Why is it your first ball when a pro watches you for the first time.

[DaveyG]

Is either (A) perfect and they say what are you seeing me for... Or (B) absolutely awful and nothing like you have been hitting it... No joke it took me about 10 strikes to hit the ball how I normally would today!

So I decided to see a pro about my swing and the two main things he commented on are my posture, being 6ft 6 i have always found it hard and felt stooped over the ball and after looking at it on video I am happy with the change... The second is (just as Justone picked out) I come back flat and get stuck on the inside...

I am now in that very strange uncomfortable position where the ball seems to go exactly where you want it too looks good from the minute it leaves the club but feels like I am swinging a club backwards.... I honestly think it has never felt so strange but I am going to try my hardest to stick at it.... I have just booked 6 lessons... Take this as me committing to exactly what he has told me today and if in 16 weeks I am not a better golfer for these lessons then I am going either burn my clubs or take up knitting!

 

[One Planer]

First 6 balls I hit in my first ever lesson were shanks.

True story.

 

[DaveyG]

First 6 balls I hit in my first ever lesson were shanks.

True story.

Is that after playing the game a while?

 

[One Planer]

Is that after playing the game a while?

Been playing about 2-3years at the time.

 

[Andy808]

Is either (A) perfect and they say what are you seeing me for... Or (B) absolutely awful and nothing like you have been hitting it... No joke it took me about 10 strikes to hit the ball how I normally would today!

So I decided to see a pro about my swing and the two main things he commented on are my posture, being 6ft 6 i have always found it hard and felt stooped over the ball and after looking at it on video I am happy with the change... The second is (just as Justone picked out) I come back flat and get stuck on the inside...

I am now in that very strange uncomfortable position where the ball seems to go exactly where you want it too looks good from the minute it leaves the club but feels like I am swinging a club backwards.... I honestly think it has never felt so strange but I am going to try my hardest to stick at it.... I have just booked 6 lessons... Take this as me committing to exactly what he has told me today and if in 16 weeks I am not a better golfer for these lessons then I am going either burn my clubs or take up knitting!

I'll bagsy your irons!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Know what you mean. Had a lesson recently and heat it like a plum in warm up. First set of balls in the teaching bay were peaches.

 

[JustOne]

I'll bagsy your irons!

Dammit! nothing else there is worth having

 

[DaveyG]

Dammit! nothing else there is worth having

Ben Sayers wedges don't come cheap you know... Actually they do... Very cheap!

They are invaluable though... Keep the 8's off the card!

 

[Rooter]

There is something about playing in front of a teaching pro! I had a playing lesson recently after struggling, first hole creamed a drive down the middle, 9 iron to within 10ft and drained the birdie putt! his face was "wtf am i doing here?!" then it became apparent on the next hole when normality came back!!

 

[sandmagnet]

Happens to me Wednesday night on my 1st ever lesson dave,normal lovely draw but 1st shot topped it,2nd duck hook,3rd shank.if I could of seen a hole I would of hid in it! Went out yesterday for a game and god I was crap! Gotta stick with it and wait.i can't seem to get lower the way I was swinging so had to change it.

 

[DaveyG]

Happens to me Wednesday night on my 1st ever lesson dave,normal lovely draw but 1st shot topped it,2nd duck hook,3rd shank.if I could of seen a hole I would of hid in it! Went out yesterday for a game and god I was crap! Gotta stick with it and wait.i can't seem to get lower the way I was swinging so had to change it.

I feel your pain mate. Went to the range today and hit 120 just purely working on the drills he gave me... With that many balls I fully expected to flag and hit some wild ones but weirdly when I finished I realised how all of the shots ranging from good/great/bad were still not too wild. He said I will be much more consistent swinging this way and although its early days i can see where he is coming from... I think the reason I am a high handicapper is not because I cant hit the ball its just because I cant do it all the time.... I will put a post after my round tomorrow... Im sure it wont be as positive :-s

 

[DeskBoundLondoner]

I am now in that very strange uncomfortable position where the ball seems to go exactly where you want it too looks good from the minute it leaves the club but feels like I am swinging a club backwards.... I honestly think it has never felt so strange but I am going to try my hardest to stick at it....

Hi DaveyG,

I've felt the same after almost every lesson I've ever had from a pro (struggle with the same problem of taking the club back too far on the inside on the way back). One of the best 'thoughts' my coach ever gave me was to embrace that uncomfortable initial feeling because it at the very least shows that you are doing something differently, which is the whole point of the lesson in the first place.

If you trust your instructor (which I assume you do), mentally prepare yourself to feel uncomfortable with your swing for a while until the new move beds in. I'm sure you'll be feeling a lot more comfortable with it in no time.

Good luck with it mate.