The value of lessons

[Macster]

After a good season overall, where I got down from 11.6 to 9.2, and then finally ending the year back at 9.5 and quite frankly playing badly, I decided to commit to a series of lessons over the winter.

Not particularly having a good 'rapport' with my own Pro & assistant, I decided to head an hour away up to Ganton GC, and see Gary Brown, who has worked with one or 2 of our very good young players.
Ok, it was an hours drive each way, and on a particularly brisk friday afternoon, but Gary was excellent, and handed me a large bucket of balls to head out to their huge 13acre practise ground to warm up.
Quickly picking up on some pooints to work on, he grabbed his Video cam too, and we viewed the film in the Proshop before going back to the range to try and make some changes.
the time passed, and before I knew it, I'd been with him over an hour, and he left me finally to use as many balls as I wanted to.
Excellent choice, and all for £24.

Played yesterday morning, and even allowing for the fact that I was twiddling with both my stance, my left hand grip and wrist break, the results were excellent, and I finished the round with 36 points in our Sat am sweep.
My Driving, which has this year been useless, was back on track, and lots of positives flooding back.

I'm definitely going to go back every 4/5 weeks over the winter, which will hopefully mean that I can fly out of the blocks come Spring, and I urge anyone who is serious about improving to do the same.

Practice is only good if you're practising the right things me thinks.

Good coach = good advice = good results = good golf.

*Simples*

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Great results , well done

I have benefitted from lessons in the past, but you have to give yourself time to practise the changes again and again until they become second nature,

Often a lesson will change so much and make it feel so weird that you quickly ignore it and go back to your bad ways

so yes have lessons, but only if you are willing to put up with some short term pain to achieve longer term gain

Just dont mention CVG's putting

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've always said that for me regular lessons are a necessity as I've so many ingrained faults that I need to keep a regular eye on them. That and the desire to improve and get back to single figures. The stuff I'm doing this year is the bedrock to that and I'm hoping I've made progress but I'll find out next Saturday when I go back. It certainly feels as though I've made small steps and my front nine yesterday was promising

 

[Tiger]

Lucky enoughtohave started with lessons so hoping to pick up as few faults as possible. If you are a newbie like me I'd commit to a series of six and try to keep them more than three weeks apart. Just had a gap of six weeks (because previous lesson was putting) and developed two bad faults in my wrist hinge and right leg. Quickly resolved but definitely reinforces the OPs closing mantra!

Good luck with your winter lessons!

 

[drawboy]

I am just about to book a series of lessons with my pro. Like Homer I intend to get back to my glory days when I played off 9. The pro has told me it is easily achievable with a bit of positive practice and a few pointers from him. I cannot wait. I have just played my 1st full season for 20yrs after bringing up the kids and such. I am currently off 16 but everyone I play with say I should be much lower. I guess it will just be a case of playing more along with the lessons and hopefully I should get to around 11 by next year.

 

[evahakool]

Hi Chrismc
Interesting to hear your comments obout trying a differant pro,last lesson I had felt the pro was trying to get me to do things on my backswing which to be honest I dont think Iam capable of at my age (55)So will have to try a differant pro and see if there is any differance.Good luck with your game.