Bad Habits That Golfers Can Get Into
By: Derek Clements | Mon 20 Jan 2025
Share this article:
If you are a club golfer the chances are high that you have developed some bad habits. We all do.
It is all too easy to get into a routine and keep doing things in a certain way because that is what we have always done.
Here are just a few of the habits I am willing to own up to having got into at various times in my life:
Failing to Warm Up
This surely has to be top of the list - and we have all done it.
We turn up 10 minutes before our tee time, take a couple of horrible swings and then wonder why we top our opening drive. We all know that what we should actually be doing is getting to the course with plenty of time to spare, having a few stretching exercises, head to the range or practice ground, hit enough shots to get in the groove, then wander over to the practice green and hit enough putts to give you a feel for the pace of the greens.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
Lack of Practice
Almost everybody who plays golf does so with the intention of getting better, or lowering our handicaps, improving our ball striking.
So why is it that so many of us seem so reluctant to make regular trips to the driving range? It is all too easy to convince ourselves that we don’t have time. Really? Most of us live within easy striking distance of a driving range, and hitting 100 golf balls is really not going to take that long. Or break the bank.
A Painful Lesson
Why, oh why, are so many club golfers so incredibly reluctant to go for lessons? I really don’t understand this one.
There is not a club golfer in the land who would not benefit from a lesson or maybe even a series of lessons. A decent teaching professional will take one look at your golf swing, grip and set-up and immediately be able to identify faults and give you fixes.
If you have a fault and don’t look for a cure then all you are doing is grooving in that flaw - making it ever more difficult to put it right. A teaching professional can help you with EVERY part of your game.
Giving Up
Be honest, how many times have you stood on the first tee with a scorecard tucked in your back pocket and vowed to keep your score, no matter what disaster may befall you? And how many times have you ripped up your card after a triple-bogey at the fifth?
If we all kept plugging away and stuck with it, recording every score on every hole then I am convinced we would all give ourselves a chance of improving. Giving up on a score is a properly bad habit.
The Same Old Thing
I am always preaching about golf being fun - and it definitely should be. But how many of you always end up playing in the same fourball?
On the face of it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But, from time to time, I believe we should all get into the habit of playing with golfers who are better than we are. It spices things up and will surely encourage you to raise your game.
Always Reaching For a Driver
Almost everybody I play with will automatically reach for a driver at every par four and par five. No matter how much trouble there is left and right, no matter how narrow the fairway, no matter where the water hazard might lurk, it is always the big dog. Then comes an ugly lunge and the ball vanishes into the trees, thick rough or lake, never to be seen again. I used to be this golfer. Not any more. I would far rather sacrifice 20-30 yards by reaching for my three wood and knowing that I have a proper chance of finding the middle of the fairway.
A Load of Balls
There are two areas here: I recently realised that I had been using the same golf ball for four rounds. The positive thing is that it meant I had been finding lots of fairways. The negative thing is that the ball was shot to pieces.
I play a lot of golf with seniors and some of the balls they use leave me shaking my head in utter astonishment. Please, change your golf ball at the start of every round.
The second issue with golf balls is that most club golfers are brand loyal. I have consistently extolled the benefits of custom fitting when it comes to clubs. You can also get fitted for the correct golf ball. If you have a slow swing speed then trust me when I tell you that you should not be using a Titleist Pro V1x. But many of us have fallen into the habit of buying a certain ball because our favourite pro uses the same one.
Dirty Clubs
Answer me truthfully - when was the last time you cleaned your clubs properly? I carry two towels and wipe down my irons after every shot and I do my best to clean them properly when I get home. But most golfers don’t do this.
If the grooves in your irons are full of dirt then you are not going to be able to control your golf ball properly. Or rather, your ball control will be even worse than it currently is!
Foul Food
How often do you ferret around in your golf bag and come across a chocolate bar that has been hiding in there for months? A good habit is to check your bag at the end of every round. A bad habit is to fail to do so - you do not want to leave chocolate in your bag during the summer. I know because I have done so - and it isn’t pretty.
Journey Time
How many of you are willing to admit that when visiting a course for the first time you have not planned your journey properly and have ended up getting there minutes before your tee time?
I also have a bit of advice - check that you have put your clubs in the boot before setting off.
I once arranged a society day in Essex, gave everybody instructions about what time they had to be there and I was driving into the golf course I realised that I couldn’t remember putting my clubs in the boot of my car. That’s because I hadn’t. So I was then faced with a 90-mile round trip. You can imagine the reception I received when I finally got back to the course!
Related Content
Should You Always Keep Score When Playing Golf
10 Ways to Lower Your Golf Handicap in 2025
Golfing Ambitions That You Should Have in 2025
Things That You Probably Do Wrong On The Golf Course
Fundamentals That Every Golfer Needs to Get Right
Set Yourself These Winter Golf Targets
Tags: GOLFERS Golf daily picks
