Did you ever "Go it alone"

[kid2]

Evening all,
Im curious to know in this day and age and in the current recession, wallets are tighter than ever, would you ever consider teaching yourself....To swing a club properly...

Now i mean no disrespect to Bob or Charlie or anyone else for that matter directly or indirectly related to teaching the game of golf in any way shape or form.

Iv never had a lesson but i have had Bob and James have look at my swing in detail over a video and there input has been invaluable to me..

With a young family and my other half out of work things can be tight but with the cost of lessons here a bit steep i couldnt justify the extra cost...(75 euro) per lesson.
I am progressing slowly but progressing nonetheless which is a boost to me...

Have any of you ever got far without lessons just from reading books and looking at various video's?
There can be so much conflicting information in magazines that it can be counter productive to anyone trying to do the "right" thing...
Is is possible to achieve single figures without an outside influence?

I am aware that professional help may be inevitable at some stage along the line but imagine the sense of achievement that you would have if you could nail it for yourself.

I know what can be hard is trying to decipher for yourself if your doing the drill properly or not and having a pro on hand to slap you in the wrist when your not would be a huge advantage

 

[bobmac]

It's easier now than ever with so many golfers having video cameras and the internet to compare their swings with the tour players.
If you know what you're looking for, it's all there free of charge.

 

[Macster]

Kid2 - Listen, this damned game of ours can make us into seriously selfish people, wanting new shiny's and everything else that might make the slightest difference to our game, including lessons.

But seriously, you're off 15, which a helluva lot of Golfers never get near, so I'd suggest you're doing fine.
Sure, if you could throw some money at lessons, it would help, I think everyone would agree.

But, as you say, you have a young family, a wife not working, and money is tight.

What more reasons for not spending money on golf could anyone possibly need ?

 

[HRC99]

For me, it is a question of priority. I would spend money on a lesson rather than a new putter/driver/wedge/hybrid/irons as I know from experience that the lesson will improve my game far more than a new toy.

75 euros seems an awful lot of money for a lesson. I've been having lessons every now and again which costs me £12.50 for half an hour. Surely, there are cheaper options for you.

I do think that lessons from time to time are very valuable and will give you concrete things to work on in however long it is to your next lesson.

Having said all that, getting to single figures isn't a race. You've got plenty of time ahead of you to get there. Take your time, enjoy your family and your golf - in that order.

 

[kid2]

Kid2 - Listen, this damned game of ours can make us into seriously selfish people, wanting new shiny's and everything else that might make the slightest difference to our game, including lessons.

But seriously, you're off 15, which a helluva lot of Golfers never get near, so I'd suggest you're doing fine.
Sure, if you could throw some money at lessons, it would help, I think everyone would agree.

But, as you say, you have a young family, a wife not working, and money is tight.

What more reasons for not spending money on golf could anyone possibly need ?

Not really looking for sympathy votes Mac.
Im just curious to know is it possible to improve to a single figure ability without lessons...

As i said i have a few people to thank on here for there help and in fairness without it i think id still be off 20 if they had not guided me.
This in a sense to me is like a lesson jsut without the finance...

I think that alot of people take the likes of Bob,or Justone and maybe a few more on here for granted...
In the sense that maybe they have noting better to do than to give there opinion on certain subjects....

I wonder are they getting the credit they deserve for giving up some of there time to help people on here...

 

[Mongoose]

I taught myself, and continue to do so. I have had some lessons and they were fun, but I didnt find them much use, honestly cant recall a single thing froma lesson that I put into practise. I think it depends on whether you are a self teach sort of person, or not, and how anal you are about the various components of the golf swing.

If you go the self teach method I would get someone (if you are a novice golfer) to start you off with the GASP concept, and once you are playing ok, I recommend having a playing lesson on the course, two or more if you can afford it. There is so much more to golf than golf swing, and having someone of some knowledge and competence see how you actually play the game and advise accordingly is well worth it. Of course if you have a very low handicap pal, they could do all this as a favour.

I started golf seriously late in life, and within half a dozen years was playing in the English Mid amateur championship. I mention this to demonstrate that it is possible to teach yourself to a decent level, but you have to decide if that is the route that will give you the most enjoyment. After all, its about fun and enjoyment. If learning from a pro enhances your game and enjoyment, have lessons. The one caveat, if you have lessons be prepared to also spend the effort on practicing what you have learnt, else its a waste of your money.

