photo credit: Principal Post

Key Takeaways

• Understanding club distances helps golfers make better on-course decisions.
• Maintaining a stable backswing reduces unnecessary compensation and improves accuracy.
• Consistent grip and clubface control are essential for straighter, more reliable shots.
• Playing high-percentage shots minimizes risk and supports long-term improvement.
• Proper posture through impact increases consistency and enhances shot control.

Based in Los Angeles CA, Alex Rojas serves as the general manager of the Central Basin Municipal Water District and a principal consultant with Greenvale Consulting Services. His leadership experience in organizational development and process optimization parallels the strategic and disciplined approach required to improve in golf.

As a former superintendent of the Bassett Unified School District, Rojas has applied structured evaluation and continuous improvement principles throughout his career, much like how golfers refine their skills through practice and feedback.

Drawing on his analytical background and passion for performance, Rojas underscores how beginners can identify and correct common golfing errors to achieve greater consistency and enjoyment on the course.

Recognizing and Correcting a Few Beginner Golfers Mistakes

More than 47 million Americans aged six and older played golf in 2024, including a record 28.1 million people who played on a golf course at least once, according to the National Golf Foundation. As the sport continues to expand its reach across the United States, beginner golfers should familiarize themselves with common mistakes that may hinder their progress and enjoyment of the game.

To begin, one of the basic skills professional golfers have that amateur players overlook involves understanding their average and maximum distances for each club. Golfers who lack this knowledge may consistently find themselves overshooting or landing short of the green. Understanding max distances is relatively easy: individuals should schedule time at a driving range and hit 10 consecutive shots with each club, ideally on a calm, windless day.

Once golfers identify their typical shot distances, they can mark the average point on the range and use it as a visual reference. Practicing additional shots toward this marker helps develop consistent distance control and better on-course judgment.

Each golfer has mechanical issues that impact their efficiency. For many beginner golfers, issues involve backswing stability. While a swaying backswing may seem like a minor problem to beginners, it requires considerable compensation throughout the downswing to achieve an accurate strike. This compensation places undue physical stress on golfers, while a lack of compensation typically leads to an errant strike.

Golfers struggling with their backswing should invest in an alignment stick and place it by their right hip, allowing about one inch of separation between the stick and their body. Individuals should continue to hit through their shots, aiming to make no contact with the stick. Any contact, especially during the backswing, indicates an unbalanced stroke.

Clubface control represents another common mechanical error for novice golfers, and one that can prove more challenging to correct. Without clubface control, golfers will struggle to hit the ball in straight lines. An effective, consistent grip is key to clubface control.

Many beginners also struggle with the strategic side of golf. While flashy, high-risk plays can be tempting, new golfers benefit more from learning to “play the percentages, which involves choosing safer, higher-probability shots. This approach becomes especially valuable on off days or in challenging weather, as reducing small mistakes is the most reliable path to lowering one’s handicap and achieving consistent scores.

A visual trick associated with playing high-percentage golf involves imagining a large circle around a target on the fairway or green. If any point on the imaginary circle makes contact with a course obstacle, such as the rough or a water hazard, golfers should adjust their target until the circle is free of all trouble zones. This approach may lead players to take a less direct route to the hole, but it should reduce the risk of critical errors.

Finally, beginner golfers can elevate their games by maintaining their swing and posture through impact, rather than leaning back to provide the ball with more loft. Effective clubface management and clubhead speed should provide the ball with all the air it needs. Furthermore, mastering the point of impact should create additional backspin on the ball, minimizing the risk of overshooting the target.

FAQs

How can beginners measure their average club distances?

Beginners can visit a driving range, hit multiple consecutive shots per club, and record their average landing points under calm weather conditions.

What causes backswing instability in new golfers?

Beginners often sway during the backswing, creating imbalance and forcing compensation on the downswing. Alignment-stick drills help correct this.

Why is clubface control so difficult for novice golfers?

Clubface control requires both a consistent grip and reliable swing mechanics. Minor inconsistencies can cause major directional errors.

What does “playing the percentages” mean in golf?

It refers to choosing higher-probability, lower-risk shots rather than attempting risky plays that could lead to bigger mistakes.

How does posture at impact affect a golfer’s shot?

Maintaining posture through impact improves ball contact, adds backspin, and helps avoid overshooting the target.

About Alex Rojas

Alex Rojas, based in Los Angeles CA, is the general manager of the Central Basin Municipal Water District and a principal consultant at Greenvale Consulting Services. Previously serving as superintendent of the Bassett Unified School District, he has led initiatives that increased revenue and operational efficiency.

Rojas earned a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of Southern California and holds a master’s degree in water engineering and management from the University of Colorado, Boulder.