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[Fatgigi]

Hello all.

I have just had my first lesson in golf where i was taught the posture, the grip and close game half swings with some putting as well. Tomorrow i am going to the driving range for the first time where I am going to be taught the full swing. I can already imagine that it is going to be a nightmare!

Anyway i was wondering, how many lessons do you think would be necessary for me to learn the basics so i can be self sufficient on the course? How many hours of 1 on 1 should i have with the tutor before i venture out on my own?

I realize that there is no magic number and much depends on how quickly you can learn the movements and practice is everything but since i am a complete beginner i was wondering for how many lessons i should book the instructor for so that i can be reasonably confident on the practice grounds and course!

Any help on the matter would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[newtogolf]

The number of lessons is going to depend on your natural athletic ability, how good your instructor is and how much you practice.  Having been in your position last year, best advice I can give you is to space out the lessons so you have sufficient time to practice what you were taught in the lesson.

Posture and grip are a good start so you should be working to ensure you have the right grip and posture.  After your fill swing lesson you'll be prepared to go to the range yourself and practice.  Use your practice sessions to reinforce everything you were told.  Don't rush through the bucket of balls, but instead take the time to regrip and address the ball as you were taught each time.  It's much easier to learn how to swing a golf club correctly without having to first unlearn bad habits.

By spending more time practicing correctly, you will allow your instructor to move on to the next lesson, rather than spend your entire session recovering or fixing what he covered in the previous lesson.  Overall this will reduce the number of lessons you need.

[Fatgigi]

Thank you for the advice, I think that spacing the lessons one week from each other will be good for me!