Rant time - lessons

[dufferman]

I just want to vent my anger after last nights lesson.

A week ago Monday, I shot a personal best round my course, 86. Net 66. I was hitting the ball like a dream, and honestly, if I didn't get in a couple of bunkers, it could have been an 82.

Last week, I shot 95 at another course. I knew I was hitting the ball less-than-great, but still managed to get around. A few shanks & some fat shots were the bad ones.

Last night I had a lesson with the pro I've had my last 2 lessons with. Expecting him to tweak a few things, I went in, told him how well I was playing, and hit some balls.

He then told me I'd gotten the whole swing wrong, and spent the lesson teaching me a new swing!!!! I still had all the things I'd be taught by him last time in my head, so as you can imagine, the lesson was terrible. Although, by the end, I was able to hit my irons, my woods and driver was a no-no!

I'm so angry that, after working hard on swing changes, AND shooting a great score personally, that he can just throw it all away and want me to start again. I'm no pro, and I'm more than happy to shoot a round of mid-80's on a regular basis, I'm not trying to become a single handicapper.

I feel like the last 2 lessons were wasted money, if he now wants me to change the way I hit the ball.

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGHH!

:rant:

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Does he really want you to start again or are you not doing what he told you in the first place? Do you use video in your lessons so he can show you where you are going wrong? Did you speak to him about your frustrations? Often, lack of communication can lead to confusion. When I had lessons last year, one of the lessons was spent mostly talking about what we were doing, I hardly hit any balls at all.

You have to remember the thing with lessons is that he is trying to teach you a swing that will be good most of the time, not one that will be good occasionally, it can be a long hard slog.

Your situation sounds like one I was in years ago. I'd been having lessons and practicing and went out one weekend and hit the ball great, the following week I went for my next lesson expecting him to say how well I was doing and he ripped my swing apart. He showed me the video from the last lesson and what I was now doing and they were completely different.

 

[bobmac]

Can I ask how old your pro is..... roughly ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I just want to vent my anger after last nights lesson.

A week ago Monday, I shot a personal best round my course, 86. Net 66. I was hitting the ball like a dream, and honestly, if I didn't get in a couple of bunkers, it could have been an 82.

Last week, I shot 95 at another course. I knew I was hitting the ball less-than-great, but still managed to get around. A few shanks & some fat shots were the bad ones.

Last night I had a lesson with the pro I've had my last 2 lessons with. Expecting him to tweak a few things, I went in, told him how well I was playing, and hit some balls.

He then told me I'd gotten the whole swing wrong, and spent the lesson teaching me a new swing!!!! I still had all the things I'd be taught by him last time in my head, so as you can imagine, the lesson was terrible. Although, by the end, I was able to hit my irons, my woods and driver was a no-no!

I'm so angry that, after working hard on swing changes, AND shooting a great score personally, that he can just throw it all away and want me to start again. I'm no pro, and I'm more than happy to shoot a round of mid-80's on a regular basis, I'm not trying to become a single handicapper.

I feel like the last 2 lessons were wasted money, if he now wants me to change the way I hit the ball.

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGHH!

:rant:

I would have asked the pro why if you have gone through swing changes, I assume with the same guy, and shot a PB, he felt the need to completely remodel it again. As I may have mentioned I made a big swing change in the winter of 2012 that took most of last year to get bedded in. Last winter was just refining that and the lessons at the start of 2014 were to get ready for the season (chipping, pitching, and just shaving the final few layers of the change away and polishing). My pro knows what I have, what we're working on and what I am trying to achieve and there's no way he'd suggest or I'd let him suddenly go off tangent having already invested so much time (and hard earned cash) working on what I had.

If I was you, I'd be going back to him and saying you aren't happy with how it went. Ask him his reasons for the changes when you've played so well and only thought you needed a small tweak. A good teaching pro should be happy to have a two way dialogue and if you don't like the answers maybe consider a different pro.

 

[chrisd]

I feel your pain Duffer.

I had a similar situation recently, a pro offered me a deal on some extra lessons after a few short game lessons at the turn of the year. He said that the changes he would bring in would improve my long game but also be beneficial for what we had done in the short game.

After about 6 lessons I kept telling him that, when playing, I had lost the really crisp strike of the ball that had got my scores and handicap down. He said that when the changes are finished that the strike will be there - well it isn't! and I am now struggling to score and it's all down to the quality of strike.

I wish I'd not bothered as I now cant find the old swing!

I cant say what you should do Duffer but I'd certainly consider making further changes o a swing you're happy with

 

[dufferman]

Does he really want you to start again or are you not doing what he told you in the first place? Do you use video in your lessons so he can show you where you are going wrong? Did you speak to him about your frustrations? Often, lack of communication can lead to confusion. When I had lessons last year, one of the lessons was spent mostly talking about what we were doing, I hardly hit any balls at all.

You have to remember the thing with lessons is that he is trying to teach you a swing that will be good most of the time, not one that will be good occasionally, it can be a long hard slog.

Your situation sounds like one I was in years ago. I'd been having lessons and practicing and went out one weekend and hit the ball great, the following week I went for my next lesson expecting him to say how well I was doing and he ripped my swing apart. He showed me the video from the last lesson and what I was now doing and they were completely different.

