Taking lessons poll

[Wanzo]

How often do you take lessons?

[Club Rat]

Golf requires players to work on many aspects, whether it's a swing check, short game, putting or basic mechanics.
I voted Year Long, there is always a need to look at the total picture and have other eyes view
a players ability and improve skills.

Learning can come from many aspects, it doesn't necessary require a teacher all the time.
This forum as an example, it a great place to seek and learn everything about golf. 

[iacas]

My best students spread out lessons around the year.

The goals of the lessons vary - we tend to make bigger changes in the early fall so they can work on them all winter, and more targeted tweaks while they're competing - but working year-round lets everyone stay on top of things.

[Wanzo]

33 minutes ago, iacas said:

My best students spread out lessons around the year.

The goals of the lessons vary - we tend to make bigger changes in the early fall so they can work on them all winter, and more targeted tweaks while they're competing - but working year-round lets everyone stay on top of things.

Makes sense. I think where I've tended to struggle is not doing a good job turning off the mechanical thoughts when I'm trying to score. I think I'd like to take the approach of making bigger technical changes now(this time of year), where the season is winding down here. Work on them over the winter and then try to calm down the changes going into the season. It's hard for me to draw that line because I don't play a lot at this stage of life so part of me thinks I should just keep working on technical stuff all the time to make the most progress until I'm at a point in life where I can play more. 

[Lihu]

Going to take one again. This time to help with my "mentally ill" game.

[dennyjones]

I have taken a few lessons during the season but usually the majority during the winter (off season).   I started the season with a severe hook issue and my instructor helped.   

 

[MarvChamp]

I have dropped 5 HI since mid-2016 when I came back to golf. I went to an instructor and took 2 series of lessons in 2016 up to November surgery. He did help me remember a lot of basics, but it was not a great experience We did not use video, we did not communicate with understanding, etc. Since then, I have only had a short lesson when I see something specific in my game.

I am now looking for a coach, not an instructor. When found, I will see him/her a few times this Fall.  -Marv

[cutchemist42]

Took my 1st lesson about 2 weeks ago, did it because of poor play. I have zero regrets about the decision and loved the result!

[Midpack]

I wasn’t sure how to vote, none of the choices seemed to fit. I hadn’t taken lessons before this year. I took 4 lessons last summer, and I will take another 6 starting next spring at about 2 week intervals. I don’t plan on off season lessons as I can’t practice much if at all here Dec thru Mar or longer.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Midpack

[Lihu]

I know this is a bit off topic, but what’s the purpose of polling when we take lessons?

Most people take lessons when they are playing bad, kind of like when they see a doctor when they get sick.

Taking them to kick off a season also makes some sense as well. Helps you not develop seasonal bad habits.

Taking lessons regularly doesn’t seem very constructive. It seems like it would become too repetitive and not give a person time to make the changes from the last lesson.

People who do that are generally deficient in something. More than likely, swing speed. They want more distance. For example, what really surprises me is that no instructor brings out the fastest speed that a player can get. Even if you’re flexible and willing to learn. They don’t know how to do it, nor can they gauge a players true potential. They base it off of what they see at the time. Kind of the way GC2 calculates your swing speed. It measures ball speed. If you hit one off center the effective Swing speed is lower than if you flushed it. All instructors that I’ve met have absolutely no clue unless the student is already swinging fast. I consider speed as an acquirable skill, and it should be teachable. Considering this is the most important thing to do to get distance, it seems like instructors should focus on that with their students first?

What's funny is the best instructor I had, was a club fitter, Bob Williams. He knew from fitting numerous people that the average sized man should be able to swing 105 mph. Everything he taught was based upon that philosophy. That's why my kids both hit very far, and after years of simmering through my thick skull am finally starting to get what he said. Other than him, no one knows how to get the maximum speed out of a golfer. It should be easy.

There are many other skills to learn as well, but speed is the most difficult. Your game is limited by your speed.

The poll kind of reflects different personalities of golfers. Some think they’ll get the “secret sauce” by paying someone $100 a week, some are realistic and just need a tune up and others are looking for a quick fix.

I answered “When I’m broken.” But probably should have answered “At the start of a season” or something else?

