Taking my first golf lesson...

[timastyle]

So I'm getting my first lesson today and would like some input from you all. I have been playing for about 15 years off and on (more off than on) and finally decided to take the plunge to take lessons.

Overall, I would like to have more consistency in my game, as well being able to work the ball in both directions (by will, not on it's own). I'm hoping with the lessons and practice, I can build it that way.

Here's what I would like to know from you all, are there certain things that I should be asking the pro or should I just take his direction as he gives it? I would like to build a good shot routine where I can mimick at the range and on the course. Should I ask for help on this too?

I guess, I just don't know what to expect. What have your experiences been with taking lessons? What was covered on your first lesson and there on?

[CarlSpackler]

I don't know anything about your game, but you know what your goals are and it is important to communicate those to your teacher up front. Be sure you go in with an empty cup, that is, willing to listen and learn. Best of luck.

[ControlJunkie]

So I'm getting my first lesson today and would like some input from you all. I have been playing for about 15 years off and on (more off than on) and finally decided to take the plunge to take lessons.

If you're pre-shot routine is something you have a question about, I definitely say you should ask. I think something that may be more important than what you ask is that you feel comfortable enough with the instructor to ask anything that comes to mind. Good communication is key. If you need him to slow down at some point, definitely tell him that, as a lot of changes can be pretty overwhelming at one time.

Besides any basic fundamentals, it's hard to say what will be covered on your first lesson. It would most likely be based on what he sees in your swing. Good luck with it! Let us know how it goes!

[timastyle]

That's why I didn't get a 5 pack lesson just yet. I would like to see how the communication is with him and see how his method is.

I will see how things start off and if there comes an opportunity to bring stuff up, I definately will.


I'll let you know how things go after I see him in a few hours.

[ControlJunkie]

That's why I didn't get a 5 pack lesson just yet. I would like to see how the communication is with him and see how his method is.

Yeah man, I know how it is, some are just kinda

unapproachable . I guess that's the best way to put it. Good call on not getting the 5 pack off the bat. I meant to tell you, I was going through all of the available podcasts in the Zune marketplace, and I noticed one feed available from Golf Tips Magazine. I looked at all the episodes available from them, and there was one episode dedicated to the perfect pre-shot routine. Do you use Zune or iTunes or anything? If not, I'll see if I can find you a link to it somewhere else.

[timastyle]

I iTune, but rarely. If you can find me a link, that would be great. I'd really appreciate it!

[TN94z]

I would tell the teacher my goals and then let him run with the plan. Just listen to what he says, practice as he says, and don't let the criticism get to you. Do those things and the lessons will be great.

[ControlJunkie]

I iTune, but rarely. If you can find me a link, that would be great. I'd really appreciate it!

No problem at all! Here's

the link . Under the video frame, they give you the option to download the full video if you want to keep it.

[timastyle]

OK, so I had my lesson this afternoon and I must say that it didn't start off well. The instructor booked me in with two other people (father and son) for the same time. When we had spoke to set the time, he had told me that he was going to call the father and son and see if they were going to change the time and if he didn't call back that all would be ok for me to be there at 5:30pm.

After he sent off the other two, he got to working on me and I let him know that I was looking for more consistency as my number one priority.

He started with the grip (that's what I expected) and he quickly pointed out that I was using a much weaker grip than expected. He used terms and analogies that I quickly grasped. I was also using my hands and arms too much to compensate for the weaker grip. So he showed me the neutral grip and I must say that my backswing and follow through felt much more natural. What I would screw up on was making sure my middle, ring, and pinky fingers of my left hand. I wouldn't keep those fingers with a good grasp throughout the whole swing (something to work on, i know). He also let me know that I was hunching over more than bending at the hips at the end of the lesson. He didn't get too much into it as time had run out, but gave me some more to work on.

The only gripe I had with the lesson and this may be how it is, but I never got to hit balls with him watching me swing. He just went over the grip and how it would help, but was on to the next lesson while I went to the matt next to him and hit some more balls with what I was just told. Every once in a while, he would tell me that I was still going with a weak grip and continue on with his other lesson.

While I was hitting by myself, I felt that when I was having a more neutral grip, that I had the clubface completely closed and that I was pulling my shots. When I told the instructor (not sure if he saw what I was talking about), he said that I was so used to using my hands to compensate for my weak grip that I was overcompensating with a neutral one.

On the plus side, I got to hit balls at the range for 2 hours while trying out what I just learned.

All in all, I would say that I did think that I did get a good start to having a more productive golf swing with less effort. Now I just need to practice it to make sure I keep to it. I will probably go to the range for a bit more in the next few days to work on what he showed me and see how I progress. I think the main thing that I need to work on is to have a neutral grip rather than a weak one.

I am also planning on getting the Ben Hogan book that everyone has been raving about on this site to help me aid with the process.

I will be seeing him again in a week or so (not set yet) to keep pressing forward.

[SpacklersEdge]

OK, so I had my lesson this afternoon and I must say that it didn't start off well. The instructor booked me in with two other people (father and son) for the same time. When we had spoke to set the time, he had told me that he was going to call the father and son and see if they were going to change the time and if he didn't call back that all would be ok for me to be there at 5:30pm.

How much did this lesson cost?

The reason I ask...I had a lesson today too, my 4th or 5th this season. When I have a lesson it is me and my guy one-on-one. He has a camera and can record my swings and watch them back on the laptop frame by frame right there one the range (both down the line and face on). So, he sees me hit live and then on the video also. He uses the video to show me some other peoples swings to point out what it is I am doing, then he helps me to "learn" how it should be. And we go back and forth hitting real balls off of grass (a lesson on mats?!?) and recording every swing should we choose to look at it. The lesson you described sounds like a VERY beginners group type of lesson.

