My first lesson....EVER!

[RaCs]

Hi guys! Hope you have all had a smashing weekend! I just wanted to share my experience with you all! Any comments, feedback and/or tips are welcome! To be honest with you I didn’t know what to expect. Of course I knew was going to be having a lesson with the Head Pro of my local and I knew he was definitely going to know way more than what I know so I could only see it in a positive light! I went there with an open mind and for a reason, which is to improve and become a more consistent golfer We kicked off the lesson with a general discussion which then moved onto what golfing experience I've had, my current handicap, what I consider my strengths and weaknesses and what my ultimate goal is…..to become a single figure handicap player through hard work, dedication and focus! After this 10/15 minute chat it was down to business. Started by hitting a few balls in order so that the Pro could check out and analyse my setup, technique and swing. Every time I went to hit a ball I could see him wondering around me, checking me out from different angles which made me a little uncomfortable and intimidated at first but as I continued I become more relaxed and started to enjoy it. I started hitting balls with a 9 iron, moved onto a 6 iron, then a hybrid and then the driver. The pro said there was absolutely no problem with my swing and that he certainly wouldn’t associate my swing with a player with an 18 handicap but one with a much lower handicap! Had no issues with my shorter irons whatsoever. The flight and direction was spot on! Thats why i consider my short game as probably my main strength! My main weakness is with the longer clubs where I have the habit of hitting/slicing the ball off to the right. He spotted this immediately offered some advice on how to start correcting this. After a few adjustments to my stance and shoulder alignment, I started to hit the ball straighter and on occasions, a slight draw! I also experienced more distance and a more penetrating ball flight! Almost instantly my enthusiasm and determination to improve suddenly became greater! As expected, this “new” setup did feel uncomfortable at first but then started to feel less so as I continued hitting balls with positive results. I will certainly be hitting the practice grounds as much as possible this week in order to work on these adjustments as the next lesson will be a follow up from what I did today. We will also be using the trackman device in order to see my stats and figures to see what other areas we can work on. Overall an extremely valuable lesson and well worth every penny and minute! Its so satisfying knowing that I did not require any MAJOR adjustments but just some minor tweaks! Knowing this has just made me become more determined than ever to try and achieve my ultimate goal!!

[TN94z]

Nice.  Just keep practicing what he tells you and make sure you don't slip back to old habits.  One of my biggest issues is allowing the old stuff to creep back in.  It's so hard to break bad habits that you had for years.

[Harmonious]

Sounds like you've got a great instructor; one who listens to you and doesn't explode your head with a million things from the start. Tune out everything else, work diligently on what he suggests and you will do just fine.  Good luck!

[Hardballs]

Yeah he sounds good! A good instructor should never give your swing a complete overhaul, even if it needs it! but just tweaks gradually! Too many things to think about stops ya from relaxing and hitting the ball! I know a guy who's close to single digits, decided to take a few lessons and now he's playing worse than he's played in years! Don't know if it's a dip in form, or an over enthusiastic coach?

[PirateJim]

Congratulations!  This pro sounds like a real gem.  With commitment and help from a good teacher you sound well situated to achieve the goals you've set for yourself!  Keep in mind, that it is a building process.  There are a lot of baby steps and often the small swing tweaks build on each other, but if your swing really is in pretty good shape to begin with you are way ahead of the game from where most of us start!

[RaCs]

Thanks for the positive comments guys! I completely understand that its a building process which will take time, theres no doubt about that. With the right attitude, dedicaiton and focus I am completley confident in my ability to achieve my ultimate goal. My coach will certainly be helping me out along the way and any time spent with him will be soooo worth it. Can't wait to see what trackman says in a few weeks with regards to my stats! Never used it before. I will continue to work on the aspects I need to work on as advised by my coach! I've got 2 rounds booked this weekend one for tomorrow and one for sunday but I am not expecting fireworks with my new tweaked setup! I'll certainly be hitting the practice grounds to practice these tweaks though!