When Lessons Work

[HomerJSimpson]

I have been having lessons over the last few months. This has not been a cheap game improvement option but one that is finally reaping rewards.

It started with an initial swing analysis lesson and I then had two one hours lessons which worked on the flaws highlighted in the original assessment. In my case it was an overswing causing a reverse pivot. We worked on my grip, stance and taking the club on a flatter plane. We have since worked on the short game and have a puttng lesson to come.

I must admit it was hard to put these new techniques into practise especially the new takeaway (and having the confidence to stand on the course and trust the swing) but hours of work on the range have honed these.

The point is I through my new coach I have dropped from 20 to 15 (stil playing lower than this) and have won two monthly competitions (one medal, one stableford), have come second and third in others and qualified for the clubs "Masters" event (open to comeptition winners only). I am also unbeaten in five inter club matches (4ball better ball format).

Has anyone else experienced such radical results from lessons? Also do you actually go away and put the effort into putting the new techniques learnt into practise via the range or just swing how you think your swing has been changed.

An interesting topic of discussion I hope you agree

Happy golfing

Homer

 

[Marko77]

It sounds like you've put alot of hard work in and it's good to hear your getting reward for it.

After years of dodging I may subject myself to a series of lessons over the coming winter to try and improve my long game, in particular - the shaping of shots.

You aren't seeing Butch Harmon are you? Sounds like the kind of transformation that comes from working with him

 

[birdieman]

Homer, here comes the sceptics view - you have improved 25% in your scoring and at 15 are playing to just better than average for a man. Getting from 20 to 15 is not hard as you are cut 0.3 x difference from css on your score. That is the same improvement as getting from 4 to 3 handicap which doesn't seem like much improvement. Lessons - sure get the basics sorted out early on before bad habits get set in, but once you've got them, one or two lessons a year for a tune up is enough. Your improved scoring is likely down to just playing and practising more, gaining competition experience and learning your course's breaks and borrows and danger areas. If you get down to less than 8 handicap let us know, that would be a really significant improvement.
There are a myriad of books/dvds/internet articles on averything you need to know, you dont need to spend £50/hr learning it all from a 18 year old assistant pro.
Marko -there is no mystery to shaping shots, concentrate on becoming a good straight irons striker first then it's a simple stance alignment adjustment to move the ball each way and sometimes a little more hands to really hook one. To be honest the amount of times you need to shape the ball on the course is very minimal and you shouldn't be looking to hit draws and fades for the fun of it during a competitive round. Look for the flag before you tee off so you know which side of the fairway to hit so you wont need to shape the next shot. Unless you're playing to 2 handicap or better if you've got a straightish shot I'd say just hit it straight and keep things simple as you can.

 

[par_par_par_treble]

i think it depends on the person birdieman

you might have found it easy to improve but not everyone is as fortunate

in my society i went from 22 to 13 in a year without lessons, then got to 8 in another year thanks to lessons. now in my club (only one year on) my handicap is working its way from 14 to 15. I have booked a course of lessons which have really helped (2 taken so far, plus one on putting). I fully expect to be under 10 when it all comes together. i think lessons really help me

 

[Up_Point_1]

par_par_par_treble:

Out of curiosity can I ask you a quick question. How on earth have you managed to get from an 8 handicap to 14 in one year??

Given that you'd only go up 0.1 for every round you play outside the buffer zone you'd have to have played 60+ rounds on the trot to get to where you are.

DHM.

 

[birdieman]

duck hook
Clubs carry out a year end analysis through the club2000 handicap software, where it will re-assign a handicap based on the years scores- that's probably the reason it went up so much, 60+ 0.1's would be a lot of bad golf!!

 

[par_par_par_treble]

i was 8 in the society, but im 14 in my club.

the society handicap is too low (as with most societies?) because i lost a shot everytime i won, and i think they based handicap on par not sss.

the club handicap was worked out seperately when i joined in january

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Birdieman,

Thank you for your reply. I respect your opinion. As a newbie here I don't know anything about you so would be interested to know what you are playing off.

I must take issue with a couple of points raised. Firstly, I have been playing since 1979 and have been as low as 8 as a junior (even taking up an assistance post for a year) but gave up the golf and did not start playing again until the late 1990's and got down to 12. I was then forced to give up the game until the end of last year for family reasons and having not played etc got my original handicap this year of 20. As a result I am very use to the pressures of competitive play, am stil learning my new course and feel there are many more shots in the locker to come off (we have no more comps now until August bank holiday).

Secondly, the lessons are £40 and are with a fully qualified professional who is carving a bit of a name as a teaching pro locally having studied and learnt the teaching fundamentals at the Leadbetter Academy. He is able to teach in a very simplistic way using numbers to represent each part of the swing (i.e. 1 is the take away, position 2 is the top of the backswing, 3 is the strike and 4 the held follow through). This has made the process less about where my wrists, elbow etc are at any one time and more a learning process of feeling the shot.

