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Lessons on the course?

StrmStlkr

By StrmStlkr,
in Golf Talk

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StrmStlkr Member

StrmStlkr

I am planning on taking a few lessons this year as I have never had any. Around here it is usually about 50 dollars an hour or 70 an hour if you want them to use video as well. I was wondering if you think it would be out of line for me to speak with one of the instructors first and offer to pay for his round of golf to go golfing with me before we start the lessons. I wouldn't want him to give me any advice or anything but then he could have a better understanding of where I am at in my golf game.

Would this be considered unreasonable? Should I be offering more than just paying for his round even if I don't want him to offer any advice since he will be more or less taking mental notes and analyzing me? Do you guys think that it would even be worth it or should I just go get the lessons?

Secondary question is do you think it would be worth the extra 20 bucks a session for the video analysis or should I just skip that? I would prefer not to pay that much unless you thought it would be really worth it. Thanks for your help.

~Brian
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alf174 Great Member

alf174

Its my experience that he'll want his hourly rate plus the round cost. Remember that this is the man's way of making a living.

The video is an option, maybe buy it once every couple of months/lessons or when you are working thru something very difficult to fix. It can be an excellent feedback device.

"You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred." Woody Allen
My regular pasture.

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ApocG10 Great Member

ApocG10

Im pretty sure the course pros play for free, at least here. And i think he'd charge you by the hour to play. If he's out with you, he's not making money on the course.

In the Ogio Kingpin bag:

Titleist 913 D2 9.5* w/ UST Mamiya ATTAS 3 80 w/ Harrison Shotmaker & Billy Bobs afternarket Hosel Adaptor (get this if you don't have it for your 913)
Wilson Staff Ci-11 4-GW (4I is out of the bag for a hybrid, PW and up were replaced by Edel Wedges)
TaylorMade RBZ 5 & 3 Fairway Woods

Cobra Baffler T-Rail 3 & 4 Hybrids

Edel Forged 48, 52, 56, 60, and 64* wedges (different wedges for different courses)

Seemore Si-4 Black Nickel Putter

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ryohazuki222 Dedicated Member

ryohazuki222

just try to time it!!

I actually -- unknowingly at the time -- played 7.5 out of 9 holes with a teaching pro at the local course. Recently, I found out he charges a great 'student' rate of 35/hour. i took my first lesson a couple weeks back and it was pretty cool that we both had that round in common to refer back to.

Driver: Tour Burner 9.5° Stock Stiff
Wood: Tour Burner TS 13° Stock Stiff
Hybrid: Tour Burner T2 18° Stock Stiff
Irons: Tour Preferred 3-PW Rifle Project X 6.0
Wedges: 54.10|58.08 Z TP Rifle Spinner 5.5 Putter: VP Mills VP2 Ball: TP/Red.LDP Bag: Warbird Hot Stand Bag 2.0Started playing...

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Eeryck Well Established Member

Eeryck

I am planning on taking a few lessons this year as I have never had any. Around here it is usually about 50 dollars an hour or 70 an hour if you want them to use video as well. I was wondering if you think it would be out of line for me to speak with one of the instructors first and offer to pay for his round of golf to go golfing with me before we start the lessons. I wouldn't want him to give me any advice or anything but then he could have a better understanding of where I am at in my golf game.

Before you get lessons it is important to know why you are going for lessons.

Are you trying to improve your swing, and are you open to changing it? Do you want to work on full swing? Short-game? Putting? Do you need to work on course management? Do you honestly know your misses and are you willing to admit it? What are your priorities? What are your goals? Do you track your stats honestly for FIR, GIR and U/D so that you can give some insight to the pro? Answering these questions in the form of a written plan will take you a lot further with a teaching pro than having him come along on a playing round out of the gate. There is a time and a place for a playing round, but I suspect there are some other technique issues that would be better sorted out (to help you score better) prior to having a pro come out and watch you play (to help you score better). I will have my first playing lesson mid-June, I have been taking lessons since Janurary. I buy them in series of 5 at a time. I will have had 8 lessons prior to the playing lesson, the 9th will be on the course. I told him to let me know how much extra I would owe him for the extra time for playing 9-holes, and he said "not much, since I get a excuse to go out and play as well." Not that it matters, I will give him his hourly rate regardless, I just thought he might request extra for a playing lesson.
Secondary question is do you think it would be worth the extra 20 bucks a session for the video analysis or should I just skip that? I would prefer not to pay that much unless you thought it would be really worth it. Thanks for your help.

Personally, I found video endlessly helpful in creating the mind / body position link. We would typically look at it after a couple of swings and then he would work with me on some different postions / swing thought type things, then he would show me where it was better after I got the concept. This helped immensely for me. We typically did not look at the video much more than 4 times per hour lesson. It seemed not to disrupt the teaching flow with that method.

Regards, -E

In my Grom bag:

Driver........... Burner 9.5* S-Flex
3-Wood......... Burner 15* S-Flex
5-Wood......... Ovation 18* S-FlexIrons............. Pro Combos 3,5-PW Rifle 6.0Wedges......... CG12 52.10, 56.14, 60.10Putter............ 33" VP1 Milled PutterBall................ e6+ or B330-SRangefinder.....

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MiniMoe Dedicated Member

MiniMoe

Actually, I would want to play with him to see his swing. If he is a hack, I would not be getting lessons from him. Also, think of it like you are interviewing him. He does not deserve your money just because he is a "pro". He has to earn it by sharing his knowledge and experience with you.

Some of the best teachers I know take the extra time to teach the correct mechanics and not just try to "fix" someone's swing. That way over time you can go back to the basics and fix your own swing.

My swing thoughts:

- Negative thinking hurts more than negative swinging.
- I let my swing balance me.
- Full extension back and through to the target. - I swing under not around my body. - My club must not twist in my swing. - Keep a soft left knee

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Lefty22 Well Established Member

Lefty22

Actually, I would want to play with him to see his swing. If he is a hack, I would not be getting lessons from him. Also, think of it like you are interviewing him. He does not deserve your money just because he is a "pro". He has to earn it by sharing his knowledge and experience with you.

+1 on you checking out HIS swing/game - do you even want to play like this guy? There are a couple fellows where I play that can hit the ball well (and actually offer lessons), but I wouldn't want to have a swing that looks as technically incorrect as these guys...

If I wouldn't have played with them as a single I might have been interested in a lesson (they do talk a good game ), not after seeing them play...
In the bag:
905R 9.5° - UST ProForce V2 65R
909F2 15.5° Titleist Diamana 75
909H 19° Titleist Diamana 80
Zing 2 3-PW Vokey SM48.08 @ 51° Vokey SM56.11 Unitized Leo
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billm408 Well Established Member

billm408

A lot of good advice here. I'm just curious what you hope to get from being on the course with him. I'd suggest sitting down and talking to him. Get his philosophy on teachnig, approach to the swing & scoring aspects of the game. Watch him give a lesson. Talk to one of his students. The best teachers are not always the best golfers nor do they always have the best swings. They are often the best observers and can articulate golf concepts through a number of ways that you'll understand and have a wealth of knowledge. Just my .02

Weapons of choice:
Irons/wedges: Titleist Tour Grind
Driver:Titleist 909D2
3 Wood: Tour Edge Exotic
Putter: Odyssey White Hot

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