So you have been invited by a friend to a golfing day. That’s great!

Wait, what? You have not played golf before and you feel like you are in trouble as you wonder how to hit a golf ball. (Recommended reading: Hitting straighter iron shots)

Relax! You’ll get a pass for those mistakes you will commit as a golf beginner. And there are rules that cover mishits and misfires to keep the game going such as Provisional Ball.

To get you ready for your first golfing day though, here is how you set up yourself and get over hitting your first golf ball like a pro.

Stance

Find your most comfortable stance in front of the ball. This serves as your foundation for delivering a swing. Move your feet closer or farther apart until you get that comfortable distance.

Knees

Make your stance mobile and athletic by bending your knees, though be sure there is enough bend and flex so to ensure optimal swing and clean ball hit. Little or too much bend can reduce the efficacy of your swing and potential to deliver a clean hit.

Hips

Angle your spine by bending your hips enough. The typical bend degree to watch out for is roughly around 34 to 38 degrees. This can vary greatly. The key here is to find your most comfortable hip bend and spine angle.

Arms

Comfortably hang your arms down straight off your shoulders. You want to make this feel as natural as possible. If it does not feel right, check your hip bend and spin angle. You have little or too much in those areas if your arms hang down uncomfortably.

Swing

Your body will go through a series of positions as you perform your swing. Here’s a step by step:

• Weight shift – Shift your weight back as you rotate your hips and torso.
• Shoulder tilt – Tilt your front shoulder downward at the top of your backswing.
• Hip work – Lead your downswing rotation with your front hip.
• Setup at impact – Return to your squared starting position, the setup position, at impact.
• Follow-through – Don’t break the swing flow, continue the rotation into a long, tall follow-through.

Learn from a video tutorial

If you are a visual learner like the most of us, then you’ll probably absorb more by walking all these in action.

Thankfully, a lot of professional golfers already made videos walking beginners through the process of hitting a golf ball. And below is a good one from Russell Heritage.