First lesson - instant result

[ManinBlack]

Having entered the Xmas Target Golf & Long Driving competitions at my local range I found myself with some coaching vouchers. I decided to book a lesson on Monday with the head pro, who has never taught me before but who has an excellent reputation.

We worked for around half an hour exclusively on the first 90º of the backswing, which, to me, has never looked right. The changes he made seemed to go well & he had me making a move which no other pro has ever got me to do. It seemed to go pretty well but I had only enough time after the lesson to hit around 20 shots.

I should have practised yesterday but the prospect of a game in our Winter League was too attractive. So, not sure what would happen, I hit a 6 iron to the par 3 first. It finished 5 feet away, 1 putt, birdie. At the second, wedge to 4 feet, birdie. Third, 7 iron to 6 feet, putt lipped out for a birdie. Fourth 8 iron to 10 feet, putt did a 180º horseshoe around the hole. Missed the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] green because the perfect 3 iron I hit didn’t deviate in the wind at all and on the par 5 6[SUP]th[/SUP] I hit my 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] shot to 10 feet and the putt again hit the hole without dropping.

40 points in total on a difficult windy day with no long putts holed, two three putts and one left on the lip because of the wet, slow greens.

I’ve never had a lesson which has had such a dramatic effect. Can’t wait until next week when we work on the rest of the swing.

 

[CMAC]

I'm a firm believer in instant results, why not!

Pro tells you what to do.
You understand it and implement it
Results are instantaneous.......
repeating it consistently and not falling back to your old comfortable ways are most peoples issues.

I'm also impatient and when people say it takes about 3 months to get used to changes thats usually from people who dont fully understand the change or how to implement it successfully. Just my opinion.

 

[virtuocity]

Nice!

What specific changes did you make?

 

[One Planer]

Sounds like the change worked! Well played :clap:

I had a similar result from a lesson last night, specifically targeting ball position though the bag.

Once I understood the 'how & why' the results were great. Even with my 19° hybrid

 

[Beezerk]

Nice one mate, first lesson I had took 12 shots off my pb, 2nd lesson took off another 12, granted I'd barely played the game before. I've been at that point ever since so maybe there's a pattern there
Which pro is it? The driving range at AG?

 

[ManinBlack]

Nice!

What specific changes did you make?

I thought I was taking it back with the face square when, in fact I was rolling it open & getting the club far to inside & behind me. Now it feels like I'm holding the face shut & making a huge wrist cock, which I'm not. I'm getting some great impacts & feeling lag for the very first time. It feels effortless & should improve more once I stop carrying greens I'm trying to hit because I'm striking the shots so well.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Remembering and repeating the lessons taught a month later are the hard bit. Immdiately afterwards it has worked wonderfully but little by little it can unravel. The last one has stuck though so I start 2015 with great hope. I hope your improvements continue.

 

[garyinderry]

Let's get this new swing on camera. If you can still do the old one too it would nice to compare.

Good work lad

 

[Deleted member 15717]

I thought I was taking it back with the face square when, in fact I was rolling it open & getting the club far to inside & behind me. Now it feels like I'm holding the face shut & making a huge wrist cock, which I'm not. I'm getting some great impacts & feeling lag for the very first time. It feels effortless & should improve more once I stop carrying greens I'm trying to hit because I'm striking the shots so well.

Ha! Same as me! Rolling the face open when setting my wrists, which then drags the club behind me so it's quite flat

 

[Pin-seeker]

The last lesson I had gave me instant results.
I had a weak grip & was adding loft & missing right on a lot of shots.
Now I've got use to the increase in distance I'm shooting much better scores.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got a lesson tonight. Hoping it's just a refresher and tightening a few things ahead of 2015 season. Would be nice to get similar results

 

[Pin-seeker]

Got a lesson tonight. Hoping it's just a refresher and tightening a few things ahead of 2015 season. Would be nice to get similar results

Tbf tho Homer I was really struggling so it could only get better.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Got a lesson tonight. Hoping it's just a refresher and tightening a few things ahead of 2015 season. Would be nice to get similar results

I also have a lesson tonight..... Having singularly failed to assimilate the last lesson properly! Hopefully I'm part way there rather than heading in the wrong direction!!