[timastyle]

Well the lesson was $40 for 30 minutes. Like I said, he had accidentally double booked. He definately didn't have a laptop or camera to record my swing and actually hit balls. The range closest to my place is a mat range. Also, my girlfriend got me a gift card for the golf course for my bday so I could get some lessons there, so that is what I'm dealt with.

How much are your lessons?

He told me he likes to start off with the grip and get that right before he gets any further. He does have a mirror behind the mat, which I'm assuming is to show certain things as you progress.

I really am not a bad player and used to have a pretty decent game, but lately, I had been screwing with my grip and stance whiching I think threw me off my game a lot. Nothing has been consistent recently and I've been all over the place with my swing. It really was a refreshing start to just get the grip right and make it feel more easy.

[TN94z]

How much did this lesson cost?

That is how mine are too. We'll spend a lot of time taping the swing and going over it frame by frame!

Well the lesson was $40 for 30 minutes. Like I said, he had accidentally double booked. He definately didn't have a laptop or camera to record my swing and actually hit balls. The range closest to my place is a mat range. Also, my girlfriend got me a gift card for the golf course for my bday so I could get some lessons there, so that is what I'm dealt with.

Well, he started off the same way any teacher would start off. Those are the first things they will look at. 40.00/30 minutes?...not bad really. My lessons are 85/hr and he uses video and actually does his lessons at a driving range so we have unlimited balls. He has the cameras set up in his room where we hit balls also. Like I stated in other threads...I wouldn't take any lessons from someone that doesn't use video. I am not saying that they don't know what they are doing, but the video helps "you" see what you are doing. And for me, if I see myself doing something on video frame by frame, it helps me to correct the problem in half the time. That may just be me though, so take that however you want

[ControlJunkie]

Well the lesson was $40 for 30 minutes. Like I said, he had accidentally double booked. He definately didn't have a laptop or camera to record my swing and actually hit balls. The range closest to my place is a mat range. Also, my girlfriend got me a gift card for the golf course for my bday so I could get some lessons there, so that is what I'm dealt with.

I agree with TN94z and SpacklersEdge, I think video is extremely important to help you get a better idea of where your swing plane is, and where it should be. It would also annoy me to be splitting time with someone else. I understand that stuff happens though, so maybe give him the benefit of the doubt, and take another from him. I'd ask about using video. Also, the fact that he never watched you hit a ball is odd. That would kinda raise a big flag with me.

On the plus side, it sounds like the price was pretty good! I think that grip was a good place for him to start as well. I'd say take one more from him, ask him about getting some video going, and see how it goes. I wouldnt jump into that 5-pack of lessons quite yet though.

[timastyle]

Ya, you know what, the more I think about it, the more BS it seemed. I could hear him talking to the other players and giving them instructions and it almost seemed like he was a recording. Said the same things to everyone (at least what I heard).

I will do it one more time with him just cause I have a gift card there and wouldn't mind another lesson. After that, I will look into other places nearby (not too many choices though) that I can go and take some more lessons.

[ControlJunkie]

Ya, you know what, the more I think about it, the more BS it seemed.

LOL, I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to make a bad situation worse, but when I read this, all I could think about was Chubbs on Happy Gilmore... "It's all in the hips... It's all in the hips".

[muggs]

It's the smartest thing you can do. What I would recommend is finding a guy who's not interested in trying to get you to perfomr a picture-perfect swing or to mold your swing to look like his. What you want is a guy who's going to know how to get your natural tendancies corrected and grooved into a functional golf swing that is your own.

I took one lesson 3 years ago when I started playing and the instructor was very good. Communication has to work both ways, so yeah, let him know what you're after. I still need more lessons, but I was shooting in the low 60s (for 9 holes) prior to this and now I have shot in the high 30s on the same course a few times. The lesson isn't the only thing that lowered my scores, but it got me on the right track. I have played a lot of golf the last three years and work on my short game a ton. I could use anohter lesson to help with my driver.

[SpacklersEdge]

Well the lesson was $40 for 30 minutes. Like I said, he had accidentally double booked. He definately didn't have a laptop or camera to record my swing and actually hit balls. The range closest to my place is a mat range. Also, my girlfriend got me a gift card for the golf course for my bday so I could get some lessons there, so that is what I'm dealt with.

Mine are 4 for $150, so I guess 37.50 each, and last about an hour. I always get balls before hand to warm up, and usually 2 buckets after to practice, and these are all free.

The video is really the key for me, I don't think I could go to a lesson without it now, would be a MUCH slower process. It's good to look at your old swings on occasion too, it will remind you what your old issues were should you start having problems on the course.

[timastyle]

ControlJunkie - LOL...no worries.

Muggs - I definately agree with you. He did say that I was doing a lot of things right, but that my grip and posture were the two of the wrong things.

I think my main problem right now was that I was trying to fix my swing myself and ended up making it worse. I was spraying the ball all over the place and couldn't do anything right. I had even lost a ton of yardage on my shots (PW went from 130 yards to a max of 100). I do feel that he got me on a good track with the grip and my yardage came back a bit. While I was working on the grip and posture after my lesson, my swing did feel a lot more natural and just coming through the ball with less effort.

Like I said, I'll probably do one more lesson with him due to the gift card and get a little more information from him as to what else I can do to make things more consistent, then I'll work on those for a while and see how things go. In the meantime, it will give me some time to save money for more lessons.