Edited October 11, 2017 by Lihu

[Lihu]

27 minutes ago, Midpack said:

I wasn’t sure how to vote, none of the choices seemed to fit. I hadn’t taken lessons before this year. I took 4 lessons last summer, and I will take another 6 starting next spring at about 2 week intervals. I don’t plan on off season lessons as I can’t practice much if at all here Dec thru Mar or longer.

It's hard to answer this one. I will say that the best instructor I've had was also one of the best club fitters in the world.

[Fourputt]

I've had 3 lessons in my life, spaced out over about a period of about 30 years.  Last one was about 5 years ago.  I guess I just lack the drive to work that hard on my game.  I was a mostly self made 10 handicap for 20 years, and I was satisfied with that.  I've always had other interests along with golf, so I never really put the focus on my game that so many of the players on this forum do.  Now days I spend more time trying to catch bass in a state known for trout fishing, so I might just be a bit off in the head. 

Or maybe I'm just too lazy to work that hard on my game. 

[dennyjones]

3 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

I've had 3 lessons in my life, spaced out over about a period of about 30 years.  Last one was about 5 years ago.  I guess I just lack the drive to work that hard on my game.  I was a mostly self made 10 handicap for 20 years, and I was satisfied with that.  I've always had other interests along with golf, so I never really put the focus on my game that so many of the players on this forum do.  Now days I spend more time trying to catch bass in a state known for trout fishing, so I might just be a bit off in the head. 

Or maybe I'm just too lazy to work that hard on my game. 

I felt this way until I retired.   

[Lihu]

3 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

I've had 3 lessons in my life, spaced out over about a period of about 30 years.  Last one was about 5 years ago.  I guess I just lack the drive to work that hard on my game.  I was a mostly self made 10 handicap for 20 years, and I was satisfied with that.  I've always had other interests along with golf, so I never really put the focus on my game that so many of the players on this forum do.  Now days I spend more time trying to catch bass in a state known for trout fishing, so I might just be a bit off in the head. 

Or maybe I'm just too lazy to work that hard on my game. 

That's pretty good!

So, do you stock the reservoirs with Bass or something?

[Wanzo]

49 minutes ago, Lihu said:

but what’s the purpose of polling when we take lessons?

I was curious how people approach taking lessons.   If they alter how and when they take them based on the season, how much they are playing, etc..  Especially since there are some on here who use evolvr or work with an instructor consistently, I was curious if those types of instruction change over the course of the year....meaning more lessons in the winter or when things are going poorly or if people just keep the same mentality and approach year round on improving.

53 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Most people take lessons when they are playing bad, kind of like when they see a doctor when they get sick.

Maybe this is true, I didn't know.  It sure seems like a lot of people on this board who are lower handicaps are consistently working on their swing, talking about the work they are doing with their instructor.  Would you consider tour pros to be taking lessons when they work with an instructor?  Maybe some are only talking to the instructor when things are going bad but I kind of doubt that is the case since most of the instructors are standing behind them on the practice range before tourneys.

 

55 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Taking lessons regularly doesn’t seem very constructive. It seems like it would become too repetitive and not give a person time to make the changes from the last lesson

I think it depends on your instructor and how you define regularly.  If you are seeing someone every 2 or 3 weeks and they aren't changing the priority every time, then I think that would be constructive.

[Midpack]

Why I couldn't figure out how to vote FWIW:

• Year round nope
• Off season only nope
• A lesson or two to kick off the season yes, but more than one or two, at least six planned consistent with...
• When I'm playing poorly yes if I'm playing poorly and can't figure out why, but ...I take lessons to improve much more than because I'm playing poorly - I know a good pro will help me improve more than I ever could/have on my own

Edited October 11, 2017 by Midpack

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Wanzo said:

I think it depends on your instructor and how you define regularly.  If you are seeing someone every 2 or 3 weeks and they aren't changing the priority every time, then I think that would be constructive.

Agree, and everyone has a different "learning rate" which could further widen or narrow the lesson frequency.

[iacas]

2 hours ago, Lihu said:

Taking lessons regularly doesn’t seem very constructive. It seems like it would become too repetitive and not give a person time to make the changes from the last lesson.

Regularly doesn't mean "daily" or "weekly" or even "monthly" @Lihu. I said above the best students I have, the ones who improve the most and the most consistently, are the "regular lessons throughout the year" types. Might only be four throughout the year, but they don't just take a bunch in the winter and then go away for eight months.