Lessons! Post here your thoughts.

[Golfmmad]

Apart from first getting you started lessons, I've always been sceptical about spending lots of time and money on lessons.

I've always preferred to read tips and watch the odd video and try and work it out for myself. Until now that is. Our Pro was offering Seniors 3x30 minute lessons for £50, which I thought was good value.
My overall game generally has improved this season, except for having a shocking short game and where I lose too many shots. So had my first short game lesson last night. What a revelation and didn't realise just what I was missing.
I started by taking a few chip shots, then he got me to lean forward more on the left side and talked me through how to not break my wrists. After some proper chips he showed me a clip he'd taken on his phone, without me knowing, of before and after! What a difference, I could see straight away how poor my first chips were compared to, the proper chip!
I won't go into all the detail but just talking about distance control and where I wanted to land the ball on the green etc.Its just so obvious and not something I really thought about in any detail. But having someone explain as well as he did makes so much sense.
I'm not going to get all Homeresque, (sorry Martin) and start going lesson crazy, but just going to practice a couple of times a week and see where it takes me.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Wolf]

Thoughts

Certainly think there is a place for them for beginners, for game improvement and for the odd tweak to keep on right track.

I like it to my industry in some ways, I've been in the gym industry since leaving the forces as a trainer, gym manager plus other things. Many people don't see point of a PT they think they know what they're doing don't need help etc, but once they have a session or 2 with a good PT they realise what was good and bad about what they already do.

Sometimes we just need to take a step back and use the knowledge of an expert in the field to garner better understanding and develop further.

It's good to find a pro that you have faith in and knows your game so it's certainly worth sticking with the same guy to get development and understanding.

Only person I ever had lessons with was years ago, an old family friend and brilliant teaching pro but now he lives and teaches up at Whipsnade park so my chances of a lesson with him are slim unless I collar him when I move as I know he coaches at Woodhall Spa a lot to. Just have faith in him and want to go back to a coach I trust..

 

[woody69]

Totally down what you want from your golf. If you are happy to go out there, not really understand what you are doing wrong, when things go wrong or how things can be better and only play to the best of your current ability, then forego the lessons.

If you want to improve and understand things better and get as good as you possibly can, then you need to practice and supplement with lessons. They are also good to fix specific issues, or enable you to make the 'step-up' to the next level, i.e. you have got down to low teens / 11 or 12 on your own ability, but really want to get to single figures.

I don't think there is much merit in swamping yourself in endless lessons though with no real target. It should be to work on something specific, even if that is the basics or to correct a very specific fault, or a single part of your game, be that the full swing, short game, putting etc, but then you have to practice and ingrain what you learn.

The best players in the world all have coaches and it keeps them at the top of their game

 

[anotherdouble]

Wolf, Imurg and Fragger are members at Whipsnade Park. Go see your friend and hook up wiv the bruvvers. There are excellent hosts and it’s a nice course

 

[Wolf]

Wolf, Imurg and Fragger are members at Whipsnade Park. Go see your friend and hook up wiv the bruvvers. There are excellent hosts and it’s a nice course

Now that sounds like a good plan to me 2 birds with one stone so to speak.

 

[PJ87]

Lessons are a great tool

Once you find the right pro for you I find you don’t even need them often.. just now and again to tweek something

Gonna book one before Xmas probs

 

[Blue in Munich]

As another who picks up tips and has a library of instruction books I’d say that a pro can be very good at pointing out what you are actually doing rather than what you think you’re doing as you appear to have realised. 😉

 

[Golfmmad]

Aye, and aren't mobile phones great?

 

[Imurg]

Now that sounds like a good plan to me 2 birds with one stone so to speak.

He's not doing much for Fragger's swing
Let's see what we can arrange

Lessons are great....if you're going to practice what you're told.
I've seen many a player take a series of lessons but not practice enough to ingrain any changes
That makes them, almost, a waste of money as your natural habits will force their way back in.
I had a short, free lesson when I first joined a club in '94
Since then I've had a few tips from better players and a Pro I knew but no formal lessons
That's because I'm a poor practicer, I get bored too quickly.
When I go to the range it's more to keep the swing moving and loose rather than working on a specific issue.
I've got myself to a reasonable level - could I have got lower with lessons?
Almost certainly but ive never had the time or inclination to put the practice in.
I'll keep doing what I'm doing - works for me.

 

[Wolf]

He's not doing much for Fragger's swing
Let's see what we can arrange

Perhaps some people are beyond help

It.was natural progression for me to have lessons with him, he grew up in same junior team as my older brother so was always about so.trustbwas gained. Really helped me as well nothing major was changed just simple easy to in grain tweaks.
Seems to be doing wonders with the England Girls team as well, been following him on Instagram even with his love of Superhero shirts 😂 mind you I'm the same

A game would be good, give me a few weeks to relearn the game and get settled after the move and definetly put something together as be good to play you guys and catch up with an old friend in the process

 

[Jacko_G]

Thoughts

Certainly think there is a place for them for beginners, for game improvement and for the odd tweak to keep on right track.

I like it to my industry in some ways, I've been in the gym industry since leaving the forces as a trainer, gym manager plus other things. Many people don't see point of a PT they think they know what they're doing don't need help etc, but once they have a session or 2 with a good PT they realise what was good and bad about what they already do.