 

[Imurg]

If you discount the 20 minute freebie I got when I first joined a club then I've got single figures twice with no lessons. In fact my first handicap was 15, gained after practice on the range for a Winter before feeling ready to join. So it can be done

 

[lobthewedge]

I've not had a lesson since I started the game 20 years ago. The only major instruction i've had since then is from 'Ben Hogans 5 Lessons' which I bought 3 years ago.

It is my golf bible, I refer to it constantly and make a point of reading it cover to cover at least once a year. It has definitely helped me 'go it alone' has made me a far better ball striker, understand the swing and almost got me down to 3. Recommend it to everyone, no matter what level.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I'm pretty much self taught but then I started playing when I was a young boy so I just copied what I saw on TV.

I think I'd only have lessons if I also had the time to practice what had been taught. I don't so I just go with what I have on a Sunday morning.

 

[smange]

After dabbling with the game as a teenager but never really being a golfer I left it until I was 39 before deciding to give it another go and take it seriously.

Started off with a handicap of 19 and here I am four years later playing off 8 at the minute and hoping to take another shot or two off that. Never had a lesson and cant say I practice either(would rather play the course than hit ball after ball).

So yes it is possible to get to single figures without lessons but probably easier with them.

 

[Macster]

Wasnt giving you sympathy, just realism.

I've have the occasional lesson over 20yrs playing, but nothing regular and major, and manage to maintain my 10 fairly easily, so it can be done.

Would I be better with regular lessons...? Probably.
But can I be @rsed to put in the hours on the range to put those lessons to max benefit ? No.....simples.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Had a fair few lessons over the last two years and have got to the point now where I need to play, play and play and trust what I've got. Granted it didn't work great today but there are times when it clicks for a few holes and it is very, very good. For me its about finding a level of consistancy now

 

[hopeful]

I have in times past had lessons from four different pros and what I have learned the most is that they vary a great deal in what they teach and how good they are at gettig it across. The most effective session I had was when I booked a six-lesson block....only for the pro to b****r off still owing me a lesson. And that taught me a lesson! I feel sure that lessons from a good pro, by which I mean one who not only knows his stuff who really knows how to communicate it, will steadily improve the game of any player. But finding such a chap, who you can also come to trust and feel confident and comfortable with, can be frustrating and expensive. It's a task I personally have given up on.
I have recently straightened out some nasty kinks in my swing by patiently practising the advice given by Joe Dante with Len Elliot in their book "Four Magic Moves to Winning Golf"....written in 1963! Heretical stuff, some of it, but I like that.

 

[Marko77]

kid2, it is possible as it's basically the way I've done it. I've had 2 or 3 lessons over the years but nothing thats led to any major changes in the way I've done things.

As long as you've a grasp on what is not working and can relate any article / video you find to fixing the problem you can work at it. As said, your down to 15 so there is a game there.

Your probably at the stage now where its the shots about the green thats going to seperate you from low/mid teens and single digits. Heading to the course when its quiet and lots of practice pitching/chipping and putting will bring that on.

I've got a load of cut outs from various golf mags that I refer back to time and time again. I know you won't have the pro there "slapping you on the wrist" if your not doing it correctly but you'll have a sense yourself as to whether you are on the right lines or not.

 

[Wheyayeman]

I'm another who has never had a lesson and rarely practice on the range ETC, although come summer i try and get 2-3 rounds a week.
I generally pick up little tit bits from TV, or magazines etc but generally if I struggling with something I'll have a walk up to the course with the dog one night and work something out myself which feels comfortable and repeatable. I'm reluctant to get lessons because my handicap is still coming down and I don't want to disrupt the flow, however when I plateau depending on how much lower i want to get I would consider lessons.

In addition I follow Leslie Nielson's 3 fundamentals of golf
1- KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN
2- KEEP YOUR STUPID HEAD DOWN
3- KEEP YOUR DAMN STUPID HEAD DOWN

This works for me

 

[JustOne]

I've never had a lesson. Lack of practice is what makes me play sh*t, coupled with a body that appears to be falling apart (....maybe I should get Pings? ).

With the internet (and a video camera) it's never been easier to learn how to swing a club properly.

In my opinion lessons don't necesarily make a difference anyway and can be just a series of band-aids applied to a bad swing. As you know I like the S&T swing as geometrically it's the only swing that makes sense and 'ticks' all the boxes. I'd still recommend that ANYONE who wants a decent golf swing should follow S&T to learn how to hit the ball properly (trap the ball on the back side of the circle).... and then after you've grasped the fundamentals you're free to fiddle as much as you fancy if you really feel the need.