Trying To Learn Golf At 40

I realise that throughout my time running this fitness blog I’ve actually only written about a few sports. Mainly running and swimming, with a touch of Karate thrown in at some period of time! This year however has been different and I’ve taken on a new sport, Golf. 

Why you ask? Well everybody seems to rave about it and are so passionate about the sport. Plus I already enjoy walking, so walking across a well-maintained course, on a dry day, whilst incorporating the element of competition and ability, really seemed to make sense to me. 

I think the reason I didn’t start sooner was because in my mind it’s expensive and up until now, I’ve not really been in a position where I can throw that sort of money towards lessons, equipment and certainly golf club memberships! 

So I started with lessons and wondered to myself ‘where on earth am I going to get a lesson from?’ – I knew there was an academy around 10 miles down the road from me that has a huge driving range, as well as lessons available from professionals. However I also wanted something closer, because I know what I’m like. When it comes to the Winter and it’s dark and rainy, travelling 10 miles for a 30 minute lesson just isn’t enough for me to stay excited about.

So I did what most humans do when they need to find something these days, I googled. I found out that I could have a lesson from a Pro from a local golf club without having to join and pay the membership fee. It’s important to dip your toe in the water of a sport before spending hundreds and even thousands on it!

The instructor showed me his indoor setup that we’d be using when the weather wouldn’t be so great and we couldn’t go out onto the actual course. Which was fine with me because I did wonder what we’d do in this very predictable (and miserable) English weather! 

I also couldn’t believe the level of technology that was available. Just by taking a swing in front of this small orange box it could record so many statistics, analysis and areas to recognise improvement. I was fascinated, overwhelmed and intrigued all at the same time!

I soon discovered the importance of wearing a glove because after only a few swings, the skin around my fingers was starting to peel and blister, which was painful. I also bought myself some proper golf shoes because the trainers I was wearing weren’t giving me the right grip. These really looked the part and I felt that little bit more like I belonged at the club and not some amateur beginner they could identify from a mile away!

The thing about golf when you watch it on TV is that it looks so easy. You simply swing back and then hit the ball forwards. This in reality couldn’t be further from the truth. There is so much technique involved I wouldn’t know where to start. I see on YouTube there are some self-taught individuals who never paid for a single lesson and just learn through trial and error. Well good for them, because they are very much the exception. 

The truth is if you want to learn this sport you need to have lessons on a consistent basis. But lessons alone aren’t enough. You also need to practice the drills at home in order to embed them into your muscle memory. In fact after speaking with a number of potential instructors, most of them said they wouldn’t carry out a weekly lesson and it’s better to have one 10-14 days in-between. 

Golf certainly isn’t for everyone, and it definitely isn’t the easiest of sports to learn, however I think once you have the fundamentals in place, such as consistently hitting the ball with a decent enough swing, you can at least enjoy a round with your friends. At 40 years old I currently have no plans to quit my day job and attempt to join the PGA Tour! But I will continue to practice and hopefully get to a decent enough level! 

Adam Warren