Advice - First round coming up after lessons!

[TheCaddie]

Had 3 lessons now, and changed my grip and downswing dramatically (which in turn has left me having to refocus on my backswing), and when I hit the balls well, wow, it's incredible. Short irons, no issues, longer irons inconsistent.

I am playing a round with friends the week after this one.

What would your recommendations be to how I play my game? I want to still be competitive but it's critical I practice what I have been taught. Newbie here, for people that don.t know. Been playing about 8 months.....

Advice needed! How do you approach your games during / after lessons.

 

[IanG]

That can be frustrating.

Try to not take it too seriously - you are transitioning to the new improved swing as a result of your lessons. Accept you may be less competitive while in the transition - console yourself with how good you'll be when you've mastered what the pro has been teaching you. The more you stick to it the faster your new swing will become your natural swing.

Enjoy being out with your mates and use it as motivation for the work you're putting in on the range.

Ian

 

[socky]

You'll probably stink the place up and feel like your swing doesn't feel correct and you will be very frustrated and annoyed. Then you'll hit one shot where everything clicks before returning to being dire.

You need to accept that and just enjoy being out on the course, don't be tempted to revert to old ways.

It's about playing better golf in 3 months not this weekend.

 

[TheDiablo]

First time post... been reading the forums for a couple of weeks but had no real value to add until now

Me and some mates took up golf around August, when we all decided so give up football - all in mid-late 20s and an ACL injury to one of the guys made us all think twice! We played a local 9-hole pay and play most Sat mornings for a couple of months, each shooting 45-50 most weeks (par 34). I took the plunge and got some lessons as there were parts of game I was awful at - namely a huge slice meant I spent many a shot chipping out or playing from the wrong fairway!!

In November I had 3 lessons. Complete change to my swing (I wasnt at all connected) and grip (was far too weak). Initially, My scores got worse, I couldnt break 50, and my mates began shooting 42/43. sooooo frustrating! However, I stuck to what I had learnt, and am now really beginning to see the benefit. We all had some time off over Xmas and played at a decent local 18 hole pay and play a few times (Silvermere in Surrey). I shot a best of 97, whilst the others couldnt break 105 over the 4 times we played. Considering I haven't yet used a driver (huuuuge slice! 1st lesson next week), and am by far the worst putter of the group I'm delighted with the score. My ball striking is extremely consistent and I'm playing most of my shots from fairways now while the other guys still spray it about. Not played the 9 hole course since early December but back out there tomorrow - can't wait!

They're all considering lessons now!

So in a nutshell - practice what you have learnt - there may be some short term pain but within weeks you'll hopefully see the benefit.

Matt

 

[MendieGK]

First time post... been reading the forums for a couple of weeks but had no real value to add until now

Me and some mates took up golf around August, when we all decided so give up football - all in mid-late 20s and an ACL injury to one of the guys made us all think twice! We played a local 9-hole pay and play most Sat mornings for a couple of months, each shooting 45-50 most weeks (par 34). I took the plunge and got some lessons as there were parts of game I was awful at - namely a huge slice meant I spent many a shot chipping out or playing from the wrong fairway!!

In November I had 3 lessons. Complete change to my swing (I wasnt at all connected) and grip (was far too weak). Initially, My scores got worse, I couldnt break 50, and my mates began shooting 42/43. sooooo frustrating! However, I stuck to what I had learnt, and am now really beginning to see the benefit. We all had some time off over Xmas and played at a decent local 18 hole pay and play a few times (Silvermere in Surrey). I shot a best of 97, whilst the others couldnt break 105 over the 4 times we played. Considering I haven't yet used a driver (huuuuge slice! 1st lesson next week), and am by far the worst putter of the group I'm delighted with the score. My ball striking is extremely consistent and I'm playing most of my shots from fairways now while the other guys still spray it about. Not played the 9 hole course since early December but back out there tomorrow - can't wait!

They're all considering lessons now!

So in a nutshell - practice what you have learnt - there may be some short term pain but within weeks you'll hopefully see the benefit.

Matt

if there was an award for 'the best first post', you'd definitely be in with a shout. great read :cheers:

 

[pbrown7582]

@ thedablo welcome along get stuck in and enjoy. Your learning well fast :thup:

OP go out and enjoy your knock with no expectations, don't let it get you down if it doesn't go well and stick with the changes. it will be what it is until you have ingrained those changes at the range.

 

[Region3]

First time post... been reading the forums for a couple of weeks but had no real value to add until now

Me and some mates took up golf around August, when we all decided so give up football - all in mid-late 20s and an ACL injury to one of the guys made us all think twice! We played a local 9-hole pay and play most Sat mornings for a couple of months, each shooting 45-50 most weeks (par 34). I took the plunge and got some lessons as there were parts of game I was awful at - namely a huge slice meant I spent many a shot chipping out or playing from the wrong fairway!!

