Time for a new coach?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sorry I misread you on the flexibility. I like to see the number. The numbers are fine as long as the coach is just using them to explain what they are teaching you but any good coach can tell you from your ball flight what is happening so I’m just saying find the right coach irrespective.

Only time early days I was on the indoor monitor was right at the start of my lessons with him when my pro wanted to show me my existing swing path and where on the club face I was hitting the ball - we’d already been on the range so he’s seen the issue - and then he showed me the swing path he wanted me to work towards. He does not video my golf swing - ever. He considers that it would be a problematic distraction for me.

He told me what I needed to do in my address position (he photographed me in my existing address position and in the position he wanted me to adopt) for starters and gave me one shot (not swing) thought, and I immediately saw the difference - both in swing path and clubface strike, so I knew what I had to do - and so it has been simply working on my address position and keeping that one shot thought in my mid - hit a fade - every shot.

Then some months later we went back on the monitor to see how I was doing. He wasn’t interested so much in the shots I was hitting, he wanted me to see my swing path and club face strike, and if and how much it had changed. I still no nothing of the actual numbers - I just know that if I keep on building consistency in my address and keep my one shot thought in my I will get there.

 

[Jigger]

Only time early days I was on the indoor monitor was right at the start of my lessons with him when my pro wanted to show me my existing swing path and where on the club face I was hitting the ball - we’d already been on the range so he’s seen the issue - and then he showed me the swing path he wanted me to work towards. He does not video my golf swing - ever. He considers that it would be a problematic distraction for me.

He told me what I needed to do in my address position (he photographed me in my existing address position and in the position he wanted me to adopt) for starters and gave me one shot (not swing) thought, and I immediately saw the difference - both in swing path and clubface strike, so I knew what I had to do - and so it has been simply working on my address position and keeping that one shot thought in my mid - hit a fade - every shot.

Then some months later we went back on the monitor to see how I was doing. He wasn’t interested so much in the shots I was hitting, he wanted me to see my swing path and club face strike, and if and how much it had changed. I still no nothing of the actual numbers - I just know that if I keep on building consistency in my address and keep my one shot thought in my I will get there.

And that sounds like a good coach. We all have different needs but it sounds like your coach utilises his tech well. Mine videos shows me what we will work on that lesson and gives me a max of two techniques to work on. I’ve been with him a while now and we tweak and maintain rather than overhaul. It’s distance I’m lacking now but noticed it’s coming back as the weather warms and the course firms up. I’m super-speeding once a week as maintenance during the season and measuring soft, mid and hard shots with each club on my simulator. Unless anything catastrophic comes into my game I won’t see my coach now until late autumn.

 

[Jason.H]

So you are having lessons, just not in the conventional sense. You aren't self taught or just relying on natural ability

Ok maybe you could class internet content as lessons. That’s a debate in itself.
There is some natural ability to put changes into practice. Getting to scratch without paying for lessons is my goal

 

[rystaman]

Depends what the pro is working toward with a golfer. Numbers are great as we need to know carry distances.
I know some scratch golfers who have never had lessons and 20+ handicapper who spends a fortune on lessons and has not improved. Personally I’m the non lesson guy I’m learning short game from free instagram vids from Dan Grieve and working with that. That’s gold to me.

I've bought his book and haven't given it a proper read yet but from the small parts I read it should be a game changer

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I've bought his book and haven't given it a proper read yet but from the small parts I read it should be a game changer

Maybe this is just me being contrary, but unless you really understand your current swing and why you do what you do, I’m not sure that any book or videos will be a game changer if it instructs you, in a general way, what you should be doing in the golf swing. I am very much a believer in having a pro who helps his pupils find their own swing so that they swing the club instinctively rather than mechanically. But different strokes for different folks and all that.

 

[rystaman]

Maybe this is just me being contrary, but unless you really understand your current swing and why you do you do, I’m not sure that any book or videos will be a game changer if it instructs you, in a general way, what you should be doing in the golf swing. I am very much a believer in having a pro who helps his pupils find their own swing so that they swing the club instinctively rather than mechanically. But different strokes for different folks and all that.

Dan Grieve's book is short game-specific, not full-swing.

 

[rystaman]

Ended up having a lesson with James Robinson last month around The Open weekend and was such a refreshing experience, just a pity he's 120 miles away from me. Will need to get up there at some point again!

 

[HeftyHacker]

Ended up having a lesson with James Robinson last month around The Open weekend and was such a refreshing experience, just a pity he's 120 miles away from me. Will need to get up there at some point again!

He's superb isn't he. Very quick to identify what you need to work on and very clear in how he wants you to get there.

 

[rystaman]

He's superb isn't he. Very quick to identify what you need to work on and very clear in how he wants you to get there.

Really good and definitely wish he was closer to me. I had a two-hour lesson and it was tough because as always what I was swinging on the day was nothing like how I was swinging out on the course but still gave some great pointers and I learnt a lot as well.

