required on the golf course. Golf requires lots of concentration, and even if the people in your immediate group don't seem to be bothered, there are other groups all around you. So keep you voice down.
2. 90 Degree Rule -- this rule requires you to stay on the cart path until you are even (at a 90 degree angle) with your ball. Then you may drive your cart straight out to your ball. When you've taken your shot, drive straight back to the cart path. Adhering to this rule minimizes damage to fairway grass as well, but still allows golfers to drive right up to their ball.
3. If you are not playing golf in an actual tournament, or other sanctioned event, it is okay to play "ready golf." Ready golf means the golfer who is ready to hit can do so even though he or she may not be farthest away from the hole. Just agree ahead with the others in your group that you will play ready golf when it makes sense. That way they won't think you are just unaware of the rules. It is good courtesy to acknowledge that you are playing ready golf to move things along
4. Playing Through another group is one of the most difficult and contentious parts of golf. It is difficult because, often, there is an implication that the group who is "being played through" is guilty of slow play and they typically resent that implication -- even if it's true. So if you are going to ask another group to allow you to play through them, do so in a courteous manner and at a convenient time in the round.
5. As you approach the green determine in which direction the next tee is located and leave your clubs (or park your cart) on that side of the green