When to get lessons

[thorns]

Hi all,  new member here who has only just doscvered the fun and frustration of trying to put a little white ball in a hole.

I have a question about when is the best time to take lessons.  At the moment, I am pretty inconsistent with my hitting, when I get it right its good, but far too many duff shots at present, best score is a 102 so nothing flash.

Should I book in for lessons ASAP, or is it better to play a bit more and get a consistent swing which can  then critiqued and feedback/improvement advice given? Or am I better to get them now, and try and develop my swing from scratch with the help of a pro?

Cheers

[uttexas]

Best to get lessons early before you develop some bad habits.  The tricky part is to find a quality instructor.  Search the forum for a posting on how to choose an instructor.

I would purchase the Stack and Tilt book--primarily because this book most clearly explains how the ball flies in the air in relation to swing path and club face.  The book is a must have and teaches the fundamentals of how to hit the ball consistently.  Don't be put off by the "Stack and Tilt" name or commercial--these were a questionably executed marketing idea.

Also, take a look at Hogan's Five Lessons book.

Don't do what I did (the hard way)--read a random assortment of golf books and Golf Digest's quick tips and groove my own swing without instruction for 25 years--

[The Recreational Golfer]

The quickest way to get a consistent swing if you're staring out is to get lessons. There are basics which, if you learn them, make everything you do easier and more effective. It's a lot easier to something new than try to correct something that's old.

I don't mean to contradict uttexas , but anything you read in a book is wide open to your interpretation. What the book says to do and what you end up doing can be very different. If you're taking lessons, concentrate on learning what the pro wants you to work on and let his eyes correct any errors.

Unless you're an original genius, lessons are the fastest way to play well.

[canadianpro]

Find a reputable PGA Professional....book a lesson NOW!

[WUTiger]

Quote:

Should I book in for lessons ASAP, or is it better to play a bit more and get a consistent swing which can  then critiqued and feedback/improvement advice given? Or am I better to get them now, and try and develop my swing from scratch with the help of a pro?

Golf instruction has a "rule of thumb" that your basic swing is set once you play a full season. So, golf works best if you start with lessons.

I self-taught myself the first few years I played, and have spent the rest of my life trying to overcome swing quirks. At one point in my life I shot regularly in the low 80s, but couldn't go beyond that because of a couple of swing flaws.

A skilled pro can take you farther in a half hour than you can take yourself by a month of trial-and-error. Also, you might want to rely primarily on your pro's advice for the first season or so. Stay away from all the quick-fix tidbits in the golf mags - the tidbits may work counter to what your  pro tells you.

In this day and time, opt for a pro that does video swing analysis. This should include a video summary of each lesson - before and after. That way, you can review the video before the next time you practice or play.

Happy New Year, and good luck!

[Jack]

Get lessons as soon as possible. If you have the basics down you will get a lot more enjoyment from the game. Also, I would read through the forum here and learn about the golf swing. Pick up a good golf book too if you can, Hogans 5 lessons is a great place to start. I think knowing how the golf swing works is the first stage in putting it into practice.

[Danattherock]

Get lessons now. But don't just go to the first goober you find in the phone book or at your local course. Ask around and pick out the instructor carefully. Also, soon after finding an instructor, get your clubs professionally fit. Depending on how new you are, your instructor may suggest waiting till you get a few lessons under your belt before fitting. But make no mistake about it, regular lessons from a GOOD pro and custom fitting will help your golf game more than anything you find in the golf shop.

-Dan

[walk18]

As has been said before, make sure your instructor uses video.

[sean_miller]

I'd say it depends on your level of athleticism and your previous sporting experiences. If you have none - start with lessons.

If you know how to play baseball (fielding, throwing, and hitting), play tennis or another raquet sport, or best of all, play hockey, then you can probably forego lessons for now and be okay with a book or a couple back issues of Golf Magazine.  Vijay Singh learned his signature swing by copying Tom Weiskopf swing sequences from Golf Digest.

Before the end of season one though, I'd suggest a small lesson package or a clinic. You'll understand what the instuctor is talking about (you'll have an experienced base point of reference) and your small and large golf muscles will be more developed. Don't forget about stretching - you gotta stretch.

[Danattherock]

Want a great golf tip?

Buy Bobby Clampett's book "The Impact Zone" and read it immediately. This book would have made learning how to properly swing a golf club so much easier for me 20 years ago. Just an amazing book and very famous among those in the know. A great training club that works directly in conjunction with Bobby's book is the Tour Striker. It forces you to have a forward leaning shaft at impact, a key fundamental. Learn the difference in impact and address position, especially as it relates to the hands. Forward leaning shaft, more forward low point in the swing, sustaining lag, etc... will change the way you play golf. All covered in Bobby's book and reinforced with the Tour Striker.

[basscat348]

If you have a good understanding of what the basics are for the right way and the wrong way that helps alot .I have been playing for 3 years now not all at once either,I golfed for 2 1/2 years let the game go and have just recently started again about 5-6 months ago.When I started I was shooting 110-100 and I sucked .I read alot watch the golf channel and tryed different things to see what would work and what would not.It took me 2 1/2 years to figure out how to hit a perfect draw shot,its easy once you understand what it takes to do it.I now have a .5 handicap and shoot some rounds under par but I am always learning and finding new little things to try .Two things I would suggest to anyone to work on and get good at is 100yards in and putting and if you can help it stay off of those matts those things are aweful .

[thorns]

Thanks for the replys everyone. I am going to book in for some lessons in the next couple of weeks and see how I get on, cracked my first sub 100 yesterday so over the moon at that!