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Callawayplayer85

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Hey guys i am considering having some lessons ,but i have been watching so many pros on youtube giving lessons advice ,how to hit the ball straight, how to avoid fat shots etc,if i studying my swing intensivly then is there any need for real lessons from a pro at my local club because is he just going to say the same thing as the guys on youtube?
 
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Alex1975

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Your swing is yours, a real life pro can look at YOUR swing and will not talk generically about THE golf swing. Get lessons if you can afford it and get a few too in my opinion.
 

bobmac

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Depends who you talk to.
Some pros are good, some not so good.
You could try and teach yourself and some have quite successfully.
On the other hand, you could spend weeks / months trying to fix a fault a pro could spot in seconds.

Have you thought of DIY dentistry as well ;)
 
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Alex1975

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Have you thought of DIY dentistry as well ;)


This made me chuckle but I think you mean internet aided dentistry. I hate the dentist and would do it myself if I could.... /off to check youtube....:ooo:
 

londonlewis

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Hey guys i am considering having some lessons ,but i have been watching so many pros on youtube giving lessons advice ,how to hit the ball straight, how to avoid fat shots etc,if i studying my swing intensivly then is there any need for real lessons from a pro at my local club because is he just going to say the same thing as the guys on youtube?

Before taking lessons I would recommend you at least have an idea what you want to work on.
Guide the pro at the beginning to help him give you a lesson you will really benefit from.

I'm a big advocate of self-learning though, have always really enjoyed working things out for myself and have followed much advice in magazines and on the internet. I believe there is no reason online instruction can't help you as much as a teaching lesson can as long as the instruction is easy to follow and easy to implement. Just make sure you pick your sources wisely!
 

BRISTOL86

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You could go down the route that I am currently on - which is teaching yourself the basics until you feel confident in going to a pro when you feel like you have got as far as you can under your own steam.

4 weeks ago if I hit 80 balls on the range, I would probably get 10 of them to go up in the air and reasonably straight. The rest would be topped, sliced, hit the sides of the bay, and all other kinds of mis-hits. 4 weeks later and it's now about 50-60 out of 80 so yes - you certainly can make progress on your own.

The other benefit I've found to going down this route is that now at least I have "my swing". A few weeks ago I think I'd probably have a different swing everytime I hit the ball, as I was very frustrated and constantly changing things to learn what to do and how to do it. Now, I am making a fairly repeatable swing. I think that stands me in better stead now that I am very shortly to be going to starting lessons, as I know what my swing looks and feels like, and I should (in theory) be able to take instruction better and more easily understand what the pro is trying to convey to me.

I guess - if you'll pardon the pun - it's different strokes for different folks. I'm a very analytical person and I love reading golf books/blogs/articles or watching golf videos etc. and then thinking about how it all ties in to what I do/see/feel at the range. Without all of that info I'd still be stuck at 10/80 good hits at the range.

I'm sure though that there are many people who don't learn very well this way and need things shown to them "in person" in a 1-on-1 environment, so I guess it's just about knowing your own learning style and doing what fits in with that.
 

Callawayplayer85

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Well what i want to work on in my swing is consistency in my shots,the swing plane/release and takeaway then my shortgame.then long irons then woods last.
 

GreiginFife

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You could go down the route that I am currently on - which is teaching yourself the basics until you feel confident in going to a pro when you feel like you have got as far as you can under your own steam.

4 weeks ago if I hit 80 balls on the range, I would probably get 10 of them to go up in the air and reasonably straight. The rest would be topped, sliced, hit the sides of the bay, and all other kinds of mis-hits. 4 weeks later and it's now about 50-60 out of 80 so yes - you certainly can make progress on your own.

The other benefit I've found to going down this route is that now at least I have "my swing". A few weeks ago I think I'd probably have a different swing everytime I hit the ball, as I was very frustrated and constantly changing things to learn what to do and how to do it. Now, I am making a fairly repeatable swing. I think that stands me in better stead now that I am very shortly to be going to starting lessons, as I know what my swing looks and feels like, and I should (in theory) be able to take instruction better and more easily understand what the pro is trying to convey to me.

I guess - if you'll pardon the pun - it's different strokes for different folks. I'm a very analytical person and I love reading golf books/blogs/articles or watching golf videos etc. and then thinking about how it all ties in to what I do/see/feel at the range. Without all of that info I'd still be stuck at 10/80 good hits at the range.

I'm sure though that there are many people who don't learn very well this way and need things shown to them "in person" in a 1-on-1 environment, so I guess it's just about knowing your own learning style and doing what fits in with that.

While I know where you are coming from with confidence etc, I would probably look at this from the opposite and see a pro to LEARN the basics. It's harder to undo bad habits once they are in your swing/grip/posture than it is to learn them.
A good pro will understand your confidence issue and be sensitive to it, afterall that's what they are there for. Teaching.
Learning the fundementals in a correct* manner means it's easier for you to then pick it up and run with it (so to speak)

*I say correct but appreciate that there are multiple different ways/understanding of what is correct.
 

BRISTOL86

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While I know where you are coming from with confidence etc, I would probably look at this from the opposite and see a pro to LEARN the basics. It's harder to undo bad habits once they are in your swing/grip/posture than it is to learn them.
A good pro will understand your confidence issue and be sensitive to it, afterall that's what they are there for. Teaching.
Learning the fundementals in a correct* manner means it's easier for you to then pick it up and run with it (so to speak)

*I say correct but appreciate that there are multiple different ways/understanding of what is correct.

