Why Don't You Take Lessons?

[The Flush]

I don't take lessons because I am cheap, lazy, and not super serious about golf.

I am not too lazy to practice. I have a 2 acre lot and have a net and Mevo+. I built a backyard putting green. I can hit 75 yard pitch shots in my yard. I practice almost daily. I am too lazy to hunt down and travel to a quality instructor. I live in a rural area with few options. My local course does not have an instructor. I think there is a PGA Pro at another course in the adjacent county, but I have been too lazy to check him out. My son got paired up with a guy who played a few tour events many years ago. He gave him some on the course tips that helped him out. He gives lessons at a course that is over an hour away from me. If I ever get serious, I might call him.

I am not serious about golf in that I only play about 9 holes a week in a casual league and then maybe one 18 hole round per month.

I can afford it if I ever get serious enough to do it, but I have not prioritized it enough. I only have 9 mortgage payments remaining. Maybe I will not care about spending as much once that last payment is made. I make questionable spending decisions, Such as spending $1000 on a used Mevo+ vs spending that money on lessons.  But at least I got a decent deal on the Mevo+.

[colin007]

22 hours ago, snapfade said:

Why don't you see your local PGA instructor? .

I honestly don't have the greatest confidence in any of the local instructors in my area.

[StuM]

1 hour ago, The Flush said:

I don't take lessons because I am cheap, lazy, and not super serious about golf.

I am not too lazy to practice. I have a 2 acre lot and have a net and Mevo+. I built a backyard putting green. I can hit 75 yard pitch shots in my yard. I practice almost daily. I am too lazy to hunt down and travel to a quality instructor. I live in a rural area with few options. My local course does not have an instructor. I think there is a PGA Pro at another course in the adjacent county, but I have been too lazy to check him out. My son got paired up with a guy who played a few tour events many years ago. He gave him some on the course tips that helped him out. He gives lessons at a course that is over an hour away from me. If I ever get serious, I might call him.

I am not serious about golf in that I only play about 9 holes a week in a casual league and then maybe one 18 hole round per month.

I can afford it if I ever get serious enough to do it, but I have not prioritized it enough. I only have 9 mortgage payments remaining. Maybe I will not care about spending as much once that last payment is made. I make questionable spending decisions, Such as spending $1000 on a used Mevo+ vs spending that money on lessons.  But at least I got a decent deal on the Mevo+.

I'm not sure I would classify you as "Lazy" since you sadi you practice "almost daily".  Having an hour drive each way makes a 1 hour lesson a 3 hour event and I fully understand why that would not be appealing.

18 minutes ago, colin007 said:

I honestly don't have the greatest confidence in any of the local instructors in my area.

No that is a sad & unfortunate statement.  Confidence in the instructor is critical.

[Elmer]

21 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

It's probably partially because I went D-I-Y from the start, but I've just had really awful experiences the couple of times I took lessons. Trying to follow the direction took my crappy, but somewhat manageable swing and made it a total disaster.

I got my limitations. Any more, the whole business of trying to improve is less important to me than just getting out and enjoying myself. Just really not interested in going down that path again.  

 

I am a DIY swing my self. I have sought the guidance of a few instructors, but they gave me too many things to work on.
I a bogie golfer and dont need to rip up my swing to learn the Steve Stricker swing. Tell me how to get the ball out forward and findable and consistently. not how to play on the pro tour. 

 

14 hours ago, iacas said:

 

But the guys who enjoy drinking a beer, getting some time with their buds, etc. don't "need" to take lessons. Maybe things will change in a few years for them, maybe they won't. Not everyone wants to get to scratch or whatever.

This makes me think of my Uncle. Vietnam Vet, spent 30 years in the service working his tail off. Now at 79 he plays golf for the company. He has stated he would rather be fishing, but there is not much conversation when you are alone at a stream.  At this point his bad habits would take the rest of his life to correct.
If he is happy double boogieing with the occasional par, I am happy! 

2 hours ago, colin007 said:

I honestly don't have the greatest confidence in any of the local instructors in my area.

I agree with your statement, with one exception. 
I think in our area most these golf pros do not stick around long enough to build a working relationship with. I know my local golf hut has a different set of pros each season. And each season a new pro will assess you with a different issue.

I think the exception is Peter Gerard at Mill Road Acres. He has been a pro in the area and giving lessons for a long time. I also know people who have had lessons with Peter and fild it helpful and they speak highly of him. Of course he is booked solid for the foreseeable future.

Now the reason I dont take lessons. Money and time.
More time than money.  Although I have a hard time rationalizing $45 for 30 mins, when what ever swing issue I have will resurface in a few weeks. Or my swing issue will just manifest itself in some other swing issue. 

It comes down to time. Most lessons are given during the work week and during work hours ( atleast around here) . So I need to take time off, which I just dont have. I have a back yard, a net and some nerf balls.
I can try to work on my swing inbetween checking the grill. 
 

Now if I belonged to a club, that had a pro, who was in town for the long haul.  I could see setting up a early and mid season check in.  However this will not happen until kids are out of the house and I am retired, and I that point, will it even matter. 

 

[StuM]

24 minutes ago, Elmer said:

Most lessons are given during the work week and during work hours ( atleast around here) .

That is unfortunate, I am SE Michigan and can find lessons in the evening or weekend, but need to schedule well in advance for most Saturday or Sunday mornings as they fill up fast.

