Why is "Get a lesson" Always the answer?

[One Planer]

Now, before I get it in the neck, I'm a big fan of professional help when it comes to the golf swing. I've been helped massively by my pro over the last 12 months.

However, I'm also a fan of experimenting myself.

When someone posts a topic on here looking for insight, the stock answer of "Get a lesson" or "Have a word with a pro" are often passed.

I know it's hard to pass comment on someone's technique or equipment with out a video, but when ever someone asks a question, 9/10 the answer is "Get a lesson".

Do people not experiment anymore?

Here's a direct example:

During my last lesson, my pro noticed my ball positions with a mid iron had dropped back of centre (Bad habit of mine) by about a ball-width.

He set me up with the ball in the correct position. At the range the next few visits, using a tour stick to check ball position, I was still struggling, not so much with contact, but direction. I decided, off my own back, to move the ball further forward (... Now a ball forward of centre) which has improved everything no end. I also now have a routine that keeps the position constant. Happy days.

The ball is now positioned, roughly, here:

Checked with my pro that what I was doing was OK, no issues with what I'd done.

I posted earlier this week about a hybrid vs iron to gauge opinion. Invariably "Get checked a pro" came up. One particular poster also suggested messing about with ball positions to see the results.

Yesterday at the range, I moved the ball back to my 3 iron position and opened the face a little. The ball flight is still right to left, but the curve is not as aggressive as it was. It's still drawing past the target, but by quite a bit less than previously.

The issues is far from solved, but is a damn sight more stable and controllable than it was. All through mucking about with a bucket of balls at the range.

No mechanical changes required, just moving the ball position to suit. The same as above situation with my mid irons.

I've said before in this thread, lessons are great for improving, but are they always the answer?

I suppose the question I'm asking is this: Is the art of spending an hour (.... or 2 or 3) on the practice ground or driving range experimenting to see what works now dead and being replaced by "Get a lesson" as the only way to improve?

 

[Rooter]

I'm all for tinkering myself as you have done gareth, change of ball position, grip, etc. I have only ever had about 10 lessons in my life, all within the last 2 years, but i find having a "play" yourself can quite often give some very surprising results and worth a go! if after a lot of messing about its still not improved, then fundamentally you may need some pro help, but i am in the give it a crack yourself fisrt camp.

 

[MashieNiblick]

The thing is it was the original lesson that highlighted for you the significance of the ball position. That enabled you to experiment. I have always felt the best lessons are the ones that equip you to understand your swing and enable you to make your own diagnoses and what the fixes might be. It's when that doesn't work that you back to the pro.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I'm my own man when it comes to tinkering.... I'm also a big fan of youtube to give me things to experiment with.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not got an issue with it but as someone who tried to self diagnose a few years back I know from bitter experience that correcting one fault may only cause another and it became a continuos cycle with one thing getting better only for something else to cause it to go astray. I personaly ended up getting in a bit of a mess, not knowing what was what anymore, hence my inclination to suggest a quick professional viewpoint if only to save others from the misery I suffered. If you are just playing around with one small aspect as per the OP and ball position, I would probably say all well and good but if that leads to other issues (open shouldrs, swingpath, etc) where do you stop and draw the line?

 

[guest100718]

Its so much easier to DIY these days, everyone has a HD cam in thier pocket and there is a wealth of excellent info out there for free on youtube and forums etc. If your game is improving on your own then I am all for it. The occasional sanity check with a pro or just another pair of informed eyes never goes amiss though.

 

[One Planer]

Not got an issue with it but as someone who tried to self diagnose a few years back I know from bitter experience that correcting one fault may only cause another and it became a continuos cycle with one thing getting better only for something else to cause it to go astray. I personaly ended up getting in a bit of a mess, not knowing what was what anymore, hence my inclination to suggest a quick professional viewpoint if only to save others from the misery I suffered. If you are just playing around with one small aspect as per the OP and ball position, I would probably say all well and good but if that leads to other issues (open shouldrs, swingpath, etc) where do you stop and draw the line?

The counter-argument also works for that too.

Take yourself as an example. You're probably one of the hardest working people I know when it comes to the golf swing. You've had countless lessons yet, by your own admission, still struggle with chipping. Your achilles heel so to speak.

Have you never been tempted to go down to the range/practice area and try something unconventional, or just hit chips experimenting to see if you can find something that clicks?

 

[cookelad]

I'm a big advocate of lessons and would recommend them to anyone looking to improve. The point for me is that a self-diagnosis might not pick up a root cause but only symptom further down the line which you/the forum might miss recording you swing with a camera phone!

 

[garyinderry]

I never stop tinkering! it keeps the fun in learning the game. youtube is a wealth of information. I just find something that works for me!


I think pros are great for helping people start out or fixing a major problem that arises but there is no substitute for standing and trying things out!

every great player has stood and hit the ball every way he can to understand how the ball will react. knowing that makes the game a hell of a lot easier.


homer - I guarantee I could get you chipping well in one afternoon! DIY chipping techniques ! I am pulling my hair out when I hear about people struggling with this side of the game! the offer still stands if you are in the area.

 

[Khamelion]

While lessons may not the be all and end all for any given fault, getting a lesson and have a pro eye you setup, swing etc. lets you know what's good and what's bad and with a little bit of advice the pro can have you moving down the right path.

Self diagnosis while appropriate for some may be a killer for others, you may have one fault which you know you have, so you self diagnose and fix that fault, but that then leads to another worse fault that you were unaware would happen and instead of improving you slowly get worse.

For me having lessons to make sure I'm on the right track and to make sure that what I'm being taught is being undertaken and adhered is better than tinkering.

