Lessons! Post here your thoughts.

[anotherdouble]

I'm not sure I have a clear problem to identify though. Or if I do I'm not sure what it is. Like a lot of players I can hit any shot well on the day, it's just about consistency really. Many aspects of my game are sometimes great, sometimes bad. I suppose what is least consistent is the long second shot, so maybe that. I might look into it this winter.

Only one of my usual four-ball has actually had lessons, and I'm not convinced he gained a lot of benefit out of it really. He's actually improved more since he stopped having them (although could be that the changes took time to bed in of course). He told me about his lessons and the pro didn't sound that convincing to me.

I've traditionally had the same problem. The longer the shot (off the ground) the less consistent I am at hitting it. I would suggest that at high handicap level you're better off hitting the longest club that you can hit well more often than not. Hitting a good 7 iron and leaving 80 yards to the pin from the fairway is better than duffing a wood and leaving 150 yards. I personally only hit my hybrid about twice a round. And I don't even carry a fairway wood anymore since I couldn't hit them well.

 

[Orikoru]

Yeah I did say that as well in a later post.

 

[Jacko_G]

I'm not sure I have a clear problem to identify though. Or if I do I'm not sure what it is. Like a lot of players I can hit any shot well on the day, it's just about consistency really. Many aspects of my game are sometimes great, sometimes bad. I suppose what is least consistent is the long second shot, so maybe that. I might look into it this winter.

Only one of my usual four-ball has actually had lessons, and I'm not convinced he gained a lot of benefit out of it really. He's actually improved more since he stopped having them (although could be that the changes took time to bed in of course). He told me about his lessons and the pro didn't sound that convincing to me.

Are you able to cross the road ok? Do you stand there and worry that the red car 300 yards away may not stop?

Wow man just take a chance, open your eyes and step out of your bubble you may start to enjoy golf.

 

[Wolf]

Are you able to cross the road ok? Do you stand there and worry that the red car 300 yards away may not stop?

Wow man just take a chance, open your eyes and step out of your bubble you may start to enjoy golf.

Maybe he already enjoys golf despite his reluctance to have a lesson..

 

[srixon 1]

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.....

You have to practice the changes and take them to the course accepting that your scores may be rammel until the changes are fully embed. It’s the only way.

 

[OOB]

Maybe he already enjoys golf despite his reluctance to have a lesson..

Despite my previous posts about how my interaction with pros has made huge differences to my game this is a very fair point.

I play guitar to a decent standard, have played in live bands my entire adult life and have passed grade 8 classical guitar. Never had a lesson with a guitar teacher in my life. Taught myself to read, theory and technique and did the exams for a bit of a challenge.

Now I know that a teacher could probably improve my playing in areas, but I’m just not interested. I do it for fun, and enjoyment. Not to see how good I can get.

 

[SammmeBee]

I think some of these higher handicappers just need to learn to ‘play golf’.

See a PGA Pro that works for you and work out the fundamentals but you need to learn to play the right shot at the right time that might turn 3 shots into 2 and not turn them into 5. When to try and hole a putt and when not - for those of you who played at West Hill you’ll realise that most putts there are best dollied up to the hole for a tap in, rather than try and hole it and end up with a 3/4/5/6 footer coming back.

 

[Orikoru]

Are you able to cross the road ok? Do you stand there and worry that the red car 300 yards away may not stop?

Wow man just take a chance, open your eyes and step out of your bubble you may start to enjoy golf.

Shut up you complete and total pillock. I said earlier I enjoy golf very much without lessons thanks - in fact that's one the reasons I haven't had any yet. What stupid thing to say.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

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?

In my defence, I've cut right back on my lessons. In fact I've had five in total all season, a pre-season refresher, two when my game seemed to leave me completely (and were simply old habits coming back) and a couple at the beginning of the year to give a traditional method of playing pitches and chipping a final go before plumping for the linear method. That said, I am working on things, especially trying to get a better tempo (shorter swing) and exiting left, but on the whole I have something not textbook but becoming more functional than historically. I look at some of the single figure players at my club and they are not always picture perfect but they repeat it and know where its going. I have found that less lessons has definitely led to a freer mind and better golf, including a win and several second places although the handicap is still stubbornly refusing to move down. I think lessons have a definite place but it's vital to find the right coach as it has to a two way exchange of ideas and objectives

 

[Jacko_G]

Shut up you complete and total pillock. I said earlier I enjoy golf very much without lessons thanks - in fact that's one the reasons I haven't had any yet. What stupid thing to say.

Well take some, improve and speed up your play in the process.