 

[sunshine]

but surely there aren't many occasions where a pro has finally 'come good' in lesson 6 or 7

You'd be surprised.

I spent ages with my last coach without really understanding what I was doing. He made me paint his fence, wax his cars, do all sorts of manual labour. Turned out he was just building muscle memory and when he put a driver in my hand I was able to stripe it 300 yards down the middle. After that we worked on more advanced areas and I went on to win a local tournament despite suffering from a knee injury.

 

[LizAig]

I wouldn’t have gone back after the first lesson! I’ve had a few coaches - with two I had one lesson and never went back….the first spent the whole time looking and texting on his phone until I asked if he needed to rearrange my lesson if something important was going on, the second had no chat or sense of humour, he just watched in almost silence!

You have to trust your coach and look forward to lessons - I always think if I find at least one thing to go away and work on I’m happy. My current coach is good at finding different ways to put things so they make sense to me

 

[chico]

I think it's very much a chemistry thing as well with a coach. My wife and I both went to the local range for lessons. I think he's improved my game more than anyone else.
My wife didn't think he was any good and is going back to her old coach who I thought wasn't any good.

 

[rystaman]

I wouldn’t have gone back after the first lesson! I’ve had a few coaches - with two I had one lesson and never went back….the first spent the whole time looking and texting on his phone until I asked if he needed to rearrange my lesson if something important was going on, the second had no chat or sense of humour, he just watched in almost silence!

You have to trust your coach and look forward to lessons - I always think if I find at least one thing to go away and work on I’m happy. My current coach is good at finding different ways to put things so they make sense to me

Yeah, the red flags were firmly waving after the first lesson but thought I'd give him more of a chance. Should have stopped after the 2nd really...

When I was first picking Golf up properly at university I stupidly bought a package of lessons before really having a proper one with a coach who preceded to just talk to me all lesson about nothing, hit about 8 balls, some generic spiel and then in a lesson actually broke my Ping G20 Driver shaft by trying to hit a bee.

Chemistry is definitely important, I didn't mind one I had at the start of the year before he went AWOL then shoved his prices up to over £65 an hour. I just wasn't seeing much progress with him but he was a sound guy.

 

[sjw]

Yeah, the red flags were firmly waving after the first lesson but thought I'd give him more of a chance. Should have stopped after the 2nd really...

When I was first picking Golf up properly at university I stupidly bought a package of lessons before really having a proper one with a coach who preceded to just talk to me all lesson about nothing, hit about 8 balls, some generic spiel and then in a lesson actually broke my Ping G20 Driver shaft by trying to hit a bee.

Chemistry is definitely important, I didn't mind one I had at the start of the year before he went AWOL then shoved his prices up to over £65 an hour. I just wasn't seeing much progress with him but he was a sound guy.

I'm sorry but what? The coach did that?

 

[Jigger]

Sounds like you need to move and sort your expectations out too. Golf improvement can be a long journey but you need the coach to explain why he thinks you need to first work on something else other than what you perceive needs immediately addressing. Also consider 30min lessons as it sounds like 1hr lessons are too long for you.

 

[BearwoodLakesGolfer]

Really interesting post and one that I wanted to share my experience:
I developed the shanks about 2 years ago and it was killing me.
I ended up seeing three different coaches to get it sorted so the short answer is YES, see a different coach. For me the first two were getting really technical and asking me to focus on 2/3 major changes In my swing. I really tried to implement them but to no avail.
ultimately the third one told me I was extending early and essentially moving my hips towards the ball, he got me to focus on imagining a wall behind my glutes and I had to stay connected to that. Instantly, there was a change.

I strongly believe that you can go to 5 different coaches and the chances are they would all say something slightly different about how to improve your swing. The Other thing to take into account like others have suggested here is it is personal. What works for one player will be inherently different to another.

Having said that, I’m struggling with my swing right now and can’t seem to remedy it!

 

[rystaman]

Sounds like you need to move and sort your expectations out too. Golf improvement can be a long journey but you need the coach to explain why he thinks you need to first work on something else other than what you perceive needs immediately addressing. Also consider 30min lessons as it sounds like 1hr lessons are too long for you.

I disagree with the lesson length to be honest. As I said above my 2hr lesson with James Robinson was arguably one of the best I had. Definitely would be booking 60-90 mins more frequently if I was closer

 

[Jigger]

I disagree with the lesson length to be honest. As I said above my 2hr lesson with James Robinson was arguably one of the best I had. Definitely would be booking 60-90 mins more frequently if I was closer

Whichever works mate

 

[PJ87]

I disagree with the lesson length to be honest. As I said above my 2hr lesson with James Robinson was arguably one of the best I had. Definitely would be booking 60-90 mins more frequently if I was closer

My current coach recommends 30 min lessons. He thinks much above becomes supervised practice

We spend 30 mins on track man and go away with some points to practice at the range myself