It's the take away he's really changed - last time, he talked to me about wrist breaking early and getting the clubhead to go more outside the swing path. Last night it was not breaking the wrists at all, taking the clubhead inside the swing path more... we do use video and to me, the lesson a few weeks back looks just the same as before yesterdays lesson.

 

[dufferman]

Can I ask how old your pro is..... roughly ?

Mid thirties-ish.

 

[dufferman]

I feel your pain Duffer.

I had a similar situation recently, a pro offered me a deal on some extra lessons after a few short game lessons at the turn of the year. He said that the changes he would bring in would improve my long game but also be beneficial for what we had done in the short game.

After about 6 lessons I kept telling him that, when playing, I had lost the really crisp strike of the ball that had got my scores and handicap down. He said that when the changes are finished that the strike will be there - well it isn't! and I am now struggling to score and it's all down to the quality of strike.

I wish I'd not bothered as I now cant find the old swing!

I cant say what you should do Duffer but I'd certainly consider making further changes o a swing you're happy with

Agreed - I think I need to practice on my own!

 

[CMAC]

sounds like you're both not communicating well with each other.

Can't see what his age has to do with anything

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Just do whatt I'm doing now, I'm getting my friend to sort my swing out, using multiple videos from a range session, and getting him to look at them and provide broad adjustments. It's cheap (free), and although it won't work for getting down to low low figures, I'm hoping it will shore up my swing a bit until I can settle in an area and find a pro to suit (although from a lot of the feedback I see on here, maybe a pro isn't the best answer! I might just ask "the_coach" a load of questions!!)

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Just do whatt I'm doing now, I'm getting my friend to sort my swing out, using multiple videos from a range session, and getting him to look at them and provide broad adjustments. It's cheap (free), and although it won't work for getting down to low low figures, I'm hoping it will shore up my swing a bit until I can settle in an area and find a pro to suit (although from a lot of the feedback I see on here, maybe a pro isn't the best answer! I might just ask "the_coach" a load of questions!!)

Unless your friend is an expert on the golf swing, I wouldn't have thought this was the best advice!!

 

[bobmac]

Can't see what his age has to do with anything

Teaching methods have changed over the years.

Did the pro explain why he was making the changes and how they would benifit your game?

 

[garyinderry]

you can get the ball around in a good number without putting great swings on the ball. I do it week in week out. it relies heavily on the short game to bail you out.


you have to ask yourself what you want from the lessons. do you want to tweak what you have and score or get a better looking swing that will work over and over again once you learn to master it.

answer that and then tell you pro how you feel.

 

[DCB]

Have you practised enough between lessons, not played , but, practised to ingrain what has been taught ?

Going from a PB round to a round with shanks and fats does seem to suggest there is something else not quite right.

I'd also say good two way communication is essential, if he's talking too technical tell him ask for a simplified version of what he's telling you. that shouldn't be a problem if he's a good teacher.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Unless your friend is an expert on the golf swing, I wouldn't have thought this was the best advice!!

You are very most probably quite right! Unfortunately, it's my only real option, as I don't want to start lessons with one pro, and then end up moving to another halfway through the process, so for the time being, it'll have to do!

Although saying that, having done this process for just the one "lesson", the change was quite significant. It almost looked like I had a normal swing at the end, compared to my previous attempt! He isn't really focusing on "specifics", just pointing out the big picture, and drills that will help that, ie last night was a slower takeaway, with a few tips on the top of the backswing. The whole process is to build up a swing that I can go to a pro with and refine.

 

[Foxholer]

Seems like you have just taken his advice - and taken it too far!

Oh and this!

sounds like you're both not communicating well with each other.

Remember the 'current' swing is off the back of the 95, not the 86/82!

You probably need either a drill or aid that tells you when you are in the correct position - Swingyde is pretty good for that - or some sort of backstop to stop you overdoing the feeling of the change.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

You are never going to have a "perfect" swing so lessons to me are a series of tweaks to eventually get you to the point of having good impact conditions that can be repeated relatively consistently.

I've been through the same process as you in that I would have a lesson, practice, then start playing well and then go back for a lesson and work on something different then be back to playing rubbish again. But eventually the elements start to come together and you score consistently well. Before and during my lessons I would occasionally shoot a gross +10 and be really chuffed. On Sunday I shot a gross +9 and was pretty disappointed despite my frankly embarrassing short game. Hopefully that PB you shot will eventually become a standard round for you once the changes start to take hold.

 

[One Planer]

Have you practised enough between lessons, not played , but, practised to ingrain what has been taught ?

Going from a PB round to a round with shanks and fats does seem to suggest there is something else not quite right.

I'd also say good two way communication is essential, if he's talking too technical tell him ask for a simplified version of what he's telling you. that shouldn't be a problem if he's a good teacher.

Great point David :thup:

Did your pro provide drills to work through at a range or practice area?

Was it a big change he made, or something more subtle?

 

[CMAC]

Great point David :thup:

Did your pro provide drills to work through at a range or practice area?

Was it a big change he made, or something more subtle?

post #6

 

[One Planer]

post #6

Thanks for that

One of the first things my pro worked on and gave me drills to work on both at home and a the range.

Has your pro given you any drills?