Yeah I totally understand where you're coming from. I just feel a lot better that when the time comes very shortly (next couple of weeks) that I see a pro for my first lesson, I'm actually going to be able to hit the ball cleanly more often than not! I appreciate that this might be at the expense of it taking a little longer to iron out those bad habits - but I have only been playing for a few weeks, not several years, so I would hope that those habits won't be quite set in stone yet!
 

GreiginFife

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Yeah I totally understand where you're coming from. I just feel a lot better that when the time comes very shortly (next couple of weeks) that I see a pro for my first lesson, I'm actually going to be able to hit the ball cleanly more often than not! I appreciate that this might be at the expense of it taking a little longer to iron out those bad habits - but I have only been playing for a few weeks, not several years, so I would hope that those habits won't be quite set in stone yet!

I like your optimism :D, those habits get in there quickly. Us golfers are an idiosyncratic bunch.
Seriously though, first thing a pro will probably do is strip your self built swing back and start from scratch anyway (unless you have organically set your self up spot on in the grip/posture department).
 

BRISTOL86

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I like your optimism :D, those habits get in there quickly. Us golfers are an idiosyncratic bunch.
Seriously though, first thing a pro will probably do is strip your self built swing back and start from scratch anyway (unless you have organically set your self up spot on in the grip/posture department).

Haha yes, I didn't think of that! Ah well! :D It's been a fun few weeks either way! I am actually really looking forward to seeing a pro 1 on 1 for the first time and seeing how much difference it makes to my ball striking!
 

GreiginFife

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Haha yes, I didn't think of that! Ah well! :D It's been a fun few weeks either way! I am actually really looking forward to seeing a pro 1 on 1 for the first time and seeing how much difference it makes to my ball striking!

Don't get me wrong, being able to hit the ball is an absolute positive as it gives the pro something to work with.
The main thing is to do what you feel is right for your game and above all else - enjoy the game.
I see too many people playing this game angry and simply cannot see the point, it's a hobby, not a profession. Remember those sage words and you will be fine :D lol

Good luck
 

BRISTOL86

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Don't get me wrong, being able to hit the ball is an absolute positive as it gives the pro something to work with.
The main thing is to do what you feel is right for your game and above all else - enjoy the game.
I see too many people playing this game angry and simply cannot see the point, it's a hobby, not a profession. Remember those sage words and you will be fine :D lol

Good luck

Yep can't argue with that! It's meant to be fun....right?! :fore:
 

Garush34

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Well what i want to work on in my swing is consistency in my shots,the swing plane/release and takeaway then my shortgame.then long irons then woods last.

If you want consistency in your shots then a pro wil deffinetly help. Its fair enough to look on youtube but thats all just general a pro will be able to suit improvements to your swing/build which will be better.

If you can find a pro that you like and get on with then the cost will be worth it.

My pro has got me hitting it much better in just 2 lessons. Im still working on a few things, it takes time and i'll get there in the end. But there is no way i would of been able to improve this much by myself/youtube.

And im enjoying my golf much better now than i was a couple months ago and thats due to the lessons.
 

Canary_Yellow

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For me, the ideal is a combination of having lessons and looking at online coaching tips.

My pro is very good at looking at my swing and identifying what is causing my issues, he makes a good attempt to then explain to me what I should be feeling if I’m doing it right, I am usually then able to do what he is instructing for the remainder of the lesson and get good results.

However, a day or two later, I try it again and I struggle to get into the positions that he had explained and my swing feels tricky and uncomfortable. This is where good instruction by the likes of Shawn Clement comes in for me. My pro has identified what it is about my swing that is the issue, for example losing connection between my arms and body or not clearing my hips on the downswing, I can then look at a couple of Shawn Clement videos on those specific subject areas, work on a couple of his drills for that particular issue, and that helps me to continue to improve my game in between lessons.

If I were to just rely on Shawn Clement, I don’t think I would know what I needed to practice, and would probably end up with way too many swing thoughts, trying to improve and change everything in one go.

I’m sure everyone learns differently, but this is ideal for me.
 

Hacker Khan

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Subscribe to the Mark Crossfield app, buy yourself a Swingbyte 2 and have some lessons from a pro. And after all that if you are still rubbish take up another sport. ;)
 

pokerjoke

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Hey guys i am considering having some lessons ,but i have been watching so many pros on youtube giving lessons advice ,how to hit the ball straight, how to avoid fat shots etc,if i studying my swing intensivly then is there any need for real lessons from a pro at my local club because is he just going to say the same thing as the guys on youtube?


This is how I have learnt,everything from a book or the internet.
Ive said all along,you have to have the ability to execute the information that is received.
Wether this is internet or pro.
A pro to me is a quick fixer,especially if your only seeing him once a month.
A pro can show you how to draw a ball,but when your on the course your on your own,
so why not teach yourself on the course.
Everyone is different,and I certainly wouldn't knock the ones who use a pro,however imo there
has to be an improvement or your handicap has to be reducing,otherwise its dead money.
You wouldn't pass your driving test then have a refresher every month just to be able to keep driving.
 
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