Sometimes we just need to take a step back and use the knowledge of an expert in the field to garner better understanding and develop further.

It's good to find a pro that you have faith in and knows your game so it's certainly worth sticking with the same guy to get development and understanding.

Only person I ever had lessons with was years ago, an old family friend and brilliant teaching pro but now he lives and teaches up at Whipsnade park so my chances of a lesson with him are slim unless I collar him when I move as I know he coaches at Woodhall Spa a lot to. Just have faith in him and want to go back to a coach I trust..

I'll let my mate off of scratch who has a monthly "tune up" with an expert eye know that.

Lessons are for everyone and for every ability. Like all things in life you get some pro's who are better than others, maybe not "better" but either you click with them or they explain something better than a previous pro you have been to. Some also have a keen eye that picks up a little something.

 

[Wolf]

I'll let my mate off of scratch who has a monthly "tune up" with an expert eye know that.

Lessons are for everyone and for every ability. Like all things in life you get some pro's who are better than others, maybe not "better" but either you click with them or they explain something better than a previous pro you have been to. Some also have a keen eye that picks up a little something.

Nice to see you only highlighted the first part of the sentence and used it to make your own point...

The full sentence was :
Certainly think there is a place for them for beginners, for game improvement and for the odd tweak to keep on right track.
Meaning good place for beginners to start, for people to then use for game improvement or for little things that need a tweak or tune up as you put it.

 

[Jacko_G]

Nice to see you only highlighted the first part of the sentence and used it to make your own point...

The full sentence was :
Certainly think there is a place for them for beginners, for game improvement and for the odd tweak to keep on right track.
Meaning good place for beginners to start, for people to then use for game improvement or for little things that need a tweak or tune up as you put it.

I know what I did however I still don't think your sentence reads how you mean it to sound. I apologise it was very "Foxholerish" of me.

Everyone can benefit from lessons. PGA club based professionals are very undervalued in todays society.

 

[Capella]

I'm with Imurg on this. Lessons make no sense if you don't also put in the time to practice the changes. Also, even if you put in the effort, they probably will upset your game for a while, so it is not the greatest idea to have lessons mid-season if you want to play comps.

Another thing I'd say is: if it ain't broken, don't fix it. That's the main reason I did not take lessons all year this year. I kind of like my full swing at the moment and don't see the need to change anything about it. And I feel my issues with short game and putting are more a matter of me putting the time in to practice and get a feel for the distances. And of not whimping out on a shot. I don't think it is a problem with the general technique. I do consider taking a bunker lesson, though, because that is something I do struggle with.

 

[bobmac]

I'm with Imurg on this. Lessons make no sense if you don't also put in the time to practice the changes. Also, even if you put in the effort, they probably will upset your game for a while, so it is not the greatest idea to have lessons mid-season if you want to play comps.

Another thing I'd say is: if it ain't broken, don't fix it. That's the main reason I did not take lessons all year this year. I kind of like my full swing at the moment and don't see the need to change anything about it. And I feel my issues with short game and putting are more a matter of me putting the time in to practice and get a feel for the distances. And of not whimping out on a shot. I don't think it is a problem with the general technique. I do consider taking a bunker lesson, though, because that is something I do struggle with.

Completely agree.
One of the downsides of teaching yourself.
You film your swing, see something wrong and spend the whole winter 'fixing' it, only to discover that the 'fault' had no effect on the ball flight whatsoever.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

A lesson is only as good as the practise after - I suspect there are loads who have a lesson and then just go out and play and expect the lesson to work. That’s prob why I don’t have them - can’t be bothered to practise so I just watch tips etc and then try them on the course. But if someone has the time and dedication to practise then no doubt lessons will work for them regardless of HC

 

[Imurg]

Something I've never been able to get my head around is when they say you shouldn't take swing changes to the course until they're part of your normal swing.
So you take lessons, practice on the range but while you're playing you revert to your old swing until your practice makes the new changes normal.....
My brain hurts.....

 

[Jacko_G]

Something I've never been able to get my head around is when they say you shouldn't take swing changes to the course until they're part of your normal swing.
So you take lessons, practice on the range but while you're playing you revert to your old swing until your practice makes the new changes normal.....
My brain hurts.....

No, I interpret that as practice, practice practice, bounce games on the course count as practice.

If you have a big competition coming up and are stupid enough to want wholesale changes then don't go for that lesson prior to the competition but if you do, don't expect miracle results. Therefore play with what you have.

I'm sure Bob may explain his theory behind it and put it better than I can.

 

[jim8flog]

I had lessons when I fist started and continued to have regular lessons over the next 30 years. Some of my lessons only lasted for a few balls simply because there was fault I could not see on my own and a simple "oh yes" and back to hitting the ball as well as I could.

The only reason I stopped having them was simply because my body would no longer take 'range pounding'.

I have only ever known 2 very good players (mid single figures) who have never had a lesson in their life.

 

[jim8flog]

I agree with the thought that a lesson is only good if you do what the pro tells you.

One of the guys I play with has a very simple fundamental flaw in his take away. The pro and loads of other players have told him about it but he still does it. It is the main reason he still has a 30+ handicap.