Orikoru
Tour Winner
While those things are all important, maybe it was a bit overwhelming if he tried to change everything at once! I guess try and be honest and tell the pro if he's aiming for too much too soon.
Best Professional to Have a Lessons with
- Thread starter Whiteley87
- Start date
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
Are you able to explain how the pro wanted to change your whole game?
Making any changes in golf swings or posture, even as simple as a grip change can feel absolutely awful and alien to you.
This is something that is part and parcel to change.
A lot of times these changes a pro will ask you to do will be exaggerated so will feel even worse.
Another thing to be aware of is that feel and real can be miles part. He may ask you to do something. You will feel that it's completely differnt to what you have been doing. You look at it on a screen and the difference might only be miniscule.
Learning golf is a long road. I wish you luck. Its fun, frustrating but ultimately rewarding.
HeftyHacker
Well-known member
James Robinson at St Annes Old Links or Andy Swallow at Lytham Golf Academy are both very good.
Edit: I had 3 lessons with Andy when I was at a similar level to you and he worked wonders for me, especially off the tee. He didn't overwhelm me (which sounds like it may have been the case with the pro youd tried) and explained things really simply without it feeling like he was making wholesale changes to my swing.
I didn't have a handicap before lessons with him but got down to 10.1 using the techniques he taught me.
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Crazyface
Tour Winner
Your first post irked me somewhat, as it reminded me of how two of my mates reacted to a lesson from a Pro. Me? I argued with the Pro. as he said I was over swinging. So he stood behind me as I swung a club and CAUGHT IT behind me a la John Daley type of swing. Lord knows how he did it. From that day forward I shut up and listened to every word he said. If the Pro says your grip and stand is wrong, then it is wrong. You need to work on this bit first. To hell with everything else. Get the fundementals right first. Going to find a Pro who will just take your money and work on bits you want to is, in my opinion, wrong. Grip and stance first. Then gradual swing bits. Then .......well what is next
rystaman
Active member
Second James Robinson at St Annes. I've made the trek up from Birmingham a few times now for a lesson as I find his lessons really work well for me. It's not an often pilgrimage due to cost but well worth it
tigerwes
Hacker
I'm in the same area and was planning on having a few lessons before the season starts.
After the recommendations on here I've booked a 30 minute lesson with James Robinson at St Annes on Tuesday.
I will let you know how I get on
Viewer
Member
Try YouTube - cheaper and much more info to find and you’ll find someone who you like who can tell you everything you need to hear
I see Paul Foston a couple of times a year, worth every penny if you listen and take on board what he says. He may be a bit of a trek for you though.
Whereditgo
Journeyman Pro
Hopefully this was tongue in cheek? But as there was no laughing face then I am assuming not, so possibly the worst piece of advice possible to give imo!
Bobthesock
Active member
Depends on the person. I have had 3 lessons on my life, the first 2 made me worse so I ignored them. The third one was good as it fixed my hook.
Lots of good info on YouTube.
There is good information but it can't cover the individual teaching that a pro can give. The video can't see what you are doing wrong, the pro, hopefully, can. By just using Youtube you could be adding layer upon layer of faults on an existing fault.
jamielaing
Q-School Graduate
Key here is finding someone who understands not everyone swings the same. We had a pro years ago who hit fades and all his lessons were about teaching you his swing basically.
I would say though, at a handicap of over 20 a pro will be able to get you down without changing grip, posture, stance etc. However you will become a 15 handicapper and stall. You'll then have to fully rebuild with a couple of more years ingraining a swing which will not get you lower.
Every swing is different. But the fundamentals are generally the same. I'd rather have them right now if I were you or you will never get to the holy grail of single figures.
I would say though, at a handicap of over 20 a pro will be able to get you down without changing grip, posture, stance etc. However you will become a 15 handicapper and stall. You'll then have to fully rebuild with a couple of more years ingraining a swing which will not get you lower.
Every swing is different. But the fundamentals are generally the same. I'd rather have them right now if I were you or you will never get to the holy grail of single figures.
chrisd
Major Champion
A very good teacher
I find him really easy to learn from. Keeps everything simple. I 1st came across him on youtube.
SteveW86
Head Pro
Which YouTube video was it, would be good to see what drew you in?
