Intensive golf lessons

Boomy

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Like me, the OP is a middle-aged recreational golfer with a mid-high handicap. I'm going to assume he also has a full-time job and other responsibilities.
He hasn't mentioned being an elite sportsman and gentleman of leisure, so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that he is not.
Your advice would be great for someone with the time and ability to chase scratch. My advice for the OP would be to manage his expectations and concentrate on enjoying golf and making small improvements first, rather than immediately setting off down an expensive route that may result in disillusionment.

The Mondeo remark was an attempt to summarise the above light-heartedly. It's wasn't Confucian.

I have a full time job, am an active sports coach, am helping care for a family member with my partner… we all have responsibilities but can still have dreams and works toward them.

That is in part what I’m trying to highlight - you don’t need to put yourself off by thinking you’ll need to hit 100,000’s of balls to make changes or improve - quality over quantity wins every time.

“I don’t have time” is the second worst excuse to “the dog ate my homework”

There are some quite sporty standard Mondeo’s about but I’m not sure about 7 minutes around the ring!
 

SaintHacker

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If Tiger Woods says it takes a year and 100k shots to make a swing change. And thats with the best coaches in the world watching over him. I’m inclined to believe him.

I don't disagree but for someone like Tiger a swing change is going to be so minute it will take hours and hours to make it permanent, whereas a chomper like me could have a quick lesson and be swining on a different plane after a bucket of balls. The better you get the harder it is to improve.
 
D

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Joking aside I did and have considered a blog. I’ve kinda set a target (a dream/goal) of getting on to the scratch team or at the very least being eligible.

You'll get on the scratch team if you want a game, nobody is interested in playing :D
 

evemccc

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Some people have innate talent, or natural ability in any given field

Ask me to draw, sketch or paint and I would be hopeless, whereas others discover a talent for art late in life, despite having never previously picked up a paintbrush

Likewise, having lived in a non-European, non-Anglosphere country for a number of years, I’ve come across people who can learn difficult languages with relative ease, and others have brains that find it incredibly difficult

So why is it so hard for some on here to believe that we learn and improve at any given sport at wildly different rates, compared to their own experience?

And FWIW, if Tiger or Faldo make a swing change mid-career, you can bet your mortgage on them having already hit many thousands of balls more than you or I — so the work of dis-embedding their original swing is much harder than someone who is relatively new to the game
 

Boomy

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Some people have innate talent, or natural ability in any given field

Ask me to draw, sketch or paint and I would be hopeless, whereas others discover a talent for art late in life, despite having never previously picked up a paintbrush

Likewise, having lived in a non-European, non-Anglosphere country for a number of years, I’ve come across people who can learn difficult languages with relative ease, and others have brains that find it incredibly difficult

So why is it so hard for some on here to believe that we learn and improve at any given sport at wildly different rates, compared to their own experience?

And FWIW, if Tiger or Faldo make a swing change mid-career, you can bet your mortgage on them having already hit many thousands of balls more than you or I — so the work of dis-embedding their original swing is much harder than someone who is relatively new to the game

Superb post ?? I’m 100% about encouraging people to have a go, and discover what they can actually achieve (and not to be put off by other peoples experiences or stories)

“If you never try, you’ll never know” is a very basic quote but one I try to live by.
 
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Really? I’d see it as an achievement, an honour to represent your club ? Is it not a thing anymore?

Its all right if you don't mind travelling over over the County for an evening game. I work shifts and have never bothered even when I was at Workington and the travelling to away games wasn't as bad as I wasn't always available. Stepped in occaisionally if they were desperately short but that was about it.

The other thing is what is the point of me as a senior golfer playing as I'm not the future of the club?

We don't however have many decent younger golfers....
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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And herein lies the problem. Unless you groove in the change(s) with hours on the range you end up reverting back to what you always did.
Oh yes...absolutely. And if I don't groove the change properly then when it seems to be working I can without realising it easily be walking a tightrope - easily losing concentration and falling off back to the bad old ways. It's not too painful coming out of the groove, and relatively ok getting back into it - but falling off a tightrope is painful and fear (when such as the shanks are involved in the old way) can make getting back on very difficult.
 

BiMGuy

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Thank you. But I wasn’t bragging in the slightest, just highlighting a fact.