 

[MadAdey]

I thought I was taking it back with the face square when, in fact I was rolling it open & getting the club far to inside & behind me. Now it feels like I'm holding the face shut & making a huge wrist cock, which I'm not. I'm getting some great impacts & feeling lag for the very first time. It feels effortless & should improve more once I stop carrying greens I'm trying to hit because I'm striking the shots so well.

i had had exactly the same changes made to my swing 2 years ago. Took a couple of trips to the range to bed it in, but it did get me hitting the ball far more consistently.

 

[richart]

For a lot of golfers that have had a fault creep into their game, a lesson should have an instant result. I have had a couple of lessons at my Club, and had the obvious fault pointed out to me. Now I know what I should do, and if it goes wrong I know what I have done wrong, which is half the battle.

If you are having a series of lessons and completely rebuilding your swing then expect to spend time practicing.

 

[duncan mackie]

I thought I was taking it back with the face square when, in fact I was rolling it open & getting the club far to inside & behind me. .

aka fanning the clubface

as other responses indicate it's a really common habit that people get into (me included)

if you can fix it that quick you may find progress at a really fast pace for a while - good luck!

 

[FairwayDodger]

If you are having a series of lessons and completely rebuilding your swing then expect to spend time practicing.

Indeed. Upshot of my lesson last night (I've hit 100s of balls since the last one in December) was that the swing plane change has taken but I still haven't got the grip sorted - need to make a big push on that. Added into the mix another drill to improve my "connection".... which is going to take a bit of getting used to.

Results are impressive when I get it right but a lot of work needed to be able to do it consistently and without a pro correcting me between shots!

 

[Stuey01]

Had a lesson with Mark Crossfield before Christmas, results have been amazing.

Shot 4 birdies in a row and lipped out a 5th in a row from 6ft in a match against my father in law. He couldn't believe it.

Then shot 70 (par 69) next time out (I'm off 11), was 1 under through 16 and bogeyed the last two. On frozen temp greens with normal sized cups, not counting it as a PB because of conditions.

Halved a game against a mate who plays off 4 (7shots lower than me) after he persuaded me to play him straight up with no shots.

The accuracy of my short iron and wedge play has been the catalyst for the good scoring. I've been giving myself so many birdie chances, and had 4 birdies in each of my last couple of rounds. This is unheard of.

 

[Beezerk]

Had a lesson with Mark Crossfield before Christmas, results have been amazing.

Shot 4 birdies in a row and lipped out a 5th in a row from 6ft in a match against my father in law. He couldn't believe it.

Then shot 70 (par 69) next time out (I'm off 11), was 1 under through 16 and bogeyed the last two. On frozen temp greens with normal sized cups, not counting it as a PB because of conditions.

Halved a game against a mate who plays off 4 (7shots lower than me) after he persuaded me to play him straight up with no shots.

The accuracy of my short iron and wedge play has been the catalyst for the good scoring. I've been giving myself so many birdie chances, and had 4 birdies in each of my last couple of rounds. This is unheard of.

Christ mate that's some shooting.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Had a lesson with Mark Crossfield before Christmas, results have been amazing.

Shot 4 birdies in a row and lipped out a 5th in a row from 6ft in a match against my father in law. He couldn't believe it.

Then shot 70 (par 69) next time out (I'm off 11), was 1 under through 16 and bogeyed the last two. On frozen temp greens with normal sized cups, not counting it as a PB because of conditions.

Halved a game against a mate who plays off 4 (7shots lower than me) after he persuaded me to play him straight up with no shots.

The accuracy of my short iron and wedge play has been the catalyst for the good scoring. I've been giving myself so many birdie chances, and had 4 birdies in each of my last couple of rounds. This is unheard of.

Some going. What did he change to have such great results