Lesson question

[seasidehacker]

Thinking of going for a lesson but a bit concerned about my swing being ripped apart. I have known a few people go for a lesson only to be told "its all wrong" and then give up because they couldn't hit anything for months. My thinking is if I go to the range twice a week I might as well have something to work on before spring. Anyone ever had there whole swing ripped apart and was it worth it?

 

[guest100718]

Thinking of going for a lesson but a bit concerned about my swing being ripped apart. I have known a few people go for a lesson only to be told "its all wrong" and then give up because they couldn't hit anything for months. My thinking is if I go to the range twice a week I might as well have something to work on before spring. Anyone ever had there whole swing ripped apart and was it worth it?

If there are changes to be made , these will certainly feel weird to start with, but if you are going to the range twice a week do need to have something to work on while you are there.

 

[Slab]

Doubt there's many who's swing wouldn't be ripped apart to be honest and thinking about it there's an advantage to facing a total change rather than minor ones

I havnt had good experience with lessons finding it hard to accept it'll be worse before it gets better, but if you can put in the time for quality practice then I guess with it being your close season then this is the time of year to do it

 

[pbrown7582]

If the pro is good he will speak with you at your 1st lesson watch you hit a few shots then formulate a plan that's fits you and your thinking.
Too rip it up and start again takes a long long time and lots and lots of commitment but a few tweaks here and there can go a long way to helping you improve.

 

[One Planer]

When I had my first lesson, I had been playing for about 2.1/2 years.

There was a lot right with my swing, but also an awful lot wrong.

Over the course of my initial 6 or so lessons everything was changed (read as improved).

Yes, for about 3 or 4 months, I really struggled to play well (By my standards), but once the changed began to groove, my game came back and has surpassed where I was before.

The more I practiced with drills my pro gave me, the easier the changes became.

I too know folk that have gone for lessons, had something changed and their game goes backwards. I also know some of the same folk who, after a time of no improvement, went back to what they were doing previously with the same results they were getting before. The difference was these people did not practice what the pro had shown them. They just expected some magical fix.

Listen to the pro, practice what he says and you will improve. It may take a little time and you may have to re-visit areas with them you are not sure of, but over a period of time you will improve.

A good pro will discuss what YOU want from your game with you before you even start.

 

[Hacker Khan]

If the pro is good he will speak with you at your 1st lesson watch you hit a few shots then formulate a plan that's fits you and your thinking.
Too rip it up and start again takes a long long time and lots and lots of commitment but a few tweaks here and there can go a long way to helping you improve.

What he said. If the pro is just showing you videos of Justin Rose's swing and trying to get you to replicate by giving you twenty swing thoughts it then I would not bother. As it isn't going to happen. If they give you one or two things to work on then stay with them.

I would really recommend having lessons as they will sort out your fundamentals and give you the best chance of getting better. If you have one or two major flaws that are really holding you back they should spot them quite quickly and help you to work on it. My current pro has kind of changed a few things gradually, but I would not really say he's ripped it apart.

I've had a few lessons and as others have said the first time you change something it will feel weird. As your body has been consciously and subconsciously doing something different for possibly years. A change of grip is a good example. I used to have a horrendously strong grip as that just felt natural to me. And the first time it was 'weakened' it felt so weird I thought I'd never be able to hit a ball again. But eventually it feels less weird and finally it becomes if not completely natural as I always need to check it, but a lot more comfortable.

 

[seasidehacker]

Where did you notice the difference? distance,alignment etc?

What he said. If the pro is just showing you videos of Justin Rose's swing and trying to get you to replicate by giving you twenty swing thoughts it then I would not bother. As it isn't going to happen. If they give you one or two things to work on then stay with them.

I would really recommend having lessons as they will sort out your fundamentals and give you the best chance of getting better. If you have one or two major flaws that are really holding you back they should spot them quite quickly and help you to work on it. My current pro has kind of changed a few things gradually, but I would not really say he's ripped it apart.

