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I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

post #1 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 
Thought i could do it without pro help.

Today i played 9.

Par, Boogie, Par, Boogie, 3 putt for double boogie, double, par, double, par.

I cant drive the ball to save my life lately. My 21* saves me on every hole. I hit that a solid and straight 200. Putting has gotten better thanks to practice but i'll still miss what should be easy par putts.

So i just invested in 4 45 minute professional lessons. The cost, $275. Not sure when im starting (hoping for as soon as tomorrow). I'll try to post my impressions of these lessons.

Better golf, here i come. HOPEFULLY!
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post #2 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:22pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Good luck! I've been thinking about lessons too, not sure if they're gonna be worth the money though for me.
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post #3 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:35pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by XMScott View Post
Thought i could do it without pro help.

Today i played 9.

Par, Boogie, Par, Boogie, 3 putt for double boogie, double, par, double, par.

I cant drive the ball to save my life lately. My 21* saves me on every hole. I hit that a solid and straight 200. Putting has gotten better thanks to practice but i'll still miss what should be easy par putts.

So i just invested in 4 45 minute professional lessons. The cost, $275. Not sure when im starting (hoping for as soon as tomorrow). I'll try to post my impressions of these lessons.

Better golf, here i come. HOPEFULLY!
Just be prepared to not be a professional golfer or even a single digit handicap after your lessons are over. It probably won't happen. Learning to play the game just takes time and knowledge on how to do it the correct way. A lot of times what we think is correct or what we feel like we're doing couldn't be further from the truth.

Just put in the practice time and practice the right things (putting, chipping, pitching, etc). Don't just see how far you can hit driver when you go to practice and you'll improve immensely. You'll get better, just give it time.
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post #4 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:38pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Maybe cut down on the dancing between holes?
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post #5 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:42pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by Fat Slice View Post
Maybe cut down on the dancing between holes?
LOL
I see what you did there. Well played. I boogie too sometimes after a good hole.
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post #6 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by deronsizemore View Post
Just be prepared to not be a professional golfer or even a single digit handicap after your lessons are over. It probably won't happen. Learning to play the game just takes time and knowledge on how to do it the correct way. A lot of times what we think is correct or what we feel like we're doing couldn't be further from the truth.

Just put in the practice time and practice the right things (putting, chipping, pitching, etc). Don't just see how far you can hit driver when you go to practice and you'll improve immensely. You'll get better, just give it time.

I just want to consistently shoot in the high 80, low 90's. Dont look at my handicap here. It means nothing.

Im pretty sure that if i can fix my driver i can play much better golf. Even if i can hit it straight, its not going over 220. Which isnt right? 250 straight would be spectacular for my game.

Im at the practice green 4 days a week. Chipping and putting. It has helped a ton. But my ball striking can be all over the place.

This guy will film and analyze my swing. And give me a lesson about driving, irons, chipping and putting. Its about time.
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post #7 of 28
6/15/09 at 6:59pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by XMScott View Post
Thought i could do it without pro help.

Today i played 9.

Par, Boogie, Par, Boogie, 3 putt for double boogie, double, par, double, par.

I cant drive the ball to save my life lately. My 21* saves me on every hole. I hit that a solid and straight 200. Putting has gotten better thanks to practice but i'll still miss what should be easy par putts.

So i just invested in 4 45 minute professional lessons. The cost, $275. Not sure when im starting (hoping for as soon as tomorrow). I'll try to post my impressions of these lessons.

Better golf, here i come. HOPEFULLY!
8 over for nine, seems that handicap will be going down real soon whether you take the lessons or not, to a 16 or 17.
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post #8 of 28
6/15/09 at 7:01pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Congrats on getting the lessons, just don't expect instantaneous results. I had a lesson Sat. morning and was hitting laser like irons after executing a new drill. On the course later, it was same old same old (worse even since I was thinking about mechanics), but I know that I need to spend more range time working on this drill to program it in. Best of luck and keep us posted.
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post #9 of 28
6/15/09 at 7:07pm
Thread Starter 

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by wachesawgolfer View Post
8 over for nine, seems that handicap will be going down real soon whether you take the lessons or not, to a 16 or 17.
+6 last week.

Its all about the driver for me lately. Its not there. If was there im sure i could put up better numbers. It sucks having to hit a hybrid as my second shot on a par 4.
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post #10 of 28
6/15/09 at 7:40pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by XMScott View Post
I just want to consistently shoot in the high 80, low 90's. Dont look at my handicap here. It means nothing.

Im pretty sure that if i can fix my driver i can play much better golf. Even if i can hit it straight, its not going over 220. Which isnt right? 250 straight would be spectacular for my game.

Im at the practice green 4 days a week. Chipping and putting. It has helped a ton. But my ball striking can be all over the place.

This guy will film and analyze my swing. And give me a lesson about driving, irons, chipping and putting. Its about time.

