Struggling with your Golf? Put down YouTube and get some lessons!

[NoIdea247]

Hi all,

Thought I'd share my experiences with trying to fix swing problems with YouTube and the difference 1 to 1 lessons can make as I wish someone had told me sooner!

I've always shunned away from lessons due to the cost and previous experiences, trying to fix my bad shots with shiny new clubs and YouTube videos. Flashback 1 month ago, I roll up to a lovely local course I'd not played before, feeling confident after finding a new YouTube tip to fix my all my problems. I start with a Par - this is it, i've found the one! Four hours later, I walk off with a 108 gross which included not scoring on a hole so it was really higher! It was soul destroying, I'd have walked off if it wasnt for meeting a friend who I hadn't seen for a while. Pulls, slices, duffs, shanks, couldn't chip, couldn't putt. I told my wife I was quiting golf that night, I was still only playing to 21 after 3 years of playing this cruel game, going backwards fast post Covid and decided it probably was a sign that its not my game.

In the morning, I decided I was going to finally book a golf lesson to see if there was a way forward or whether to give up. I'd had a couple of lessons here and there early on in my golf 'career' but never clicked with the coaches or was too new to golf to understand my swing. I booked in for a few days time, I was still deflated when I got there, told him all the issues I'd been having and hit a few balls - which I actuallly thought were ok.. He showed me the numbers, showed me my swing, challenged my understanding of both and then gave me a couple of ideas to try, I mean really simple things. Maybe 6 swings later and I was fixed! Ok, maybe that's an overstatement but I was striking it great, hitting these sweet high, long shots with my iron. I'd previously thought I was hitting the ball too high and that was why my distance was short but to see the ball hit the same height with a penetrating ball flight and 25 yards extra carry, it was beautiful! It was so successful I booked two more lessons straight away to make sure I embedded this properly. I should also mention that the simple fixes in my swing, were not the things I'd been trying from the YouTube videos!

Following the lesson I have practiced once then played a round and after a mixed start things started to click. It was by no means great, but in that 94 gross I'd hit some shots I've never seen before! One more lesson later and another practice session, today I came back to the course I'd had the nightmare on originally. Armed with my swing changes and knowledge of my bad shot patterns and why they happen, I shot an 87 gross, my best ever score! This even included 4 penalties from water hazards (3 on the back nine after going out in 41) and the longest club in the bag being a 3# hybrid.

I actually walked away after a personal best round disappointed! BUT, I've had a real glimpse of my potential today and it's absolutley because I put down YouTube and went for a lesson with a professional who focussed on ME and MY swing (no YouTube channel pun intended...).

Don't get me wrong I love watching golf channels on YouTube but if you are struggling with your game, do yourself a massive favour and get a 1 on 1 diagnosis from a professional coach!

Next step for me, I'm breaking 80!..

 

[Jason.H]

I’ve improved no end by taking one or two snippets from you tube. It all depends if you can relate to what’s being said or demonstrated and then go and work on it. I don’t have any lessons and have got down to 3/4 handicap. +1 in today’s comp.
For what it’s worth there are plenty of golf you tubers worth avoiding.
No doubt there are some great teaching pros out there.

 

[Barking_Mad]

I think if you understand some basic mechanics of the golf swing and also how your own swing works, they can be useful. Issue is most players have no clue and often trying to fix something just compounds other issues.

Personally once I'd worked out the relationship between:

1. Grip (strong vs weak)
2. Angle of club face at 1st parallel (face down or toe up)
3. Club path on the downswing (in to out, out to in)
4. Club face at impact (open, closed)

Then I felt watching a video could help as I understand my swing and misses. Before then I was lost. I'd had a couple of lessons but until recently I could only just afford to play once a week so lessons were an expense I couldn't afford.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Hi all,

Thought I'd share my experiences with trying to fix swing problems with YouTube and the difference 1 to 1 lessons can make as I wish someone had told me sooner!

I've always shunned away from lessons due to the cost and previous experiences, trying to fix my bad shots with shiny new clubs and YouTube videos. Flashback 1 month ago, I roll up to a lovely local course I'd not played before, feeling confident after finding a new YouTube tip to fix my all my problems. I start with a Par - this is it, i've found the one! Four hours later, I walk off with a 108 gross which included not scoring on a hole so it was really higher! It was soul destroying, I'd have walked off if it wasnt for meeting a friend who I hadn't seen for a while. Pulls, slices, duffs, shanks, couldn't chip, couldn't putt. I told my wife I was quiting golf that night, I was still only playing to 21 after 3 years of playing this cruel game, going backwards fast post Covid and decided it probably was a sign that its not my game.

In the morning, I decided I was going to finally book a golf lesson to see if there was a way forward or whether to give up. I'd had a couple of lessons here and there early on in my golf 'career' but never clicked with the coaches or was too new to golf to understand my swing. I booked in for a few days time, I was still deflated when I got there, told him all the issues I'd been having and hit a few balls - which I actuallly thought were ok.. He showed me the numbers, showed me my swing, challenged my understanding of both and then gave me a couple of ideas to try, I mean really simple things. Maybe 6 swings later and I was fixed! Ok, maybe that's an overstatement but I was striking it great, hitting these sweet high, long shots with my iron. I'd previously thought I was hitting the ball too high and that was why my distance was short but to see the ball hit the same height with a penetrating ball flight and 25 yards extra carry, it was beautiful! It was so successful I booked two more lessons straight away to make sure I embedded this properly. I should also mention that the simple fixes in my swing, were not the things I'd been trying from the YouTube videos!

PFollowing the lesson I have practiced once then played a round and after a mixed start things started to click. It was by no means great, but in that 94 gross I'd hit some shots I've never seen before! One more lesson later and another practice session, today I came back to the course I'd had the nightmare on originally. Armed with my swing changes and knowledge of my bad shot patterns and why they happen, I shot an 87 gross, my best ever score! This even included 4 penalties from water hazards (3 on the back nine after going out in 41) and the longest club in the bag being a 3# hybrid.

I actually walked away after a personal best round disappointed! BUT, I've had a real glimpse of my potential today and it's absolutley because I put down YouTube and went for a lesson with a professional who focussed on ME and MY swing (no YouTube channel pun intended...).

Don't get me wrong I love watching golf channels on YouTube but if you are struggling with your game, do yourself a massive favour and get a 1 on 1 diagnosis from a professional coach!

Next step for me, I'm breaking 80!..

My pro tells me that one of the main things he wants me to build is an understanding of what has happened when my ball strike and/or ball flight are not as I was intending. With such an awareness I have a good chance of fixing it and, when playing, reduce my confusion and uncertainty making it easier for me to put a bad shot behind me.

 

[Mel Smooth]

You absolutely can't beat a good pro telling you why it is going wrong, and you simply can't get that from You Tube.
Me and the youth both had a lesson yesterday, he has had a tendency to occasionally catch the ground a little earlier, the cause spotted by the coach - he's tucking his right shoulder a little as he comes into impact. We might of course have got to the root of the problem from watching You Tube videos but we may have gone down a rabbit hole as well.
I've been playing recently without any glaring faults but definitely need to lower my scores - explained this to Lee (the coach) at the start of my session. He felt like I should get more distance for my stature, and by the end of the lesson I'd added a good ten yards to my 7 iron - with more to come as I obviously work on the instruction given.