So I decided to take a crack at learning golf this month. Figured why not try some tips from that pro, Matt McCarty? Heard he’s pretty solid for beginners. Spoiler? My balls kept flying… everywhere but where I wanted. Let me walk you through this train wreck.
First Impressions Are Rough
Came across McCarty’s tips online somewhere. Thought it looked simple enough – posture matters, grip matters, swing path matters. Yeah, right. Grabbed my old clubs collecting dust in the garage. Went to the driving range feeling cocky. Big mistake.
- Posture felt unnatural as heck. McCarty says “stand athletic.” I stood like a flamingo trying not to fall over.
- His “neutral grip”? Mine looked like I was trying to strangle a snake. Club face kept pointing sideways.
- Swing thought? Pure panic. First swing whiffed. Completely missed the ball. People stared.
Spent an hour just hitting ground balls. Seriously, my damn divot flew farther than my actual golf ball half the time. Felt like tossing money straight into the dirt.
Watching Video? Not Enough
Went home. Pulled up videos. Watched McCarty demo the basics. He made it look stupid easy – smooth backswing, hips turning, weight shifting. Tried mimicking that in my living room. Almost took out the damn ceiling fan. My dog ran for cover.
Back at the range next day. Still sucked. Had to admit: maybe I needed eyes on me. Sucked it up and paid for a lesson with the course pro. Guy took one look at my swing and sighed. “Alright. Let’s start from zero.”
- My grip? Two knuckles showing instead of one. Fixed that first.
- Backswing? Too flat. Pro made me stop at hip height. Felt weird.
- Weight shift? Apparently I was sliding instead of turning. No wonder I kept topping it.
He drilled me on fundamentals McCarty emphasized. Small movements. Slow practice swings. Didn’t let me hit a ball for 30 minutes. Agony.
Finally, Some Progress?
After that lesson? Went back alone. Focused HARD:
- Step 1: Set feet shoulder-width. Every. Single. Time.
- Step 2: Grip pressure light. Like holding a bird. Not a chicken dinner.
- Step 3: Slow backswing. Focus on turning, not lifting.
- Step 4: Drive the hips forward FIRST. Swing follows.
And dude… something clicked. Hit five balls in a row that actually went forward? Straight-ish? Not far – maybe 100 yards. But they flew. Sweet, sweet flight. Didn’t shank right into the poor guy two lanes over. Small victories.
What I Learned The Hard Way
McCarty’s advice is legit. But watching ain’t doing. Golf hates keyboard warriors.
- Don’t skip setup: Bad posture/grip ruins everything instantly.
- Speed kills beginners: Smooth and short beats fast and wild.
- Weight shift isn’t natural: You gotta force those hips to move. Feels exaggerated.
- Real eyes help: A pro saw flaws I never noticed. Worth the cash.
Still suck? Yeah. But less. Now when I slice it into the woods, I know why. Baby steps. McCarty’s methods work… if you actually grind through the awkward phase. Which lasts forever. Grab your clubs. Go suffer. You’ll see.