If you want to continue with the name throwing I'm confident I'll compete well. At present I'll rise above it.

👍

 

[woody69]

Shut up you complete and total pillock. I said earlier I enjoy golf very much without lessons thanks - in fact that's one the reasons I haven't had any yet. What stupid thing to say.

Bit OTT

 

[PJ87]

Choosing the right pro is just a minefield of trial and error. What we need is a website like Checkatrade, but for golf pros. Where people can add feedback on what the lessons were like, and whether they improved or not.

Great idea lol although diff people will work well with different pros

I’d seriously recommend getting a few lessons. They are the best investment you can make in golf

I’ve been playing seriously for about 6 years now and just had lessons with a mate who’s a pro , we just talked all time learned nothing really

I branched out and went to a diff guy. First lesson he asked me questions about what I didn’t like about my game / aims for winter

Distance off tee
Slice
Handicap

He said right by the end of this lesson I’ll have you drawing your irons and by end of 4 I’ll have your slice gone

True to his word it happened but the slice comes back soon as I switch off and don’t implement what he said

You have to go backwards to go forwards

Now from those 3 my distance off tee is up on average 30 yards
My slice is reduced to a small fade / draw if I catch it spot on
And my handicap went down

Now it took time to work out because everyone is different. I kept falling back into my old grip so eventually he got me doing what’s called a hookers grip.. which has helped a lot.. another student with better wrist control would have kicked on a lot sooner just different strokes for different folks

 

[Parsaregood]

Golf lessons will help you if you do 2 things. Find a golf coach who actually knows what they are talking about, is enthusiastic and has actually tried to better themselves by furthering their own golf education beyond the basic pgr course. Also you have to put in the required effort and must be willing to be in it for the long haul unless you have lessons to paper over the cracks as they say

 

[Parsaregood]

Also I think they should change the pga course entry requirements from just possessing a handicap of 4.4 or lower to you must have a handicap of 2.4 or less or you must have held a handicap of 4.4 or less for 3 years and played x amount of comps. I see too many boys off ridiculous handicaps who work in a shop try to get to 4.4 and as soon as they do they turn pro. That is not a golf pro to me, i play off +1 and would beat most pga pros like a drum and would willingly play them for money. Bottom line is do your research when you look for a pro, look at their accomplishments, speak to people because there are a lot of guys out there who simply don't have a clue. When you do find a decent one, put the effort in, you will improve.

 

[patricks148]

Also I think they should change the pga course entry requirements from just possessing a handicap of 4.4 or lower to you must have a handicap of 2.4 or less or you must have held a handicap of 4.4 or less for 3 years and played x amount of comps. I see too many boys off ridiculous handicaps who work in a shop try to get to 4.4 and as soon as they do they turn pro. That is not a golf pro to me, i play off +1 and would beat most pga pros like a drum and would willingly play them for money. Bottom line is do your research when you look for a pro, look at their accomplishments, speak to people because there are a lot of guys out there who simply don't have a clue. When you do find a decent one, put the effort in, you will improve.

i sort of agree, but some of the worlds top coaches are not even single figures, so i don't think you have to be a good player to teach.

 

[patricks148]

Bit OTT

yep a bit out of order TBH

 

[Parsaregood]

i sort of agree, but some of the worlds top coaches are not even single figures, so i don't think you have to be a good player to teach.

In my opinion you most certainly do have to be at least a good amateur to be a top coach, the top coaches of anything surely would know what it feels like to be leading tournaments or to be well under par and to follow it through. They can then teach these experiences to people. I personally don't go near a coach unless they know what they are on about and will often gave debates with them about techniques etc. There are a lot of pros out there who are not very good and also have little enthusiasm for the game in my opinion

 

[PJ87]

Golf lessons will help you if you do 2 things. Find a golf coach who actually knows what they are talking about, is enthusiastic and has actually tried to better themselves by furthering their own golf education beyond the basic pgr course. Also you have to put in the required effort and must be willing to be in it for the long haul unless you have lessons to paper over the cracks as they say

So true. My mate used to paper over the cracks

New pro treats the cause not the symptoms as he says

 

[patricks148]

In my opinion you most certainly do have to be at least a good amateur to be a top coach, the top coaches of anything surely would know what it feels like to be leading tournaments or to be well under par and to follow it through. They can then teach these experiences to people. I personally don't go near a coach unless they know what they are on about and will often gave debates with them about techniques etc. There are a lot of pros out there who are not very good and also have little enthusiasm for the game in my opinion

but are there not some top coaches off high handicaps Claude Harmon for instance i think is off 14