Years playing, Lessons & H'cap

[Neeko1988]

Maybe 10yrs
Lots of lessons
2.9 HI

 

[Junior]

Probably about 15 years, only competitively for about 10 years.

I really enjoy having a lesson and go once every 6-8 weeks.

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

16 years / 0 lessons / 3.8

 

[Lump]

13years
Handful of lessons, only practice when I’m playing badly.

Currently off 1.0. (Low of +1.1)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

35 years.
5 lessons
10.7

Seems like no pro's getting rich off this crowd. CBA to do the maths, but the lessons per month overall average must be miniscule.

I also disagree with those saying hints and tips and on line videos are lessons - there is an equal (or greater!!) possibility that those are pointing you in completely the wrong direction, whereas a lesson with a pro includes analysis and fix.

I get the impression that many, if not most, of us play for too long before succumbing and admitting to the need for lessons. If we can afford it we then cram them in looking for a pro to ‘fix’ us, when what they may be getting asked to fix can be pretty unfixable. I speak from personal experience that has meant me starting over relearning how to hit a golf ball.

 

[Jimaroid]

It’s complicated. Played a bit casually in my early teens, being a farm boy I had some sheep fields to knock balls about in and we occasionally had a school outing for 9 holes. Never got a handicap as the local members clubs were too expensive back then.

Never touched a golf club again after school for about 16 years. Just about 10 years ago I decided I couldn’t live so close to St Andrews and not play.

I joined a local club and put 3 cards in. Started with a handicap of 28. Got called all sorts of names for having a decent looking swing and winning a few comps with a dodgy handicap. I rapidly got down to around 15 and got stuck in a rut, mostly due to course management but I had 3 lessons as a birthday gift. That taught me a bit about game and course management and I soon got down to 9.6 but then work and family have taken priority the last few years so golf fell to bits.

WHS introduction got me down to 7.2 with no effort.

I’m going backwards rapidly now. I’ve not played much competition golf the last few years. WHS says 10.0 but I’m playing more like 15 again.

Played: 10 years or 30 years depending.
Lessons: 3
HI: 10.0

 

[Orikoru]

Considering how many people spout "get a lesson" whenever someone asks for club or shot advice, it's interesting to see how many good players haven't had any.

 

[Imurg]

Considering how many people spout "get a lesson" whenever someone asks for club or shot advice, it's interesting to see how many good players haven't had any.

Ah..but is it the good players spouting Get a Lesson?

 

[IanG]

Played lots as a 15-18 year old, then only 5 casual games a year until 12 years ago when I was 50.
Lessons about 12 in total.
Hcp 6.6

 

[theoneandonly]

Considering how many people spout "get a lesson" whenever someone asks for club or shot advice, it's interesting to see how many good players haven't had any.

A lot of golfers like to pretend they've never had a lesson or ever do any practice. I guess it makes them feel special.

 

[Dingy]

About 40 years off and on(mostly off) but started playing again about 2 years ago.
Recently started taking lessons( 2 so far ).
Handicap 18.8

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Considering how many people spout "get a lesson" whenever someone asks for club or shot advice, it's interesting to see how many good players haven't had any.

I'm one of those. I know I have limitations with my golf, certainly compared to when I was a teenager. Even then like most sports I've played I had to work hard to get any degree of success and feel I got the most out of my talent in football, cricket and golf. Now I am older, and having had some serious damage to my body over the years and various illnesses, I need help keeping my current status quo and hopefully still capable of getting lower

 

[Depreston]

Without getting away from the point of @AliMc thread It might also be interesting to add in the average time spent practicing each week (i'm curious how often the single fig guys are working on their game (not 'practice' rounds)

I hit the range 2-3 times a week but I'd admit my practice isn't structured enough, just tend to work on the problem clubs from last round plus putting/chips

I had about 4 simulator practice sessions over the winter

I do majority of my practicing on the course a lot of practice rounds I’ll tee off with two balls and play from the worst spot from the tee shots I try to do this once a week… I’ll also drop a few balls and try different chips

Find driving ranges pretty pointless ..: sterile environments with poor quality balls

I’ve thought about lessons but I just don’t have the time to put the reps in but after my round tonight I’m seriously debating a putting lesson

 

[Golfnut1957]

36 years, took it up when I stopped playing footy.