I've had a few lessons and as others have said the first time you change something it will feel weird. As your body has been consciously and subconsciously doing something different for possibly years. A change of grip is a good example. I used to have a horrendously strong grip as that just felt natural to me. And the first time it was 'weakened' it felt so weird I thought I'd never be able to hit a ball again. But eventually it feels less weird and finally it becomes if not completely natural as I always need to check it, but a lot more comfortable.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

In my opinion, the pro should do two things:

1) discuss your objectives in coming to see him for a lesson;

2) work one thing at a time. There's no point making you change 20 things at once, that just isn't possible. 1 swing thought per lesson will see you nail each one in succession and have you improving rapidly.

If he gives you too much to think about in one go, tell him and have him break it down into one manageable swing thought per lesson. Then go back once you've had a chance to practice that properly.

 

[CMAC]

Thinking of going for a lesson but a bit concerned about my swing being ripped apart. I have known a few people go for a lesson only to be told "its all wrong" and then give up because they couldn't hit anything for months. My thinking is if I go to the range twice a week I might as well have something to work on before spring. Anyone ever had there whole swing ripped apart and was it worth it?

I've known many like that, havent we all.

Some people dont want to change or cant change and just wanted a small tweak to stop the major flaw(s) but overall they are comfortable with their 'flawed' swing as it gets them round and they enjoy it.

This is where a good pro will have discussed what his customer wants and worked with it, as opposed to seeing a 'body' that swings badly and try to fix everything. Not everything can or should be 'fixed'


so, talk first and communicate if the lesson is taking you outside your comfort zone.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Where did you notice the difference? distance,alignment etc?

With regards to the grip I had a very strong grip which very occasionally meant I was getting a nice draw and good distance, but more often than not manifested itself in nasty duck hooks, not much height, drives onto the next fairway across and missing greens by 20 yards to the right (I'm a lefty). I also had/have issues where I did not keep my left elbow close enough to my body on the downswing, my take away was too 'out' instead of again keeping my arms close to my body. And also I need to bump my hips forwards more at the start of the downswing instead of just rotating.

So as you can see quite a few things . But I am working on these gradually as he did not lay all these on me at once. A decent pro should also be able to see your potential so they know how much to ask you to change at one time. I also invested in the V1 golf app which is great for videoing swings and helping on some of these things.

It is still a work in progress, but after several range sessions I have hopefully removed the low duck hooks and I am getting more flight. To me it was not really about distance but accuracy. And if anything I have lost distance as a strong grip tends to promote draws/hooks which generally go further than fades/straight shots. But I'd rather constantly hit 220 yards in the fairway with my drives than 260 into the cabbage, or hit the green using a 8 iron instead of going 15 yards right using a PW. I can work on my distance later when the accuracy/dispersion is better.

 

[seasidehacker]

Thanks for the feedback. Just booked a lesson for this Sat, lets see what happens

 

[pbrown7582]

Thanks for the feedback. Just booked a lesson for this Sat, lets see what happens

good luck hope it works well for you.

 

[3565]

I've had lessons all of my 30yrs of playing. It depends on you as an individual in what you want from playing? Some on here enjoy it for the fun and social aspect the game gives, others are more competitive, like myself, although I do dabble now and again on the social side when I can find it.

If you want to improve then do some research, ask others who they recommend, how have they helped, what have they gained from it? Going for lessons can be either good or bad depending on both parties, his teaching philosophies and your input to implement the changes. It's never easy to change but don't be afraid to ask the most important question to any change, WHY?

 

[TonyN]

When I first took up the game properly, I used to grip the club 'caggy handed'. (right hand at top for right handed golfer). I could hit the ball fairly well, reasonable distance too. I went to see a pro and he advised I make the switch whilst I was still relatively new to the game. He was adamant that I could play well as was, but it would only go so far. I bit the bullet and made the change.

