Intense golf lessons

[Gazza1862]

Hi, first time poster here.

A pro at a local course is offering a years UNLIMITED golf lessons for £1000.

Now i have been playing just over a year now and my handicap is still 22 and really want to knuckle down and get it as low as possible.


Does this offer from the pro seem a bit to over the top and how low would you expect me to get down to with 2 to 3 hours tuition a week.

I know its a how longs a piece of string question but any advice would be welcome.

So if you was a 22hc and went for 2 to 3 hours tuition a week for a year, what handicap would you be HAPPY with at the end?

Thanks for reading.

 

[chico]

I think that would be too much in my opinion. Remember you have to go away absorb what the lesson was about then work on it in practice and on the course.

 

[turkish]

If you break it into an hourly rate then it's a good deal but like Chico said you would probably need to go away and work on stuff on your own. Realistically you'd want to double up practice so if you're 3 hours with the coach then you'd want another 3 hours to yourself then if you had in a couple of rounds a week you are talking a fair amount of hours.

That alone I think would result in a significant drop but probably depends on natural ability and physical limitations.

I wish I had that amount of time to practice and play. If he's charging that amount I would hope he would have it structured so throughout whole year he has a plan to work on full game. rather than just leave it to you

 

[nickjdavis]

You won't have enough time to practice everything you would be shown in 2 to 3 hours of tuition a week. That's 2 or 3 one hour lessons or 4 or 6 half hour lessons..... where's the time to practice and groove what you've been taught? You will end up going back for the "next" lesson unable to build on the previous one because you haven't had time to build the changes into your swing in time.

My pro charges £40 an hour so.... that's 25 lessons for my £1000... so roughly a lesson once every two weeks throughout the year.... given the need to practice (and, more importantly... actually get out and play the game) I'd say I could cope with lessons no more frequent than 1 every third week.... so I'd never get the benefit of £1000 of lessons in a year. By practice I mean hitting the 5000 or more balls necessary to really help ingrain a swing change.

To answer your final question.... I'd be happy to stay at the same handicap... because I'd guess I'd be totally overwhelmed by the information coming my way. Most golf lessons result in a step or two back, before any progress is seen.... do you really want this constant frustration throughout the entire golfing season?

 

[selwood90]

Personally I think you would be paying well over the odds. Iv just started having lessons. And at the moment, I have 1 a month. At 28 notes an hour, that's £336 a year if my maths serve me right. And that from my knowledge is cheap. One a month may seem little, but what your given per lesson to work on. Depending on how long you have to dedicate to practise obviously.. For me personally, normally takes a month to get down to an acceptable level to then take onto the next lesson. And even then the last 10 minutes may be reworking the drills you were first given. Lessons change a lot, you will literally feel after your first lesson that your back at square one. Well I did. But it's all about the end goal. Allow them to change what you have, no matter how wrong it feels. Or you will end up with a swing that will take you so far. And that is it. Improvement will stop.

For a thousand pound a year, you could probably have a monthly lesson with a very very good pro. Or even one of these youtube geezers like shiels, finch or crossfield.

Don't get taken for a ride!

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

Hi, first time poster here.

A pro at a local course is offering a years UNLIMITED golf lessons for £1000.

Now i have been playing just over a year now and my handicap is still 22 and really want to knuckle down and get it as low as possible.


Does this offer from the pro seem a bit to over the top and how low would you expect me to get down to with 2 to 3 hours tuition a week.

I know its a how longs a piece of string question but any advice would be welcome.

So if you was a 22hc and went for 2 to 3 hours tuition a week for a year, what handicap would you be HAPPY with at the end?

Thanks for reading.

Gazza, It's a year in but welcome to the game.

So after one full year you're still at a starter's handicap ... Something's not right, personally I'd suggest that you stop mucking about and start making an effort. If nothing happens (no improvement) I'd ask your Pro if there's any 'cash back' for you not making the grade, you can lead a horse to water!

Stick in, all the best.

 

[TopOfTheFlop]

Try not to see him as a teacher but as a coach and someone who you can practice with if its unlimited. Someone who can watch you work on your game and pick a specific part of your game to attack at that moment.
If you build up a relationship with him then him spending hours with you isn't going to be a difficult thing to do. Keep it light keep it educational and keep it fun and I think you'd reap the rewards of the man offering his time for you unlimited for a year!
You'd be mad not to.

 

[Gazza1862]

Thanks for all the kind advice,

like i said, playing off a 22hc but last 3 or 4 rounds been playing to around 18 on what is considered a difficult course and can see some steady improvements but it's lack of inconsistency that's doing my head in at the moment.

Fairly straight off the tee usually (all be it not very long....200yd ish) but it's those second shots off the deck that's killing me as I try to knock the skin off the ball.

When I hit one pure it's the best feeling in the world but then I will follow it up with 3 or 4 duff shots and feel like giving the game up.

Love the game so much but so frustrating being so inconsistent, I mean I'm not expecting to get down to scratch but just to a standard were I feel as I've maxed out my potential without thinking of spending a grand on lessons...lol

if a could play consistently to around 12hc think I would be a happy bunny.

Sorry for the rambling.

 

[garyinderry]

You have only been playing a year and already at 22 handicap and playing to lower.

You are already ahead of the curve. stop trying to rush things and enjoy the journey.