Finally Birdieman, these shots have all come tumbling off in the space of 4 competitions (two wins, a second and third). Although it amy not seem a significant improvement to you it signifies I am beter than fields of 108, 124, 98 and 96 players at my club including several county players, ex club champions and several leaders in our order of merit (indeed in that event I have risen from bottom to 16th on the list and I didn't play any competitions for the first quarter).

As I say I respect your opinion, but I feel in this case it is slighty off the mark. The lessons have led to a greater improvement than even the handicap drop suggests and I feel confident a 12 or even 10 is achievable by the end of September.

Homer

 

[muttleee]

I think p_p_p_t said he got down to a handicap of 8 in a society while his club handicap was edging up from 14 to 15. Society handicaps don't always bear much resemblance to club ones because you can be cut several shots for winning with a score of 36 points, which probably wouldn't get you cut at all in a club.

Edit: Ooops...I'm not as quick on the draw as I used to be.

 

[Up_Point_1]

p_p_p_t

Cheers for clearing that up, will sleep soundly tonight

DHM.

 

[ace_in_the_pack]

Personally I have liked to think for the last few years that I can sort out my errant shots and things like that by myself but all that happens is your swing ends up all over the place and there is little consistency, the odd good round might crop up but in general it doesnt work

so i went back to an old coach who is now the county coach and have had a few lessons in the last month or so on a weekly basis and have found that by putting the effort in to work on the drills that my consistency has improved greatly, in fact my last 2 rounds have been almost identical!!

 

[Teetotal]

I have found it annoying in the past when I've had a lesson and been told to swing the club a different way which when I'm with the pro I'm fine doing it with the pro telling me what to do every three seconds. The second I get on the course I can't hit the ball and new swing feel all wrong and so revert back to my old swing then start slicing again.
I did have a putting lesson once which was bit of a eurika moment when I didn't realise that I was moving my body - I've stopped three putting since then!

 

[ace_in_the_pack]

That is where my pro is really good because he gives little things to do before each swing on the course and instruction on how best to use the balls at the range in terms of splitting them up.

My backswing had been very wide and flat and I was rotating my forearms and wrists, but afetr a month or so now of repeating the same drill everytime i hit a shot it has been eliminated and the scores are tumbling

 

[John_Findlay]

Interesting debate. Can I throw in my tuppence worth?

I am a great believer in lessons improving your game. I get them regularly and my swing has improved out of all recognition since I've been taking them. I can see the results on video for myself.

However, whilst my ballstriking has improved tremendously, I'm still learning how to SCORE. Some days I can score around par when it's all going sweetly ...but I can still suffer from the odd score in the high 80s and even low 90s when everything is going pear-shaped and I lose the plot mentally.

Sometimes it's a good idea to base your perceived improvemment on the quality of your ballstriking alone, rather than your scores.....which as we all know, can vary greatly from week to week.

 

[birdieman]

Seems like I've been shot down by all you lessons addicts. Probably jealous, if I could afford £40/hr lessons every week I'd probably take them too.
Homer, I'm off 4 currently, not happy with that though, at 2 handicap I would be content.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Birdieman

At 4 you probably have less need for lessons to refine basics but need as most pros and low handicappers do to concentrate on the short game. I only posted this thread to advocate the good that can come from lessons.

I particularly agree with John_Findlay and the need to learn how to score. I have to be honest and that with my new swing but palying a solo round one evening I shot a 76 (six over) where I seemed to put every long putt dead, holed all those nasty 2 footers and chipped exceptionally well.

I have an ambition to get down to single figures again and will do everything I can to acheive this, including taking more lessons. However I should clarify that after my putting lesson next week I am not having anymore until the end of the season (November/December)

 

[viscount17]

I'm a new (really really new) golfer and have had lessons as I was advised to do before trying for the Open next year!

I find that there are so many things to remember on the 1st tee that I forget that the objective is to hit the ball, so I often don't. Does this ever wear off?

 

[ace_in_the_pack]

No viscount it doesnt really. The trick is to remember them all on the range and then when you go out onto the course just do the swing that comes naturally to you, and if you have to maybe allow yourself one swing thought. Otherwise it is too much to concentrate on and not only do the shots go badly but the swing is mechanical and unnatural.

 

[birdieman]

well said sparrow, just concentrate on the back of the ball and keep the grip light! Hopefully what you've learned at the range from your Pro will kick in. Remember it takes ssomething like 10,000 swings for your mind and body to fully adjust to a swing change so you've got to log in the hours hitting balls.

 

[viscount17]

It looks like the Open's off next year then, but got the first birdie so the hope is still there.