A lot of guys actually hit their 3-wood better (straighter and longer) than their driver. As hard as it may be, ever tried just leaving driver in the bag?

I still don't think driver is your problem though. Ball striking with your irons, maybe... but not driver. At most you will hit your driver 14 times each round. Even if you're only hitting it 220, that's not enough to completely break your round.

The easiest way to shoot in the low 90's and high 80's is short game. The better you get, the better your short game will have to get to continue to go lower. Be warned, when you do break into the high 80's - low 90's consistently, you'll then be ticked that you're not in the high 70's - low 80's.

You asked "which isn't right?" about your driver going no more than 220 when you hit it straight. It probably is right unless your club is broken or something? To be able to carry the ball out there to 250, you'll need a clubhead speed of about 105 mph give or take, coupled with solid contact, improved timing and solid fundamentals to make it go straight. If you want to hit the ball further, it boils down to clubhead speed and solid contact.

If you really feel like your distance off the tee is what's killing you, why not just move up a tee box? That's why they are there.
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post #11 of 28
6/15/09 at 7:42pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

If you have a video camera you could always send your swing into swing check. That's what I'm here for.
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post #12 of 28
6/15/09 at 7:53pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

I just started playing and have taken some clinics. I've been pretty lucky since its summer and very quite, I've been the only one at the clinic so it's been an hour private lesson.

I don't like to take them too often because I want to practice what he tries to teach me. No sense in hearing the same thing as I did two days ago. I've also been lucky enough to practice about 3 hours most days I'm home. I try to divide it between irons / driver and pitching / putting.

I will be away for two weeks so I will not be getting in anywhere near that much practice and no putting at all. When I return home I'm going to start taking private lessons. I was surprised at your cost, I'm paying $125 for 5 half hour lessons and I can space them out any way I want.

I will also start playing single then too (I’ve only been on the course 3 times). It’s a great time to start since the club has only been averaging about a dozen players a day so I will not have to worry about holding up any 18yo dynamos.
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post #13 of 28
6/15/09 at 8:20pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by XMScott View Post
I just want to consistently shoot in the high 80, low 90's. Dont look at my handicap here. It means nothing.
On nine holes, you shot +8, meaning (roughly) you would shoot +16 for a round.

Which would be 88. So you've already met your goal. You're a "bogey golfer," which is a pretty good place to be, I think. Especially given your driver troubles. Sounds like your hybrid/long irons are great, and can save you from poor drives.

Get your driver together, you'll probably eliminate the doubles right away...
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post #14 of 28
6/16/09 at 4:37am

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

I just passed 2 years since I started golf and it could get frustrating hitting 3 or 4 great shots then a couple of complete duffs.I have limited practice time but made do with hitting plastic balls on the carpet at home and putting.
At the range I consistently worked on irons and hybrids,and use the driver sparingly.

This allowed me to build the nuts and bolts of a golf game.This year I have switched all my focus to chipping,pitching,putting.If I can save just one shot a hole it would make me an 18 handicap.

Once you start to bed a swing then it really is about accuracy,ballstriking comes with practice and there will be a time when you just expect it instead of hope for it.
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post #15 of 28
6/16/09 at 9:18am
Thread Starter 

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by deronsizemore View Post
Just be prepared to not be a professional golfer or even a single digit handicap after your lessons are over.

To clarify. I just hope to learn how to play golf the "correct" way. Being self taught im sure i picked up some bad habits. And maybe that is why no matter what i do i cant fix my drives.
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post #16 of 28
6/16/09 at 12:24pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Originally Posted by XMScott View Post
To clarify. I just hope to learn how to play golf the "correct" way. Being self taught im sure i picked up some bad habits. And maybe that is why no matter what i do i cant fix my drives.
I have a self taught swing, and I was relieved when both the pro at my course and my regular teacher both told me that my fundamentals are solid. I think it has a lot to do with confidence. I have a hard time convincing myself that I am good enough to shoot lower. Point being, don't sell yourself short. I am not saying that you shouldn't take lessons, but hopefully they are willing to work with what you have already and not want to start at ground 0. Best of luck and keep up posted.
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post #17 of 28
6/23/09 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

Well today was the first the lesson.

He video tapped my swing......... what a mess. I am completely offline, i hunch over without bending my knees or "arching my butt". He thinks im pretty good at keeping my swing plane without ever seeking help. Need more wrist action and need to properly address the ball better. Worked on my grip some.

Confident that i can get this all fixed. Which seems to make it worth it. 3 more to go.
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post #18 of 28
6/23/09 at 7:29pm

Re: I QUIT! Its time to take lessons

So what is your actual handicap? Do you have one or?...Just curious because +8 didn't seem so bad to be honest. Obviously we don't know the course but if you could have just turned those doubles into bogeys it would've been a fine round..

Good luck with the lessons - they'll pay off in the long run for sure.
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