new to golf and forum

[garymac]

Hi all i find the site brilliant full of wit and wisdom! I started playing about 18 months ago and have had a good initial run and am now playing off 14.7 but feel i have hit a wall. I am considering lessons but keep being told this will take my game backwards in order to progress true or false? I play out of Westerham in Kent and if the answer is lessons does anybody have local knowledge of the best place to get help

 

[Aztecs27]

Firstly, welcome to the forum!

Getting down to 14.7 in 18 months is no mean feat, so congrats on doing that.

With regards to lessons taking your game backwards, it's not always true, but most of the time it is. But it depends what you want to get from the game. If you're looking to progress into single figures, then it might be the way to go, take the apin for a few months while you bed in any changes, but in the long run it will stand you in good stead.

Someone who is much more qualified than me to talk about this stuff will be along shortly to help you out!

 

[Lawrence22]

As a beginner myself I am in no position to give advice, but welcome along to the forum. I've found it very helpful.

 

[G_Mulligan]

It really depends how much better yo want to be and if you have the time to work on it. You should go meet a few coaches and discuss this with them and ask them their opinions. If they advise a major swing change then yes you probably will get worse before you get better but will be worth it in the end. If however you just work on short game and can dedicate 6-7 hours a week practicing you should improve without going backwards first. You could also look at playing lessons/course management or work on your mental game with Doctor Bob.

 

[Losttheplot]

Generally you take a step back before one forward but it's worth it if you practise and engrain the changes into your swing.

Welcome to the forum. Get stuck in and get yourself to the forum meets, there good fun and put a face to a forum name.

 

[Alex1975]

There is too much good advice already in this post for me to say too much but... great job in the handicap so far and welcome to the forum.

 

[thecraw]

Welcome onboard the Goodship GM!

Lessons will benefit you in the long run would be my advice.

 

[Junior]

If your down to 14.7 in 18 months you must have a swing that gets you round the course OK, i'd look a bit closer into where you lose most of your shots before having a lesson.

Is it due to playing specific holes on your course poorly ? not hitting it close enough to make a couple of birdies a round ? chipping and putting ?

 

[Gillespie16]

Welcome to the forum garymac.

 

[MKDave]

Welcome along mate.

I've never known a lesson to be a negative in the long run.

If like me you really want to get as low as physically possible then lessons are a must.

I've not had any myself but feel that they would do me the world of good. I think sooner rather than later is better too. You'll have had less time to engrain any negatives in your swing so the should come out in the wash real quick.

Good luck mate

 

[GeordieAggro80]

I'd say while your still relatively new to the game get lessons. I was in a similar position and had 2 lessons. For a month after my scores slightly increased and it was a bit frustrating but I trusted the pro. Now a couple of months after my lessons I've really benefited. Not played in a comp for a couple of months and although my handicap is 18 I'm consistently shooting 82/83 at the minute where I was shooting 89-93 a couple of months back

Lessons all the way mate.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. Lovely part of the world down there. I would say a lesson will never do any harm as there will always be one aspect that can be tweaked. Do you keep any stats at all so have an idea what part of your game is letting you down. If not my advice would be to maybe get a general swing MOT as it sounds like it is working pretty well and then focus any subsequent lessons on the short game.

I tend to try and work hard at a range after any lesson to make the drills familiar and for it to bed into my swing. Sometimes its a slow affair and frustrating when you go out on a Saturday morning with your mates and chop it but stick with it. Once it clicks the benefits usually make the few weeks/months of grief worth it

 

[SatchFan]

Welcome and well done on your scoring so far. How do you drop most of your shots? Wayward drives, three putts or do you just hit lots of walls?!

 

[Tiger]

Welcome fella. Dropping to 14.7 already is good going. Look forward to hearing about your handicap tumbling more.

 

[kid2]

Welcome along Buddy

 

[ScienceBoy]

Hi all i find the site brilliant full of wit and wisdom! I started playing about 18 months ago and have had a good initial run and am now playing off 14.7 but feel i have hit a wall. I am considering lessons but keep being told this will take my game backwards in order to progress true or false?

Well I had lessons all last summer, my first year of serious golf is just coming to an end this month.

I got down from 17 to 14.7 in 3 months, I then had a series of lessons over the winter, I really worked hard when the weather let me.

Today it all came together and I shot 81 with a back 9 of +1 gross. Leading up to that I had two video lessons and a course playing lesson and I can say without doubt I would not have got better without them! I was shooting mid to high 90s this year before it all clicked.

You do get worse but you will only get better with hard work and doing the right things! It is never as bad as people say as you know you are swinging better and it just needs time.

Go get lessons, get video lessons and get on course playing lessons, it will open your eyes!

Just make sure you get a pro you like and can work with. I was lucky to find a brilliant pro 1st time.

 

[garymac]

thanks to everyone for your comments looking forward to joining in the forum and hope when possible to meet up for a game

 

[peterlav]

Hi,

As has been said, lessons will benefit you in the long term, unfortunately with golf there is no 'quick fix' solution.
Keep a note of your stats whilst playing, it's fairly easy to identify the weakest part of your game, and concentrate your practice on that area of your game.
Most of all enjoy!!!

 

[bladeplayer]

well done on geting the handicap down garymac mind you with a name similar to gmac it can only get better for you ,im no expert but i think everyone plays down to a certain h'cap then eveything stalls for a while. i struggled to get to single figures from 10 & practiced like hell on putting because i was taking too many putts. i played with a 2 handicapper on day & he explained it was my wedge & chipping that was leaving me too many unmakable putts, so mayb an on course lesson or playing with a low handicapper might help but taking a few stats of missed fairways , hazzards etc will defo help ,an iron off the tee short or wide of trouble is better than a booming drive in the lake or OOB

 

[Bratty]

thanks to everyone for your comments looking forward to joining in the forum and hope when possible to meet up for a game

I'm a member at Westerham too, Garymac! Happy to join you for a round any time.

I've only managed 1 shot per year reduction (from 21) since joining, so your achievement is indeed deserving of praise!

James, our pro, is pretty good, but it will depend on what you think is wrong with your game as to whether or not he (or any pro come to think of it) "ruins" or "transforms" your game, I'm afraid.

Nigel Lee at Chelsfield Lakes (I think he's still there) is fantastic also! Only reason I go to James is because we've a much better mid-distance range and short game area for lessons.