Mel Smooth
Hacker
I have fairly regular lessons (although the previous one to last Saturdays was in August) - however, I’m gradually building changes into my swing to give me more power and distance. On the limited times I’ve played this year I’ve had a tendency to hook the ball - something I have never been troubled with, indeed, I’ve fought a slice all my life..
Explained this to the coach who asked if it was as I was trying to step on it a little - which it is.
Had me working on the towel drill in the lesson and on the course yesterday I was putting 10 to 15 yards on a good drive - arrow straight.
Now I would never have thought to use that drill to cure a hook and I could easily have been changing my set up, or something else in the swing to try and cure it.
There’s nothing wrong with using You Tube for tips, but for fixing swing faults, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Have a search on youtube paul foston London club
IanM
Journeyman Pro
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 13,292
- Location
- Monmouthshire, UK via Guildford!
I asked my favourite youtuber about my take away... but as they've never seen me hit a ball, they couldn't comment. 
TigerTime
Active member
It has taken me about 7/8 different coaches over the years and I think I've finally found one who A) cares B) communicates things well with me C) works.
Whether you want to admit it or not, learning the basic fundamentals and set up stuff etc will be pivotal to your progress. It sounds like this pro knew this but has ultimately given you far too much at once. YouTube, is not the answer. Nor is Youtube better advice than going to see a coach in person. That's not to say youtube can't give you good advice, but it might not necessarily be right for you.
I'd speak to some in your area, explain that you just need to learn in stages, perhaps work on one thing at a time and I bet over time you'll see improvement. If you only spend 30 mins on one lesson going through how to stand then so be it. Go work on that, check in at the start of the next lesson or in between, then move onto the next step etc.
You'll hear people say you get worse before you get better, and there is certainly an element of that in some cases. I think Bryson recently did a video where he said a good coach can help you almost instantly, he was on the money there for me I feel. If you leave a lesson feeling positive, have a new thoughts/feelings to go practice with, I think that is the key. I've had 3 lessons this year, and my ball striking has almost completely transformed. I've had some really bad days, where it's fell apart back to the usual habits of thinning it into next week, but there has been a few rounds that it has just felt unbelievable, where it clicks and you feel like you can't miss the middle of the club face. I've had compliments a plenty from my mates and people I've played with, yet when I look on my swing at video, it looks exactly the same to me.
Just find someone who is not going to overwhelm you and trust the process.
Whether you want to admit it or not, learning the basic fundamentals and set up stuff etc will be pivotal to your progress. It sounds like this pro knew this but has ultimately given you far too much at once. YouTube, is not the answer. Nor is Youtube better advice than going to see a coach in person. That's not to say youtube can't give you good advice, but it might not necessarily be right for you.
I'd speak to some in your area, explain that you just need to learn in stages, perhaps work on one thing at a time and I bet over time you'll see improvement. If you only spend 30 mins on one lesson going through how to stand then so be it. Go work on that, check in at the start of the next lesson or in between, then move onto the next step etc.
You'll hear people say you get worse before you get better, and there is certainly an element of that in some cases. I think Bryson recently did a video where he said a good coach can help you almost instantly, he was on the money there for me I feel. If you leave a lesson feeling positive, have a new thoughts/feelings to go practice with, I think that is the key. I've had 3 lessons this year, and my ball striking has almost completely transformed. I've had some really bad days, where it's fell apart back to the usual habits of thinning it into next week, but there has been a few rounds that it has just felt unbelievable, where it clicks and you feel like you can't miss the middle of the club face. I've had compliments a plenty from my mates and people I've played with, yet when I look on my swing at video, it looks exactly the same to me.
Just find someone who is not going to overwhelm you and trust the process.
tigerwes
Hacker
After my lesson today with James Robinson at St Anne's I would highly recommend him.
I have an over the top swing which I know I do but can't get rid of it. He solved it within minutes.
I only had a 30minute lesson, but I will be booking a few 1 hour lessons before the season starts and hopefully can get the handicap down again this year.
I have an over the top swing which I know I do but can't get rid of it. He solved it within minutes.
I only had a 30minute lesson, but I will be booking a few 1 hour lessons before the season starts and hopefully can get the handicap down again this year.