3. One off the club pro when I first joined, I didn't bother with the second, if he couldn't be bothered why should I. Two as gifts from my children, should have saved their money.

8.2

Constantly. On the range, the practice greens, but mostly on the course. To answer another thread, no the club don't allow it, but I am out there as much as I possibly can.

And to refer to another thread, the one about getting lessons five days a week in order to get down to scratch. One or two members suggested that he wouldn't be able to get a pro to commit to that amount of time as they are all too busy. Going by the responses on here they are all busy doing nothing.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

15 years … started at 56
9 lessons … six on driving and irons three years ago and three on putting last year
HC 28.6 (haven’t read all the replies, but probably the highest on here ?) - keen but crap!

 

[AliMc]

A lot of golfers like to pretend they've never had a lesson or ever do any practice. I guess it makes them feel special.

I've had one lesson in 50+ years of playing (40 years ago) and as mentioned previously it was to learn how to play a specific shot and I don't practice at all as I find it extremely boring tbh, now retired I play 2 or 3 times a week with a great bunch of guys which is more than enoughfor me, does it make me feel special, not really, lucky, yes very

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A lot of golfers like to pretend they've never had a lesson or ever do any practice. I guess it makes them feel special.

That was rather like me for a very long time until what I thought was a solid swing (as I got down to 6 and won quite a lot with it) fell apart and I could barely hit a ball. Except I didn’t pretend. I wore no practice or lessons almost as a badge of honour. On that how deluded and conceited was I…?

 

[Springveldt]

Playing: Played loads as a youngster, 2 rounds a day during school holidays etc. Think I got down to 11. something when I stopped playing at around 15. I remember winning a comp one year off the whites (as a junior you never played off them, this was like a Pro special comp) when I shot 77 for a net 58 (par 69). Won a brand new metal driver with 8 degrees of loft that I couldn't hit higher than 10 feet off the ground. Didn't swing a club again for 25 years until I took up the game again 6 years ago.

Lessons: Had 20 1-1 lessons since I took the game up again. 18 of them were right at the start, there was a golf shop near work in an industrial estate that I popped into on the way home one night to get a new glove. He had a Flightscope monitor in there and I was curious as I'd never been on a simulator before. £75 for 5x30 minute lessons so I block booked 3 sets and went twice a week at lunchtimes. I was willing to get more but the guy said "no point wasting more money, your swing is good enough to get to single figures. Just go play."
Had 2 one hour 1-1 lessons just before covid with a different guy on Trackman when my irons then driving went awry. He fixed them both times within 15 minutes.

Handicap: 5.6

Practice: Just now, zero. I manage to get time now to play twice per week (Saturday/Wednesday comps). Before covid I went to the range once per week to smash 100 balls in 45 minutes at lunchtime. I bought a Rapsodo Launch Monitor last year as a birthday present and used it for the 2nd time last weekend before my round. That was the first time since covid that I spent more than 5 minutes trying to warm up before a round.

Youtube etc: Not going to lie, a couple of the lads I play with have referred to me as a "golf pervert" for the amount of time I watch Youtube, listen to golf podcasts etc. I even did a lot of the Trackman University courses online when I was bored. I spend a lot of time watching or reading about golf.

 

[theoneandonly]

I've had one lesson in 50+ years of playing (40 years ago) and as mentioned previously it was to learn how to play a specific shot and I don't practice at all as I find it extremely boring tbh, now retired I play 2 or 3 times a week with a great bunch of guys which is more than enoughfor me, does it make me feel special, not really, lucky, yes very

Yes I here you, but a friend who's pretty good and plays off 6 will tell you he's never had a lesson and doesn't practice, but I've helped him out of rut where he was getting to quick in transition, he watches stuff on YouTube and often when we're playing an evening game he'll be telling me how he's not going to score as he's trying something out.
So maybe not a formal lesson but it's still tution of sorts and practice.

 

[Canfordhacker]

I watched a Tommy Fleetwood fairway wood video last week. High and low ball flights. Works a treat. Personally I,d take free tips off a tour pro any day.

So you are one of those in the "pick the ones that might work" category, rather than the "I'm playing rubbish so i'll try <what my 22 handicap pp suggested> <first You Tube hit for stop shanking it>", which were the ones I meant.

Although I'm not convinced a pro's advice to the world in general will fit every amateur swing.

My point remains, the differential for a lesson (IMHO) is a targeted response to a diagnosis.