Why Don't You Take Lessons?

[BallMarker]

I disagree with just about all of that. Lessons aren't for "tips" and we sometimes see people twice a year and if they keep working on the same things, they keep improving. It's rare for something else to become the top priority relatively quickly.

You didn't get my point, but that's on me.

[Lowkie]

I ended up taking some lessons, and my question is this.  Since my lessons I'm either really good (birdie or par, which aren't normal for me) or really bad ) like 12 stokes on a single hole.  There is no real middle ground.  Is this normal?

[iacas]

You didn't get my point, but that's on me.

Then elaborate, please.

[jsgolfer]

I have never taken a lesson, I play very well, I'm always concerned that if I take lessons someone will try and change the way I hit the ball and at my age, 49, and can someone really shave a couple of strokes off my game to get me to a scratch golfer. I've been as low as. 0.8 back in my early thirties. My problems tend to be poor mechanics at times during the round, normally I can recover and play well, but every now and then it's miss the green from inside 150 yards, hit an awful chip shot, 3 putt too many times, or the worst is to play a hole set up for my draw and I'll push it to the right into trees or OB. My mistakes seem to be more mental. :-\

[GolfGuy123]

I am a big fan of lessons with a pro but I had a really bad experience with GolfTec (a year ago) and since then have been apprehensive on scheduling my next lesson.

I obviously won't be going back to GolfTec but my experience there has made me a bit more jaded towards professionals. THIS IS NOT TO SAY that my instructor was bad but I just never felt like anything he said clicked or that we were talking the same language - I spent thousands (yes thousands) on a long term plan with them and in the long run I regret it.  The more lessons I took, the more confused I became and the worse my on course game got. I went to them shooting consistent mid-low 90s with a goal of breaking 80 and I ended up not breaking 100 for the entire year! I am not one to quit so I stuck with the program thinking that things will turn around and when they do it will be a big improvement...and it never came....

Took me a few months on my own to get back into shooting consistent 90s again.

Once again I do not want to give the wrong impression here. Golftec may work great for some people and the instructor I had may have helped many golfers but we just did not work well together. I also do not "blaim" anyone for my scores getting worse during that time period. At the end of the day im sure if I was actually doing what he was trying to tell me / show me to do, I would have gotten better. But as noted, I dont feel like I fully understood what he was trying to teach.

[Jakester23]

What your describing Golfguy is why I was always apprehensive about getting lessons. I have 3 I received for my bday so I'm going to see how they go once its above 10°. Its going to be a fun experience.

[GolfGuy123]

What your describing Golfguy is why I was always apprehensive about getting lessons. I have 3 I received for my bday so I'm going to see how they go once its above 10°. Its going to be a fun experience.

Nice bday gift, good luck!

and once again, even with all that I said about Golftec etc. I still think seeing a pro is very important (IMO) - currently I am just doing some research on what pro I want to spend my next $100-$150 with lol...taking my sweet A$% time ;)

[iacas]

THIS IS NOT TO SAY that my instructor was bad but I just never felt like anything he said clicked or that we were talking the same language - I spent thousands (yes thousands) on a long term plan with them and in the long run I regret it.  The more lessons I took, the more confused I became and the worse my on course game got.

No, that is precisely why your instructor was bad.

Great instructors HATE lousy instructors, because they do exactly what you experienced to the industry. :P

FWIW, Evolvr is $39/month. It'd take you over four years to spend "thousands" on evolvr.

[GolfGuy123]

@iacas I definitely want to sign up for it. Just need to make sure I purchase the right camera first. I read all through you post about which cameras are good options for filming swings and still debating what to purchase. Would like to keep it in the 200-250 range.

[Golfingdad]

@iacas

I definitely want to sign up for it. Just need to make sure I purchase the right camera first. I read all through you post about which cameras are good options for filming swings and still debating what to purchase. Would like to keep it in the 200-250 range.

I still just use my iphone (4S) and have never had any trouble receiving good instruction from those videos.  My guess would be that really good players, who have tiny little things that need correcting, would make things easier on their instructors by using high speed cameras, but for us hacks, the iphone is still plenty fast enough for them to see my myriad of issues. :)

[nevets88]

@iacas

I definitely want to sign up for it. Just need to make sure I purchase the right camera first. I read all through you post about which cameras are good options for filming swings and still debating what to purchase. Would like to keep it in the 200-250 range.

You have an Android phone? Some of its cameras are high speed capable, well before the iPhone was.

[GolfGuy123]

You have an Android phone? Some of its cameras are high speed capable, well before the iPhone was.

I have iphone 4s at the moment...should I give it a go with that?

[Golfingdad]

I have iphone 4s at the moment...should I give it a go with that?

Yes, I also use one of these: http://thesandtrap.com/t/60448/the-protosports-holster-for-the-iphone/0_30

[GolfGuy123]

Yes, I also use one of these:  http://thesandtrap.com/t/60448/the-protosports-holster-for-the-iphone/0_30

SWEET! Ordering one. This looks like a great product and I never knew it existed until now ;)

[ctcampbell]

Had my second lesson with a new instructor in London today and went to the range this evening. All I can say is WOW! Everything I hit was clean, long and pretty much dead straight. I even hit a fair few decent drives and I normally struggle massively with that. Well worth the money.

[joeprunes]

The trouble now days is any golfer that was good (real) good thinks they could teach (by how they play and reading books).The person getting the lesson thinks because the guy is good he can teach.  BULL. I started playing at 59 (still playing softball). Golf saved my life ,being a jock and now I can play till I`m 80.  Friend showed me fundamentals and it was hard real hard to understand WHAT makes the proper swing.  I stuggled for a few yrs going from 100 to 80`s ocasionally some 70`s. I then decided to take lessons I`ll be 80 next yr  and still can play decent BUT the  lesssons from sooo many teachers some world known and I`m sooo screwed up. That this past yr Ishot back in the 90`s with some 80`s I`m in good shape and havent lost too much speed.  Yes you do need a good teacher, BUTnow with trackmaster, 3d,. k-vest it shows what you have to improve on and with a GOOD teacher you can improve..Now go find one............good luck

[Mizzyluvr]

I can usually tell on the first tee whether someone has 1) played golf as a youngster 2) had lessons, or 3) hasn't had lessons. Golf, like most of life is what you make of it. If you really want to improve and maximize your potential , you need to get some type of formal lessons. All of the best athletes in the world in every sport, including golf, have professional instruction. If you want to be YOUR best, you should too. I'm not saying you can't get very good going the "self taught" route, but you're never going to know how good you could have been. I understand, and have personally used, most of the "reasons/excuses" not to take lessons. Key is to find the right instructor for you, who teaches in a way that works for you.

[march11934]

I can usually tell on the first tee whether someone has 1) played golf as a youngster 2) had lessons, or 3) hasn't had lessons. Golf, like most of life is what you make of it. If you really want to improve and maximize your potential , you need to get some type of formal lessons. All of the best athletes in the world in every sport, including golf, have professional instruction. If you want to be YOUR best, you should too. I'm not saying you can't get very good going the "self taught" route, but you're never going to know how good you could have been. I understand, and have personally used, most of the "reasons/excuses" not to take lessons. Key is to find the right instructor for you, who teaches in a way that works for you.

And how would you go about finding the right instructor without wasting a bunch of money testing out each one? Is there an interview process in finding out their swing theories?