I know loads playing much longer than you and are at a similar or slightly lower handicap.

 

[nickjdavis]

The other thing to consider is that we all as individuals have our own "learning style"....how we respond to information and how its presented to us.

Teachers also have their own "teaching style".

It is important that you find a pro you are comfortable with....someone who's teaching style can dovetail with your learning style.....it may take visits to several different pro's before you find someone who you click with. Before committing to spending a grand with this pro I'd at least go and have a couple of normal priced lessons with him to see if his style suits you.

Also I'd be interested in knowing what happens if he ups sticks and buggers off somewhere else or suffers a long term illness....who is backing/underwriting/guaranteeing the pro's time?

 

[UlyssesSky]

You have only been playing a year and already at 22 handicap and playing to lower.

You are already ahead of the curve. stop trying to rush things and enjoy the journey.

I know loads playing much longer than you and are at a similar or slightly lower handicap.

^^ This.

If you already play to an 18 HCP sometimes, you should be able to get to regularly breaking 90 (so maybe 15/16 HCP) within this year with reasonable effort (e.g. one lesson per month and one round + one or two pratice sessions per week).

Depending on your talent and the learning curve you could also get lower, but I woudn't let my happiness depend on reaching your 12 HCP this year.

 

[WWG]

Hi, first time poster here.

A pro at a local course is offering a years UNLIMITED golf lessons for £1000.

Now i have been playing just over a year now and my handicap is still 22 and really want to knuckle down and get it as low as possible.


Does this offer from the pro seem a bit to over the top and how low would you expect me to get down to with 2 to 3 hours tuition a week.

I know its a how longs a piece of string question but any advice would be welcome.

So if you was a 22hc and went for 2 to 3 hours tuition a week for a year, what handicap would you be HAPPY with at the end?

Thanks for reading.

That's the equivalent to about 50 lessons with my pro. Bearing in mind (like other's have said) you need to go away and practice what you have been taught, I can't see you ever getting you monies worth. I would also point out that it is probably quite rare for anyone to have a total of fifty lessons. I am quite happy to offer you unlimited lessons at my club for £500. You should take into account however I have only been playing 5 months, and have a 28 handicap

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

Thanks for all the kind advice,

like i said, playing off a 22hc but last 3 or 4 rounds been playing to around 18 on what is considered a difficult course and can see some steady improvements but it's lack of inconsistency that's doing my head in at the moment.

Fairly straight off the tee usually (all be it not very long....200yd ish) but it's those second shots off the deck that's killing me as I try to knock the skin off the ball.

When I hit one pure it's the best feeling in the world but then I will follow it up with 3 or 4 duff shots and feel like giving the game up.

Love the game so much but so frustrating being so inconsistent, I mean I'm not expecting to get down to scratch but just to a standard were I feel as I've maxed out my potential without thinking of spending a grand on lessons...lol

if a could play consistently to around 12hc think I would be a happy bunny.

Sorry for the rambling.

Ramble away ... Like Flop that posted above, you're gonna get cr@p golfer's trying to give you advice and in short right now you are in that same category.

I've no idea what happens when you're keeping it light or keeping it educational :rofl: but one things for sure you need to "keep" hitting balls, good luck :thup:

 

[User 105]

I'm actually going to go the opposite to most others on this and say it 'could' be worth it.

Just because you have a lesson doesn't mean you're changing something every time. It can just be continuing to work on the same thing.

So you could have the lesson, practice a little by yourself, come back later that week and have a check in with the pro if you're doing it right, bit of a tweak, and go do some more practice, come back and have a check in again etc etc. Rather than waste a month working on it only to find out you've been doing it all wrong.

I know when I've had some lessons I've gone away and though I was doing it right and was just ingraining the wrong thing, or inadvertently started doing something else wrong.

But I'd say you'd probably only want to be changing something maybe once a month unless you can embed it quickly.

 

[garyinderry]

In all fairness in love it too.

The pro would be absolutely sick of my face and give me my money back within a month.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. It's definitely an enticing carrot. What does the pro charge per half hour? If it was £25 for arguments sake that's the equivalent of 40 per year. In my opinion, based on my own game, that would be too many by at least 20. I need two-three range sessions after each lesson to make the changes feel natural. Then there's the issue of finding time to get out and play as well. It's one thing having tuiton and working on the game and going on the course where you get one chance.

 

[Break90]

Been thinking about this since I read it yesterday, and I'm not sure it's sutpstainable from the pro's point of view. Bear with me.

Lets say, using your example, you decide you want 3 hours of lessons per week. So do 19 other people.

The pro is now committed to 60 hours of teaching per week, every week.

Said pro will also be receiving the princely sum of £20,000 for this. Before any costs, tax etc.

IMO one of 2 things could happen, either you won't be able to book lessons when you want them, or the pro realises after slogging his tripe out for barely minimum wage for a few weeks that it not worth it.

Either way, I'd carefully read the T's and C's before parting with your readies.

NB I realise this is very simplified as an argument.

 

[Hobbit]

I like the idea, especially if I had the time and motivation to commit something like this. But as has been pointed out above, what happens if you only have 3 hours a week available and the pro's diary is full?

I'd want to see a refund for every time the diaries didn't marry up. Miss a few and I'd feel like I had been ripped off.