It depends how you quantify accomplished - I’ve been back golfing (after a 10/11 year break) for 15 months, 3 of which were lockdown so 12 months playing and practising - I have knocked 12 shots of my handicap, am on the verge of single figures, have won an open, and 2 Division 1 trophy competitions at our club. My best score is a 6 over gross 78 in tough conditions on a links course. So, when reviewing my first full year back, yes, I have accomplished a decent amount. Very happy with the results which reflect the structured work I have put in at the range, and with my coach. I haven’t hit thousands of balls at the range, I’ve just tried to hit each one correctly. I’m a lower handicap and playing better than I ever have - I put this down to my practice regimen and attitude towards learning/adapting.

Structured practice and understanding what you are practicing is key to improving. Players Just beating 100s balls at the range then not understanding why they are not getting better, or getting worse is pretty common.
 

Boomy

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Oh yes...absolutely. And if I don't groove the change properly then when it seems to be working I can without realising it easily be walking a tightrope - easily losing concentration and falling off back to the bad old ways. It's not too painful coming out of the groove, and relatively ok getting back into it - but falling off a tightrope is painful and fear (when such as the shanks are involved in the old way) can make getting back on very difficult.

The golf swing is complicated enough without trying it on a tightrope ?
 

HomerJSimpson

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I have a full time job, am an active sports coach, am helping care for a family member with my partner… we all have responsibilities but can still have dreams and works toward them.

That is in part what I’m trying to highlight - you don’t need to put yourself off by thinking you’ll need to hit 100,000’s of balls to make changes or improve - quality over quantity wins every time.

“I don’t have time” is the second worst excuse to “the dog ate my homework”

There are some quite sporty standard Mondeo’s about but I’m not sure about 7 minutes around the ring!

Exactly. If you don't work hard to move forward you end up standing still

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garyinderry

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Joking aside I did and have considered a blog. I’ve kinda set a target (a dream/goal) of getting on to the scratch team or at the very least being eligible.


Dont do a blog. I'd be interested in seeing a video of your practice session. Even a 10 minute video would do. Prob dont need to see the whole hour or more. Mignt inspire others on here to practice smarter as you say. You could talk through what you are thinking as you set up and hit.

I'm a golf nerd. I'd watch it. I might be the only one though. You never know. :)
 

Boomy

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Dont do a blog. I'd be interested in seeing a video of your practice session. Even a 10 minute video would do. Prob dont need to see the whole hour or more. Mignt inspire others on here to practice smarter as you say. You could talk through what you are thinking as you set up and hit.

I'm a golf nerd. I'd watch it. I might be the only one though. You never know. :)

I actually meant a vlog, rather than boring blog. I’ve never done anything like that but may consider it - I’m only use to filming my swing on iPhone slo-mo to review then delete. Crikey it would be a boring hour ?

My key to practice sessions is knowing exactly what I’ve to go away and work on after a lesson, if I’m in any way uncertain I ask for a explanation. Then film each shot, review it, try to correct as required and repeat - never more than 50 balls and at least 10 or so of them will be short game focused.

Fellow golf nerd here, you were very much right on your comment about it being a rollercoaster, but a helluva ride ??‍♂️ Hurry up spring for more golf time!
 

Boomy

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Dont do a blog. I'd be interested in seeing a video of your practice session. Even a 10 minute video would do. Prob dont need to see the whole hour or more. Mignt inspire others on here to practice smarter as you say. You could talk through what you are thinking as you set up and hit.

I'm a golf nerd. I'd watch it. I might be the only one though. You never know. :)

Tonight’s session reminder (golf and Star Wars nerd ?)

C9406E82-2CF3-4FB0-8DFC-78E8933C746D.jpeg
 

garyinderry

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I actually meant a vlog, rather than boring blog. I’ve never done anything like that but may consider it - I’m only use to filming my swing on iPhone slo-mo to review then delete. Crikey it would be a boring hour ?

My key to practice sessions is knowing exactly what I’ve to go away and work on after a lesson, if I’m in any way uncertain I ask for a explanation. Then film each shot, review it, try to correct as required and repeat - never more than 50 balls and at least 10 or so of them will be short game focused.

Fellow golf nerd here, you were very much right on your comment about it being a rollercoaster, but a helluva ride ??‍♂️ Hurry up spring for more golf time!


I'd never really bother with short game stuff at the range. I leave that for solo games when I can get the course to myself. Often spend 20min on each green doing all kinds of pitches chips and bunker shots.

We might try and land some in a target net at the range for a bit of fun but I view them shots as a bit of a waste at the range.

I'd be interested to see the progression in your swing. If you have old swing videos to view along side your new ones that would be cool.
 
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