Welcome to The Sand Trap!

I am a believer in golf instruction, but I'm not the best student. I much prefer to play rather than practice, and when the off season comes I get pretty busy and don't take the time to practice. I've had instructions from 2 different people and I've liked both, but I had my back issues start up when I just started with one. I find people like the gentleman in the op exasperating. I don't care if you don't want to bother with golf instruction, but I also don't want to listen to your rant. Read the room, so to speak.

Day 1: Trying to get into this challenge again, again. Starting today since I had a lesson. I feel like I have gotten to a point in my golf ability where I am creating a video game character with a limited number of stat points to distribute. Every time I add points to one area, they get taken from another area. I need to improve my commitment to practice and practice methods to really get out of this mode. This time I have to work on my backswing again, again - more turn earlier, more width, more depth. Have a simple thought for the downswing since it's not what needs to be fixed first - hit a push and finish low.

I think we share the same golfing friend.  Ron totally freaks out when a mower, anywhere within 5 miles is running.  I always wave to the mower person to keep on going, get their job done.  How frustrating it must be to be a mower on a golf course... starting and stopping.  Let 'em go about their business.

It might keep him engaged longer. It might be worth sacrificing a bit of 'dealing with distraction learning' if so. I tend to drift in my headspace during practice. A lot. It would probably be worse with music so it's def not for me but for some the opposite is true. 

I think this is a mistake. I'm no Alfred Einstein, but how will you learn to deal with distractions during play if you don't learn to deal with them during practice?  I had a buddy who used to loose his mind anytime one of the course mowers was anywhere near us. Everything distracted this dude. He'd blame every bad shot on some distraction. This animal made this noise, or that player over there reacted to his/her shot, it was always something.  He was a good friend so I never said anything, but I used to think "Man, don't let things bother you. Just focus what you are doing."  Personally, I try never to admit that something distracted me. Even if it does... ESPECIALLY if it does. And I especially don't admit it to myself. If you admit you hit a bad shot because you got distracted that takes the result out of your hands. If you decide you hit a bad shot because your technique isn't engrained enough or because your skill isn't developed enough that puts it back in your hands. Think of it this way. I can control how much I practice and on what I practice. I have no control over other people on the course, or mowers, or cars driving near the course with guys doing that funny honk the horn in your backswing joke.... Woo, that's a hoot and holler! 🤪 Don't give others the power. Keep the power for yourself.  .... But again, I'm not the smartest person in the world.