[TourSpoon]

On 8/2/2023 at 9:32 AM, snapfade said:

Once a month I meet with my instructor, I take a few swings, he laughs at me, gets everyone over to watch, they all laugh

Ok, you really don't need to pay anyone to break out the laughs. I am sure that is all pro bono work! 

 

On 8/2/2023 at 9:32 AM, snapfade said:

he gives me a lecture, shows me something, gives me some drills and I have added to my "tool kit" as they like to say.

I seem to get the same lecture many times. I always come back to the same few concepts. 

 

Anyway, I have a guy I work with every few months. I have been taking detailed notes and have eliminated a few of the repeat offenders usually caused by set-up especially short game and bunker play. Today is a new pro that is local that is a "feel" guy as opposed to my "technical" guy. I practiced pitching with the feel guy a while ago and picked up some serious tempo just by watching him. That was invaluable.  

[colin007]

4 hours ago, Elmer said:

I think the exception is Peter Gerard at Mill Road Acres. He has been a pro in the area and giving lessons for a long time. I also know people who have had lessons with Peter and fild it helpful and they speak highly of him. Of course he is booked solid for the foreseeable future.

Yeah he's been around forever - have you taken a lesson with him? I wonder if he uses video? What does he say about the ball flight laws?

[MrLeek]

When I started playing I picked up a 2nd-hand set of clubs (plus bag) for £30, had a couple of lessons to get the basics, then hit balls on the range 2-3 times a month (I was finishing my dissertation so hitting golf balls was a nice break). Six months on I joined a club, played a few rounds with some friends and had a couple more lessons over a 3-4 month period.

Then I realised that I really liked golf. I really liked trying to understand how it all worked and how to get better. I really wanted to play good golf. So I signed up for a years worth of lessons. I’m getting better - the contrast between a video of my golf swing 12 months ago compared to now is frightening. I genuinely don’t know how I was even hitting the  ball 12 months ago, such was my ridiculous out-to-in swing path!!

Now…it’s a baby fade with a 3-wood (most of the time). I’m beginning to master the 20-y/o driver I have (apparently it was an excellent driver back then). My scores are improving consistently. I’ve just renewed my 12 month lesson package. I won’t get to scratch - I’m too old to realistically do that. But by damn I’m going to try - and the guy that’s been teaching me has been a massive part of my golfing journey.

Having that consistent voice to help me, to answer all the stupid questions I have, to explain the same concept in 14 different ways to make it click in my brain? I wouldn’t be without it.

[boogielicious]

21 hours ago, colin007 said:

I honestly don't have the greatest confidence in any of the local instructors in my area.

Agree. That’s how I found this site and Erik and Dave in the first place. I overhear instructors in my my area and most still adhere to the old school, disproven ways of teaching. Very sad.

[flopster]

I have and I will again when I know I'll have the time to practice or else it's just a waste. I have known others who will just whack bucket after bucket somehow hoping a golf swing will find them miraculously.

[GolfLug]

It's not a thing for everyone. A 100 shooter will rarely turn into a 85 shooter with a couple of lessons. So while they may care to improve but they may not see that improvement coming through seeing a local pro couple of times.  

BTW, some interesting points about analogy to a doctor's visit. If you approach a lesson as a repair session then IMO, it has limited effectiveness in vast majority of cases. Golf instruction is most effective if approached as we approach music lessons. Most adults in the beer league are not going to make that kind of commitment. Add to that; golf is significantly harder than any musical instrument to get to some low level of competency and even harder to retain it.  

[colin007]

3 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Agree. That’s how I found this site and Erik and Dave in the first place. I overhear instructors in my my area and most still adhere to the old school, disproven ways of teaching. Very sad.

Right?? I've heard this one local instructor repeat over and over again garbage like "Just swing the club!! Release it!! Swing through!!!"

[snapfade]

2 hours ago, flopster said:

I have and I will again when I know I'll have the time to practice or else it's just a waste. I have known others who will just whack bucket after bucket somehow hoping a golf swing will find them miraculously.

I think it was Lee Trevino that said, "You only get so many good golf shots in a day, don't waste them on the driving range."

[Elmer]

19 hours ago, colin007 said:

Yeah he's been around forever - have you taken a lesson with him? I wonder if he uses video? What does he say about the ball flight laws?

I have not, but I know a few people who have. 
IN one case an older golfer (50-60ish) was struggling to keep the ball straight and was hitting really big draws. Peter got him to smooth it out and hit a draw consistently. Didnt try to change the golfer, but build upon what he already had.

Just couple weeks ago I found my self having to play out of a bunker on 3 consecutive holes, and it did not go well.

One of the golfers in my group pulled me aside and said "peter Gerard told me....." and it seemed like sound advice.

 

1 hour ago, colin007 said:

Right?? I've heard this one local instructor repeat over and over again garbage like "Just swing the club!! Release it!! Swing through!!!"

I had the same issue with a guy who used to teach out of Exit 8.
I would go with swing issues. My take away was too inside or too outside, my back swing was too sever, my arms collapse in the back swing, too many swing thoughts in my head etc...etc....etc...
The teacher addressed none of those issues or concerns and just focused on shifting my weight. He would just respond with "your never going to be a scratch golfer, so just focus on your weight shift and getting the ball out there"
 

18 minutes ago, snapfade said:

I think it was Lee Trevino that said, "You only get so many good golf shots in a day, don't waste them on the driving range."

I usually save those shots for the 18th hole!