 

[Doh]

The thing is it was the original lesson that highlighted for you the significance of the ball position. That enabled you to experiment. I have always felt the best lessons are the ones that equip you to understand your swing and enable you to make your own diagnoses and what the fixes might be. It's when that doesn't work that you back to the pro.

This is spot on.:thup:

Plus the forum gets asked a lot of questions by new players where clearly lessons will help.

 

[bladeplayer]

Me & Lessons just do not go ..

Most of the stuff (Except maybe putting) i tend to figure it out as i go , can be fair frustrating tho ha

 

[pokerjoke]

Interesting question.
I find working something out on my own is much more rewarding.
A quick search on you-tube,down the range to work it all out.
However I have the ability to take on information and work something out pretty quickly.
Some people however cant take in information so well,so need a pointer or 2,or guidance.
Everyone is different,but it really comes down to preference.
The way I see it is this.
If what I was doing for free wasn't working,maybe I would spend a bit on lessons.
However if I was spending a lot of money on lessons,and not improving or getting results
I think I would have to question what I was spending my money on.
But its like anything in life people have opinions and always will have,but it really comes down
to what makes you happy.

Can someone explain to me why they would want to build a boat in just 200 pieces,the
first one costing £2.99 the next 199 at £6.99 each now that to me is a waste of money.

 

[London mike 61]

What about reading books? , not everyones cup of tea but when you read something that strikes a chord such as in the Dave Pelz book I'm reading at the moment says most handicappers play the ball too far forward when chipping and then shows a picture of the compensations that you have to make to hit a good shot.

Then he explains why he teaches a certain method and why that method is repeatable and reliable.

Books cost less than lessons and you always have it as a reference.

Books will never replace lessons but are a great addition to understanding what can go wrong and give direction to your practice.

 

[Snelly]

I don't think getting a lesson is always the answer. I would say it is rarely the answer unless you are starting out in the game of golf.

I don't recall many occasions where I have heard a golfer say that they have just had some lessons, everything is fixed and they are playing the golf of their life. However, I wish I had a pound for every time I have heard the reverse - "Just had some lessons and we are working on X and it has messed everything up completely but I know I am doing the right thing and it is going to work out in the end perfectly." Then you see them six months later with the same handicap and a different excuse!

 

[lex!]

I think that some of the guys who post are new to the game, and obviously struggling so much with something that they are then urged to see a professional and 'get a lesson'. It doesn't have to be the end of the thread as they do sometimes come back and let everyone know how they got on, and what they have been given to work on.

More experienced players can tinker with fundamentals like ball position, alignment, and posture, and that's all part of the fun of the game. My pro says that he also goes for lessons himself, and we are frequently reminded these days that tour pros are working with swing coaches.

There can be a reluctance to part with a heard earned £25 for half an hour of someone's time, and the rate isn't ever negotiable. I also hear complaints about the rigid format in that half hour, a few swings, then loads of time watching a video, then a drill.

 

[chrisd]

"get a lesson" is generally the answer given to people who clearly have major swing problems, often high handicappers new to the game, who post up multiple problems and no video. I think "see a Pro" is generally the best advice in some cases

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Getting a lesson can be a much quicker route to solving a problem which given folks lives these days is a massive help. Doubtless many players could solve their issues with a bit of research and a few hours on the practice ground but that luxury isn't afforded to many.

 

[clubchamp98]

Now, before I get it in the neck, I'm a big fan of professional help when it comes to the golf swing. I've been helped massively by my pro over the last 12 months.

However, I'm also a fan of experimenting myself.

When someone posts a topic on here looking for insight, the stock answer of "Get a lesson" or "Have a word with a pro" are often passed.

I know it's hard to pass comment on someone's technique or equipment with out a video, but when ever someone asks a question, 9/10 the answer is "Get a lesson".

Do people not experiment anymore?

Here's a direct example:

During my last lesson, my pro noticed my ball positions with a mid iron had dropped back of centre (Bad habit of mine) by about a ball-width.

He set me up with the ball in the correct position. At the range the next few visits, using a tour stick to check ball position, I was still struggling, not so much with contact, but direction. I decided, off my own back, to move the ball further forward (... Now a ball forward of centre) which has improved everything no end. I also now have a routine that keeps the position constant. Happy days.

The ball is now positioned, roughly, here:

Checked with my pro that what I was doing was OK, no issues with what I'd done.

I posted earlier this week about a hybrid vs iron to gauge opinion. Invariably "Get checked a pro" came up. One particular poster also suggested messing about with ball positions to see the results.

Yesterday at the range, I moved the ball back to my 3 iron position and opened the face a little. The ball flight is still right to left, but the curve is not as aggressive as it was. It's still drawing past the target, but by quite a bit less than previously.

The issues is far from solved, but is a damn sight more stable and controllable than it was. All through mucking about with a bucket of balls at the range.

No mechanical changes required, just moving the ball position to suit. The same as above situation with my mid irons.

I've said before in this thread, lessons are great for improving, but are they always the answer?

I suppose the question I'm asking is this: Is the art of spending an hour (.... or 2 or 3) on the practice ground or driving range experimenting to see what works now dead and being replaced by "Get a lesson" as the only way to improve?

This is fine if you are just messing about but driving ranges have NO trees / Hazards etc and you need to know will your swing stand up when you need a par on the last to win the medal you have to have a go to shot / swing under pressure. This comes from the basics being right .Look at Jim Fuyrick not the best swing but it repeats when under pressure.

 

[USER1999]

Do you ever play with someone who has a terrible swing? Like 45 degrees closed, strong grip, ball almost behind them, massive over the top cast, and ankle height follow through? How did they ever get like that? I bet it didn't happen over night. I bet it was a series of small tweaks, which worked at the time, and has now mutated into something hideous.

Maybe, originally, a lesson might have been the better option.