How Many Golf Lessons?

[ChetlovesMer]

6 minutes ago, Vespidae said:

My game has become very consistent because I’ve got an instructor whose philosophy I buy into and we’re working a plan. Many of the others were Bandaid instructors. I would recommend anyone taking lessons to think long term and first, learn how to select an instructor and then, find one you want to work with. My two cents.

DING!

[BC-to-MI]

11 hours ago, billchao said:

To be fair, there are plenty of people out there to whom spending money on lessons would be a waste. I'm talking about the people who wouldn't put in the time and effort of practicing effectively to make good use of those lessons. They're better off buying a new driver; at least they'll be able to trade it in for store credit towards another driver in a couple of years.

I think this is probably true for a huge percentage of people, just not the ones who would frequent a golf message board. For a lot of people, golf is purely a social thing, so the performance gains they are looking for are more along the lines of "suck slightly less," which can probably be achieved with an equipment upgrade. For those people, investing in lessons is probably a huge waste of money if they have no plans to go to the range and work on the things they were taught.

As for me, I've been pretty much self taught for my 4.5 years of golfing. I've had one pseudo-lesson where I tagged along to a friend's lesson and the instructor worked with me for about 10 minutes on my chipping/putting (which actually helped my putting, I will add). I had planned to get into routine lessons this season but then the world came to a screeching halt.

[nevets88]

I lost count, unfortunately, golf is something that doesn't come naturally to me, understatement. I am amazed when working w/someone who knows what they're doing, what he/she can see with the naked eye it takes me a while to find on video, although getting better at that. I really enjoy lessons because I enjoy learning and picking people's minds and now it's as good as it's ever been with instructors collaborating, making the use of easy communication and better tech.

[gbogey]

I took up golf 11 years ago. During the eight years I played in NJ I probably had 30-40 lessons, first every 6-8 weeks and eventually having 1-2 a year. I give lots of credit to my instructor for taking me from trying to break 100 to a pretty solid 6-7 handicap by the time I moved. I haven't had a lesson since I moved although a few slumps have had me looking for a new pro.

I think I got really lucky. I was struggling at the range and I signed up for a lesson. The pro there just happened to be a well respected former club pro who had semi-retired. He was a little of a Harvey Penick type - get to know you, what your goals are, and how do you learn. After the first couple of lessons where we stressed fundamentals (grip, posture, etc.) it was about how to make "my swing" better and how to find a teaching style that would help me understand (for me, telling me what to do doesn't work unless he also explained, often with the video, why I should it).

From what I've seen and heard, where most players need lessons or have problems with lessons are either: 1. Player not addressing fundamentals; 2. Pro doesn't work with your swing; 3. Pro doesn't take time to understand your learning style.

I recently started playing in the 4-5 range. I don't know if it's a fluke or if I've gotten better but I'm playing great. Biggest reason why is that my driving has improved tremendously. Why? Some of it is finally doing what my instructor told me several years ago.

[Mr22putt]

I'm 59....have played golf  for 52 years...and the last 43 years as a single cap....as low as 4.8.

My dad a 7 cap taught me how to play golf as a kid.....though some of the stuff he suggested was not correct.....I've never had a lesson from a qualified instructor.

[boogielicious]

22 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I know for a fact there are a lot of folks who can roll out of bed, pick up golf clubs for the first time, and be better than I am the very first time they play 18 holes. Personally, I think that sucks, but there's nothing I can do about that except work on my own game. If I don't work on my game for a while it goes to Hell in a hand cart very quickly because of ... well, see the list above. 

I am like you. I need to practice, not only to get better, but to gain confidence. I do take Evolvr lessons, which help a lot. I actually like to practice and find it just part of my routine now. I also like learning, which is why I joined this site. 

[knott]

After having learned the basics there is little point in lessons. Better spend the time on the practise range or spend the time on youtube spending nothing. May have some money over for actually playing golf and learn that way.

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, knott said:

After having learned the basics there is little point in lessons.

Uhm…

[Bonvivant]

52 minutes ago, knott said:

After having learned the basics there is little point in lessons. Better spend the time on the practise range or spend the time on youtube spending nothing. May have some money over for actually playing golf and learn that way.

If your goal is to just play golf without getting better, I guess you are right, but if you want to improve in any meaningful way, lessons are a big part.

I see our handicaps are close (although mine was self-calculated last year and isn't official), and I have never had a lesson either, though I do have plans to do so, as I want to be in the single digits someday.

Edited July 18, 2020 by Bonvivant

[knott]

Well I have had lessons. Absolutely helps what I mean is just that when you learned the basics there is little point you can fine tune the rest yourself with ease. It´s your body nobody knows it better.

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, knott said:

what I mean is just that when you learned the basics there is little point you can fine tune the rest yourself with ease

This is not remotely true. 

Maybe if you're content to be a bogey golfer, but many aren't content with that.

And yeah, you can watch hundreds of hours of YouTube videos that may or may not speak to the issues YOU have, but there will be no prioritization, no educated help… you'll be swimming in a sea of advice and information without a guide.

You're not only not near me in the U.S., you're from Sweden or something, so I'm likely never going to give you a lesson, same as almost everyone on this forum, so I'm not saying "take a lesson from me."

[billchao]

13 minutes ago, knott said:

Well I have had lessons. Absolutely helps what I mean is just that when you learned the basics there is little point you can fine tune the rest yourself with ease. It´s your body nobody knows it better.

Disagree. If golf were that easy and everyone could figure it out on their own, people would be better at this game. A beginner working with an instructor is more likely to improve faster than a beginner working without one.

[knott]

It´s absolutely true. You couldn´t teach me anything I am quite sure 🙂 

3 minutes ago, billchao said:

Disagree. If golf were that easy and everyone could figure it out on their own, people would be better at this game. A beginner working with an instructor is more likely to improve faster than a beginner working without one.

Yes no argue there. Read the basics part? 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, knott said:

It´s absolutely true. You couldn´t teach me anything I am quite sure 🙂

Now you're just trolling.

PGA Tour players have instructors. You're a 17 handicapper.

[billchao]

5 minutes ago, knott said:

You couldn´t teach me anything I am quite sure 🙂 

This I agree with, though probably for a different reason than you had in mind.

5 minutes ago, knott said:

Yes no argue there. Read the basics part? 

You implied that a beginner should learn the basics and go on their own from there. I argued that a beginner should continue getting guided instruction. Those two statements are contradictory. You can’t agree with me unless you’re disagreeing with your previous statement.

[Billy Z]

8 hours ago, iacas said:

Now you're just trolling.

PGA Tour players have instructors. You're a 17 handicapper.

My thought is a beginner who's teaching himself the basics, how does he know the basics are actually right? He may be teaching himself over and over bad habits and ingraining them in such a way that it will harm his score as long as he golfs. What is important is finding an instructor who knows what he is doing and taking lessons from him.

[nevets88]

I’ve watched a ton on swings on instructor accounts on social media. A vast majority of the players have great swings and they’re still taking lessons. Maybe they’re just posting their best players’ swings although I do see more and more beginner swings. What does that tell you if most people taking lessons have great swings?

[Patch]

I've played golf for close to 50 years. There was a several years stretch in there that I took lessons from the same instructor every month for those years.

. Sometime once a month, and sometimes 3-4 times a month. It just depended on what we were working on at the time, and revisiting what we had worked on in the past.  

Jmo, but the golfer who only takes one, maybe two lessons, in the long run, will only be marginally better than the golfer who takes no lessons.