Are You a Beginner? A beginner is someone picking up a club for the first time, someone who has only visited the driving range a handful of times, or someone who has played on a real course but never actually kept score.

Your next step is simply to become a golfer who can play a full 18 holes and keep score, averaging about a 7 or 8 on most holes is a great target.

1. The "Ready to Play" Benchmarks

Before you worry about complex swing mechanics, you need repetition and lots of practice to pass these four baseline tests. You are ready to keep score when you can consistently:

  • Hit an 8-iron airborne 7 out of 10 times.

  • Hit a Driver airborne (generally toward your target) 9 out of 10 times.

  • Hit a Driver at least 100 yards.

  • Completely eliminate the 4-putt from 30 to 40 feet away.

2. The Expected Workload & Timeline

If you played other sports growing up, you have a massive advantage because your fundamental movement skills are already developed. If this applies to you, you can expect to pass the benchmarks above in roughly 10 weeks by executing:

  • 2,000 Golf Balls hit at the driving range.

  • 2,000 Practice Swings taken between shots.

  • 500 Weighted Club Swings taken at home. (Recommended weighted club)

This may sound like a lot of work, but completing this baseline repetition makes the rest of your golfing life significantly easier. If you want to enjoy this game, this is the toll you must pay.

3. Your Weekly Practice Structure

Hitting those numbers can take as little as 10 weeks if you’re committed, here is how you should structure your weeks:

  • The Range (1-2 Days/Week): Hit one to two large buckets. The golden rule: Take at least one practice swing between every single golf ball (this practice swing should focus on letting the club hit the ground or mat right where you imagine the ball is).

  • The Putting Green (Post-Range): Do not skip this. Take 5 balls, pick a hole 30 feet (10 paces) away, and putt all 5 balls. Walk to where they ended up and try to make the second putt. If you miss even one, start over. Go back and forth 20 times. It takes 1,000 to 2,000 putts to build the skill of avoiding a 4-putt.

  • The Living Room (1 Day/Week): Grab a short, weighted training club and make 50 slow, deliberate swings at home.

4. Your 4 Swing Focus Points

If you take lessons, implement your coach's advice during your range and living room sessions. If you are practicing on your own, do not overwhelm yourself with mechanical thoughts. Focus exclusively on these four things:

  1. The Perfect Finish: Swing the club and focus entirely on getting to a perfect finish—fully balanced on your lead leg, standing tall, and rotated toward the target as far as you possibly can. Hold it for 3 seconds.

  2. Low-Point Control: When taking practice swings, let the club hit the grass or the mat exactly where you imagined the golf ball to be, every single time. This is the most important skill you can develop.

  3. Smooth Weighted Swings: When swinging your weighted club at home, make the motion smooth. Rotate into your backswing, hold it for a second, then rotate into your finish and watch the end of the club swing over an imaginary ball, hold your finish position for at least 3 seconds and try stretch your rotation as far as you can.

  4. Baby Steps: If your coach gave you a tip, just add that one thing to the focus points above. You are in the learning phase—do not let yourself feel overwhelmed. Just keep making the motion.