Beginner Golf Guide • Long Game Basics

The 5 Foundational Pillars of Golf (Long Game Basics for Beginners)

Most “beginner tips” are vague. This one isn’t. Below is a clean breakdown of the fundamentals from Me And My Golf so you can build a repeatable swing instead of collecting random advice like Pokémon cards.

Watch: Beginner Golf – Long Game Basics (Me And My Golf)

Use this as your source of truth, then use the sections below to actually remember it on the range.

Tip: watch once. Then use the “range plan” section so it becomes skill, not trivia.


The Real Beginner Problem (Hint: It’s Not “You Need More Tips”)

Hook: You can watch 100 golf videos and still slice it into the next ZIP code.
Conflict: Most beginners change everything at once. Grip one day, stance the next, swing-thought buffet forever.
Journey: Lock down a foundation: grip, setup, posture, strike, arc, face rotation.
Insight: Your long game improves fastest when the basics are boring and repeatable.
Transformation: Consistency comes from doing the same “right” thing under pressure, not chasing a magic swing move.
Call to action: Use the five pillars below for your next range session. One focus per bucket. No chaos.

Infographic: 5 Essential Golf Tips for Beginners

Save this. Print it. Tattoo it (maybe don’t). These are fundamentals you can actually build on.

Infographic showing five foundational golf tips for beginners: grip in fingers, setup posture, hit ground after ball, swing on arc, rotate clubface through impact

Use it like a checklist: if one pillar is off, the whole swing gets weird.


The 5 Foundational Pillars (Explained Simply)

1) Grip: Hold the Club in Your Fingers (Not Your Palm)

  • Fingers grip = more control, better wrist hinge, more consistent face angle.
  • Palm grip = stiff wrists, random face, and the “why did it do that?” shot.
  • Quick check: the grip runs from the middle of your index finger toward the base of your pinky.

2) Setup: Hinge from the Hips, Then Soften the Knees

  • Start with hips: push them back slightly like you’re closing a car door with your butt.
  • Then soften knees a touch. Not a squat. Not a statue.
  • Goal: balanced posture so your arms can swing freely without tipping or lunging.

3) Strike: Hit the Ground After the Ball

  • With irons, the low point should be slightly past the ball.
  • That’s why pros take divots in front of the ball. It’s physics, not vibes.
  • Range drill: draw a line, put the ball just behind it, and bruise the turf after the line.

4) Swing Path: Swing on an Arc (Not a Straight Line)

  • Your club moves around you, not straight down the target line.
  • Trying to “swing straight” often creates pulls, slices, and weird face angles.
  • Think: the handle traces a circle around your body as you rotate.

5) Clubface: Let It Rotate Through Impact

  • Face rotation is normal. Preventing it usually forces an open face and weak shots.
  • “Hold the face off” is not a beginner move. It’s a specialized fix (and often a mess).
  • Feel: your forearms rotate naturally as your body turns through the ball.
Beginner cheat code: if you need five swing thoughts, you don’t own any yet. Pick one pillar per session.

Slide Deck: The 5 Foundational Pillars (Full Walkthrough)

If you learn better visually, use the slides below. Each one has a simple “do this” cue you can bring to the range.

Open the Full PDF Slide Deck Wash Pocket Technique Guide 3-Stage Towel System Review
Slide 1: Overview of the five foundational pillars for beginner golf long game
Slide 1: The big idea. Don’t try to “fix your swing.” Build pillars that make your swing predictable.
Slide 2: Grip fundamentals for beginners - hold club in fingers not palms
Slide 2: Grip in the fingers. This unlocks control and lets your wrists work instead of fighting you.
Slide 3: Grip checkpoint - neutral grip verification
Slide 3: Grip checkpoint. Use one visual check so it’s repeatable under pressure.
Slide 4: Setup fundamentals - hinge from hips then soften knees
Slide 4: Setup. Hips first, then soften knees. Balanced posture beats “perfect positions.”
Slide 5: Setup checkpoint - posture and balance check
Slide 5: Setup checkpoint. If you’re off-balance before the swing, you’ll be off-balance during it.
Slide 6: Ball striking - hit ground after the ball
Slide 6: Strike. Low point past the ball with irons. This is where “pure contact” comes from.
Slide 7: Divot pattern - where the turf should be contacted
Slide 7: Divot reality check. Divots happen after the ball, not before. Use it as feedback.
Slide 8: Swing path - swing on an arc not a straight line
Slide 8: Swing path. Your arms and club travel on an arc around your body. Stop forcing “straight.”
Slide 9: Swing arc illustration for beginners
Slide 9: Visualize the arc. You rotate, the club circles, and the ball just happens to be in the way.
Slide 10: Clubface rotation through impact
Slide 10: Clubface rotation. Let the face rotate naturally as you turn. Don’t “freeze” it.
Slide 11: Common beginner mistake - face stays open or mis-rotates
Slide 11: What goes wrong. Most slices are a face problem first, path problem second.
Slide 12: Putting it together - beginner long game foundation summary
Slide 12: Combine the pillars. One clean routine beats five random swing thoughts.
Slide 13: Action plan for beginners - what to practice next
Slide 13: Your action plan. Take one pillar per session and track what changes in your ball flight.

Beginner Range Plan (So This Actually Turns Into Skill)

  1. Warm-up (5 min): half swings focusing only on grip + posture.
  2. Block practice (15 min): irons only. Goal: contact after the ball. Ignore distance.
  3. Arc focus (10 min): feel the club travel around your body, not “down the line.”
  4. Face focus (10 min): slow swings, feel natural forearm rotation through impact.
  5. Reality check (10 min): random targets, one swing thought only. If you need five, you don’t own any yet.

Related Guides

Keep it simple: learn fundamentals, keep your gear clean, then repeat. These are the next logical reads.

Dirty Grooves = Inconsistent Ball Flight Why Golf Towels Fail (Spin Loss) Wash Pocket Technique (Scrub → Wash → Dry) 3-Stage Towel System Review The Golf Performance System

Call to action: take the range plan for one session. Track one thing only: strike quality. That’s the fastest “beginner win.”