In November I had 3 lessons. Complete change to my swing (I wasnt at all connected) and grip (was far too weak). Initially, My scores got worse, I couldnt break 50, and my mates began shooting 42/43. sooooo frustrating! However, I stuck to what I had learnt, and am now really beginning to see the benefit. We all had some time off over Xmas and played at a decent local 18 hole pay and play a few times (Silvermere in Surrey). I shot a best of 97, whilst the others couldnt break 105 over the 4 times we played. Considering I haven't yet used a driver (huuuuge slice! 1st lesson next week), and am by far the worst putter of the group I'm delighted with the score. My ball striking is extremely consistent and I'm playing most of my shots from fairways now while the other guys still spray it about. Not played the 9 hole course since early December but back out there tomorrow - can't wait!

They're all considering lessons now!

So in a nutshell - practice what you have learnt - there may be some short term pain but within weeks you'll hopefully see the benefit.

Matt

Good post, and welcome

 

[Curls]

As above. Don't worry about the score, just follow the process, you will have won if you tried to apply what you have learned on every shot. That's the measure of success. Even if you shot 140, if every time you swung you were trying to employ the new swing then that's a great result. If you shoot 97 and gave up on the lessons at the 4th hole and went back to your old ways then you've lost. What's the point going back, you weren't getting any better, else you wouldn't have gone for lessons in the first place.

Forget about being competitive with the guys you're playing with, they'll shoot what they usually shoot +-10 this week and they'll do the same in a years time. In a few months you'll be spanking them around the track (figuratively).

I normally say enjoy the golfing, at times this might feel a bit more like endurance, it'll pay off in the long run!

 

[Rooter]

I will add in try not to have too many thoughts pre shot. You may be working on 3 things with your teaching pro, but maybe for a social round just focus on 1. you will play some great shots and some howlers, just enjoy it!

 

[TheCaddie]

Cheers All!!

None of my friends have had lessons, and a couple of them are better than me. One friend is about 10 shots better than me at the moment, but I genuinely feel at my level (c. 100-110) I can quite easily knock those shots off with proper instruction!

Diablo, incredibly useful post, and sounds like you and I are not too far away from each other in terms of experience. I have seen a huge benefit to my swing when hitting at the range, so i already realise the value of the lessons. But out on the course, with a bit of ribbing from your mates, and it can be a different situation. Going to stay true to my lessons!!!

 

[MendieGK]

Cheers All!!

None of my friends have had lessons, and a couple of them are better than me. One friend is about 10 shots better than me at the moment, but I genuinely feel at my level (c. 100-110) I can quite easily knock those shots off with proper instruction!

Diablo, incredibly useful post, and sounds like you and I are not too far away from each other in terms of experience. I have seen a huge benefit to my swing when hitting at the range, so i already realise the value of the lessons. But out on the course, with a bit of ribbing from your mates, and it can be a different situation. Going to stay true to my lessons!!!

one way you will definitely improve is just by playing regardless of lessons etc. that is for certain.

Also if you have the opportunity play some rounds with a 'better' player. they dont need to be a cat1 golfer. someone off 18 for example will probably do things in a better way....

remember, your worst chip is always better than your worst putt

 

[Hacker Khan]

Had 3 lessons now, and changed my grip and downswing dramatically (which in turn has left me having to refocus on my backswing), and when I hit the balls well, wow, it's incredible. Short irons, no issues, longer irons inconsistent.

I am playing a round with friends the week after this one.

What would your recommendations be to how I play my game? I want to still be competitive but it's critical I practice what I have been taught. Newbie here, for people that don.t know. Been playing about 8 months.....

Advice needed! How do you approach your games during / after lessons.

All I'd say is don't go back to your old ways. I'm kind of doing this myself and it is a lot easier on the range/lesson as you are hitting ball after ball so you make some immediate changes to try and groove what you've been taught. But on the course you may go 2 or 3 minutes between hitting shots. And your new technique will feel weird. So you will be so tempted to go back to what feels more natural, especially if the new technique is causing you to duff a few.

I'd just tell your mates that your game is in transition and to be honest I'd forget about being competitive for a few rounds. As that may well cause you to go back to your old tried and tested ways. In New Golf Thinking Parlance you are in practice mode for this round, not competitive or having fun mode. As if you swap from one to the other that is when problems can occur.

Hell, why not hit 2 or 3 balls if you can if the first attempt fails. Don't get too hung up on golf having to be played 'properly' if you in a bounce game and are at the start of the process of trying to groove a new swing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

First and foremost... go out and enjoy it. After that, stick to what you've been shown no matter how badly it goes. Don't try too hard. Let what you've worked on flow and come out. If you can keep a note on the good and back shots without getting too OCD about stats so you can give the pro you're having lessons with some feedback on how you're progressing on the course