If You DO NOT Take Lessons, Why?

[iacas]

It's a multiple choice question - choose all you want.

Interested in the feedback.

[michaeljames92]

I chose 3 options: Lessons cost too much, No good instructors nearby, and I like to figure things out by myself. It's probably mainly a mixture of parts 1 and 2. I know evolvr is great and everything, but i'd rather have physical lessons than online. There's a TGMer about 20 minutes away from me, but I'd rather someone who was actually a S&T; instructor.

[LongballGer]

I used to be a terrible ballstriker so I went to a couple of high profile instructors and one of them became my coach. I spent around 6 months working with him, driving 2 hours to take a lesson with him once a week, every week. I worked hard on everything he told me, but my ballstriking didn´t improve at all and I almost developed the full swing yips because I had so many swing thoughts in my head. He basically taught me the whole club needs to be parallel to shaft plane at all times, keep your right knee flexed to improve your x-factor blablabla BS.

Then I gave S&T; a serious effort out of desperation. I bought the book and applied everything in it. At first I was hitting it worse, but I stuck with it and after 3 months I went from shooting in the mid to high 70s to regularly shooting in the 60s.

[mirv]

i went with "cost too much" and "like to figure things out on my own."  i did recently get one lesson with a local pro, and it was a very productive hour - within just two or three swings he spotted several things that were costing me distance and accuracy.  definitely worth the $45, because they were things i would have never looked for or thought of.  of course he encouraged me to come back on a weekly basis, but i told him i'm going back to school and the budget is pretty tight right now so once every month or two would probably be about all i could afford.  but that's fine, because my preferred method of working things out is being told what i'm doing wrong, and then giving me several weeks alone to work on it.  i don't like being watched when i'm in that awkward "trying to learn a new element" phase and every third shot is a shank.

[GJBenn85]

I know I should take lessons but keep putting it off for several reasons.  The biggest reason is it is focusing too much on "me," which I hate.  I dislike being the center of attention (I do not even like getting haircuts for this same reason) and being a person that likes to be independent, I do not like being told I am doing something wrong.  I want to figure things out for myself.  Another reason is cost but I have been offered a few free lessons by a golf instructor and still do not pursue it mostly because I do not want to be one person's focus for an hour.  Finally, being a full time student while working full time really interferes with my golf addiction so I would prefer to actually play on a course rather than spend time with an instructor.

[tristanhilton85]

The main reason I haven't taken any lessons is cost... right now it's just too much money for me to spend.  Hopefully with my promotion at work next month that'll change and I can take some... (really thinking about evolvr)

[cilos2]

I would love lessons but playing alone twice a week is expensive enough. I'm down to shooting in the low 80's and enjoy the game.

[chaptowngolfteam]

Still being a student, I only voted for the "cost too much" option. I would love to have feedback from somebody that knows what they are talking about and can help me get better but it just costs too much.

[uttexas]

Combination of pride and was happy playing just for fun. Pride--thought I could figure it out by reading a bunch of golf books and magazines; wrong---this makes you worse in the long run (unless you are really lucky to select all the right info). Happy playing just for fun--Once I started shooting below 90 consistently, I was content for a long time; the game was enjoyable; however--my competitive nature eventually got the best of me and I couldn't break through the 9-10 hcp plateau on my own.

[GaijinGolfer]

For me it was not wanting to have my swing torn apart to the point where Id pretty much be starting over.  However, those fears were unfounded because Im yet to have an instructor do that.  All they did was work with the swing I already have and offer me tips and things I could do to make it better.

[sean_miller]

I voted for self learner, not interested in criticism, and ixnay on the rebuild.

A couple seasons ago I was absofreakinglutely striping the ball, so I signed up for a small lesson package (with all the slow motion video with lines and commentary bells and whistles) in order to get a snapshot for future reference. Even though I was happy with where my ballstriking was at the time, there were still a couple minor flaws that are pretty obvious when I see that day 1 video now. I review the lessons at the start of each season and at the midway point and it keeps me on track.