To begin with, it was horrendous. Could not get the club head to hit the ball (literally). There was no instruction to begin with, The pro just told me to go away and practice quarter swings until I could find the middle consistently. Then half swings, then full. After an hour, I was so frustrated, I thought about either A) giving up all together or B) reverting back. I knew it would be difficult though and wrote off playing on a course for about 6 months, telling myself I would only play once I could middle the ball consistently. Actually, it took about 2 weeks. 2 range sessions a week. 100 balls in the basket. 2 or 3 practice swings in between and it all clicked very quickly.

Thinking about the old muscle memory theory of 1000 repeatable actions, I was well over that in that short space of time because of all the practice swings between shots. It was gruelling but definitely worth the effort.

Best of luck to you.

 

[bobmac]

As people are all different, they will learn in different ways. That's why pros are taught to teach in different ways.

They are taught some people want major swing surgery while others just need a tweak.
They are also taught to ask lots of questions about the golfers golfing history, health, flexibility, ambitions, practice/play ratio, handicap etc etc.
And surprise surprise, they are also taught NOT to make 20 changes in one lesson.

Whether they use what they have learned is up to the individual as pros are all different too.

I suggest you tell the pro exactly what you want from the lesson and answer his questions honestly.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Talk to the pro before you start and be honest with what your aims are and realistic in your targets. Bob (as always) speak some sense but to be honest most teaching pros I know (and I've been to one or two in my time) don't rip swings to shreds. They may go back to real basics with grip posture and alignment which may feel alien and therefore like a big change but unless you get the fundamentals right there will always need to be compensations at some point

 

[User 105]

Talk to the pro before you start and be honest with what your aims are and realistic in your targets. Bob (as always) speak some sense but to be honest most teaching pros I know (and I've been to one or two in my time) don't rip swings to shreds. They may go back to real basics with grip posture and alignment which may feel alien and therefore like a big change but unless you get the fundamentals right there will always need to be compensations at some point

This one is key for me. We'd all like to have a swing like the pro's but most of us don't have the time or talent to achieve that.

After many years of lessons, including a disastrous attempt to re-build my swing, I'd say your number 1 priority should be to be able to enjoy playing golf. With whatever swing works for you consistently.

Months of lessons with major changes will mean you will likely play a lot worse before you play better.

In my case I had 18 months of getting worse and never got better until we abandoned the re-build. I'm now, after another 12 months, back to where I was before I started the re-build and getting a lot more enjoyment out of the game.

 

[Rooter]

And surprise surprise, they are also taught NOT to make 20 changes in one lesson.

Exactly this, I have just started a bank of 6 lessons with my club pro. first lesson, he made 2 minor adjustments (more weight on left leg, and the towel under the left armpit), told me to get that nailed and we can talk about lesson #2.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Exactly this, I have just started a bank of 6 lessons with my club pro. first lesson, he made 2 minor adjustments (more weight on left leg, and the towel under the left armpit), told me to get that nailed and we can talk about lesson #2.

He charged you good money for the old towel under the left armpit drill? Jeez man, that's in every golf magazine in the instruction section at least 4 times a year, he saw you coming.

 

[MadAdey]

Thinking of going for a lesson but a bit concerned about my swing being ripped apart. I have known a few people go for a lesson only to be told "its all wrong" and then give up because they couldn't hit anything for months. My thinking is if I go to the range twice a week I might as well have something to work on before spring. Anyone ever had there whole swing ripped apart and was it worth it?

It might take more than one lesson TBH, depending on what your wanting to achieve. I have noticed for most players the first lesson is just all about the basics of how to told the club and address the ball. No Pro is going to teach you the swing if your not addressing the ball correctly.

Problem I have noticed is that most people have to have their address position changed and that is what they can't get their head around, because what they have been taught feels awkward. But get in for your lesson now and hopefully with time at the range it will be looking good by spring.