Lessons...a complete waste of money?

[MadAdey]

I think there is a problem that is getting highlighted here, bad teaching and poor students. I hear a lot of people come away from their pro and because they have not knocked 5 shots off in a week after 1 lesson they go back to their old ways, they do not understand that it will take time if major changes are being made.

On the other hand you get pros that really do not understand the swing as far I am concerned. They way some of them teach I could do exactly the same as reading a book and telling someone to do exactly as i say is not difficult. I have seen a couple over the last 20 years and walked away after the lesson and erased everything they showed me because they are that type of pro.

To me a pro should never try and teach a certain type of swing, what they should be teaching is how to set the club correctly at the top to enable you to get back into the correct position at impact. At the end of the day if Furyk rolled up to you as a young golfer what would you have done?

a) Took his backswing and totally changed it to something that is not natural for him but looks more text book
b) Let him keep that horrible looking swing, but teach him how to get the club back into the impact zone in the correct way.

To me the coach that understands the golf swing will go with (b), as he knows the importance of a golf swing being a natural action if it is ever going to be something a player can consistently repeat.

To me the coach that does not understand the swing will change what he is doing as he has no real understanding of the swing apart from what the text book says.

 

[Naybrains]

What a difference a year makes. Here's a quote from a posting by the OP last February:

"Lessons are definitely the way to go if you want to improve. Although I've had a couple of lessons that I felt weren't very good, the others (5 of them) were very good. And as a result I'm on an 18 handicap in 9 months of playing. I couldn't recommend them enough! "

He also had strong views on "older golfers".

Great spot Roscott, what a difference a year makes!

 

[JustOne]

Hmmm, really? Surely you'd just be guessing, or worse assuming, that certain handicap level gives some of those characteristics.

Not really, it's not about the h/cap per se, just the ability to learn. If he was a 28 h/cap and after 2yrs got to 27 then came on here blowing his top at teaching pros would you not think for a moment that it might be HIM?

If he got down to 5 h/cap in 2yrs then he wouldn't (I expect) be blaming his lessons.

Seeing as I don't know his h/cap I thought I'd ask.... but apparently from Rosecott's post above he's off 18.

If that's the case I'd now ask him what his expectations were/are and whether he'd sat down and actually talked to his pro about what he's now trying to achieve....or does he just see the guy as a money grabber?