Personally I'd recommend lessons to a good player even more than a beginner.

[JackLee]

I voted "lessons cost too much" and "other".

The "other" is that the player never knows if he will get a benefit that is worth what he paid.  If he does not, it may be his fault, or it may be the instructor's fault.  Either way, I think it is the fear of wasting a substantial amount of money that keeps many players from taking lessons.

I know that was my thinking a few years ago.  Then I found some good instruction for $6.50 that told me things that I had never learned in any other book or video.  Now, I'm glad I did not spend any money on lessons.

[Doctorfro]

Guess I shouldn't be posting on this thread because I am a huge proponent of getting instruction.  Granted, you can take instruction from Joe Blow Pro and it doesn't help.  But when I finally went to a reputable teacher who used video and did not bombard me with swing thoughts, my game improved immensely.  How do you find the right instructor?  That's a good question.  I went to one of Golf Magazines top 25 schools and found someone.  Expensive?  That's relative.  I used to lose balls at three to four bucks a pop on a regular basis.  Adds up over time.  Keeping the ball in play can pay for itself.  Not to mention those people who switch equipment searching for the magic elixir for their game.  Stick with your sticks and get some lessons!  I think for many guys I know it's a macho, pride thing.  But their pride's not so big when they are getting their wallets out to give me money at the end of the day.

[jamo]

I chose had bad experiences, no good instructors nearby, and time. The third one is really the biggest. I just haven't played as much as I would like to have this year, and it would have been a waste to spend the money for lessons when I don't have a whole lot of time to work on it. That said, for the time I have had, I've made pretty good progress by myself the lat two+ years. My short game has taken a hit because I've hardly practiced it (and even then, I did it for the Bridgestone ball review), but my ball striking has gotten so much better that my handicap has still dropped. I am happy with the AimPoint lesson I took this year, I look forward to really start mapping greens and getting into it fully next year. I'm probably an atypical case though.

[Leftygolfer]

I voted money and don't want to totally rebuild my swing.  I had one video lesson this year.  It was eye opening, seeing myself and how I loose my inclination to the ground and really have to save it to hit good shots.  A big issue I had was getting my left elbow up and away from my body and having the club going across the line and getting into a really bad place.  Long story short, I worked hard, hit the ball well at the range but on the course I'm hitting shots I never hit before.  Horrible shots, terrible.  I worked hard and it hasn't translated on the course.

Anyway, I was going to go back, but haven't made it.  I understand what I am doing but not sure how to change.  So I guess the reason I don't is b/c of money.  I don't have any other reason.  I don't want to move backwards and believe I wouldn't with the right teacher.  But this change I've made is good, just hard to take that change to the course.

[Paradox]

I'm kind of a mix...Lessons are "expensive" for me right now, I fear having my swing totally rebuilt and the golf swing is not something I want to start consciously thinking about on the course.  I WANT lessons to get better but I'm just one of those people who don't like to change what "semi" works.

[mikelegacy]

You're an instructor so you'll most likely disagree with me, but I think I get better at any sport by watching the pros, not necessarily being taught by them in person. In any sport, I watch how the pros do it and try to replicate that myself. I very much prefer watching Golf Channel or searching tips and tricks on YouTube to actual instruction. I took golf lessons for a while and they didn't help much. They were going over my swing really slowly and weren't telling me how to fix it full speed. I might have just had a bad teacher (he wasn't a pro level golfer), an I just feel I've learned so much more in my own research.

[funkyfred72]

I voted for "Lessons cost too much."  Seems as though a lot of others think this also.  I know I am not going to get so great at the game of golf I am going to turn pro, or even come close.  Why spend $40+ per lesson when I can go play two rounds for that that much?  There are so many video and books out there that lessons, in my opinion, are becoming less and less needed.