Lessons?

[Usmcgolfmkw]

Hello golfers,

So I’ve been playing for about 3 years and I’ve notice a significant improvement  in my game from the first time I picked up a club. I wasn’t very interested in the sport until I hit a good shot and I was instantly hooked and have been every since. So I bought some cheap clubs and started to study the game, I got apps and watched YouTube for instructions and practiced. But basically I’m asking would it do me good if I got a lesson or two? When I have very bad rounds I normally know what caused it and I go to YouTube or use a app to get better. I know I have some bad habits but I can see I’m getting better each time I go out. I’m just scared I will get lessons and get in my own head and try and do everything the instructor told me and make things worse (seen this today on a course) this guy told me he gets some lessons but he was having big trouble and was getting frustrated. He said he’s been playing for 8 or so years. I was thinking I don’t wanna spend that much money and get worse I would rather keep studying the game and do it my self. But I’m very curious what my game would look like if I got lessons. 

[Patch]

Lessons are always advisable. Especially in golf. Atleast get lessons on the basics of the golf swing....if there is such a thing. 

The problem with getting lessons I have seen is the golfer does not see instant improvement after a lesson or a few. The golfer thinks he/she paid money for nothing, and never returns. Most elect to go on there own. Some will improve on their own. Most won't.

The other problem I have seen is the instructor, and the student never get on the same page. One blames the other for both their failures. The old what is said, is not what is heard scenario.

Anyone who does take golf lessons should keep a copius amount of notes of their instructions. Videos with sound are even better. 

I took lessons from the same teaching pro for 10 years, with at least one lesson per month during that period. In the beginning I might have recieved 5-8 lessons a month. He had me playing some damn fine golf after about 3-4 years . Was it costly? Not for the improvement in my game. In fact towards the end of our partnership, my lessons were usually paid for with a pitcher of beer at the 19th. 

[FlyingAce]

I think lessons can help fix any bad habits that you have developed. Your swing is about muscle memory so the longer you play/wait, the more difficult it is to fix or change things. There is no perfect swing in golf but there are basics that can help you make smaller errors. It helps to learn those early on than to try and change what you are already used to. It also helps to have someone watch to see if you are doing what you think you doing and give you feedback. You will have to find an instructor with a teaching style that works for you. Just because someone knows how to play golf does not mean they know how to teach, so I’d be careful with getting advice from random people.

My first instructor wanted me to have a specific swing which I find impossible. His expectations frustrated both of us so I moved on to someone else. 2nd instructor wanted me to have fun. He got me hooked on golf before moving on to the technical stuff. I’d take weekly lessons from him at the beginning, and practice daily.  Once I started playing decently, I’d take a lesson every month just to make sure I did not change things for the worse unknowingly. The 3rd instructor was from my home club (I play there every day) and I took lessons from him for course management and short game. That really helped me alot and got me to the mid 80s. I am now taking lessons at Golftec and I find the swing analysis very helpful to fine tune my golf game. I broke 80 after a few months of lesson there. I practice and play alot so I want to catch any bad habits before they get out of control.

[saevel25]

  On 3/24/2019 at 10:20 PM, Usmcgolfmkw said:

I’m just scared I will get lessons and get in my own head and try and do everything the instructor told me and make things worse (seen this today on a course) this guy told me he gets some lessons but he was having big trouble and was getting frustrated.

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First, what are your expectations? You could possibly get better just playing, but will probably have high variable of results. You could absolutely enjoy this if your expectations are in the right spot. 

If you want to get better then you need to find a good golf instructor. This might take trial and error. 

[Buckeyebowman]

The old saying, "practice makes perfect" is incorrect unless done under the tutelage of a competent teacher. Otherwise, "practice makes permanent"! I like what Harvey Penick said. He said a good teaching pro can tell you more about your swing in 15 minutes than you could figure out in a whole Summer working by yourself. 

[Usmcgolfmkw]

That’s makes sense, thank you for the feed back. I really want to take lessons, I’m gonna start looking around for options. 

I really haven’t thought about my expectations, I guess it would be to have a consistent smooth swing, more effortless, to come up to the tee box and have confidence in my swing, hitting the fairways more. Knowing my true distance with each club etc. just a better weekend golfer. 

[boogielicious]

  On 3/25/2019 at 1:48 AM, Usmcgolfmkw said:

That’s makes sense, thank you for the feed back. I really want to take lessons, I’m gonna start looking around for options. 

I really haven’t thought about my expectations, I guess it would be to have a consistent smooth swing, more effortless, to come up to the tee box and have confidence in my swing, hitting the fairways more. Knowing my true distance with each club etc. just a better weekend golfer. 

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One option would be on-line video lessons. I looked for a good instructor in my area for a while and did not find one. Many on this site use Evolvr. We film our swing and send it in. The one of the site instructor provides a video analysis of our swing and highlight the most important thing we should work on.

With this system, you practice at your own pace. It also demonstrates that filming your swing in practice really shows you what you are doing in your swing versus what you feel you are doing.

We also have a Member Swings section where you can post videos. It won't be nearly as good as a good instructor, but it will be a start.

[birdie seeker]

Go to Amazon, get "Understanding the Golf Swing" by Manuel De La Torre book. Also get the DVD. Also watch the videos on youtube by him. You can thank me at the end of the season.

[saevel25]

  On 3/25/2019 at 10:36 AM, boogielicious said:

One option would be on-line video lessons. I looked for a good instructor in my area for a while and did not find one. Many on this site use Evolvr. We film our swing and send it in. The one of the site instructor provides a video analysis of our swing and highlight the most important thing we should work on.

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+1 to this. Evolvr is a great resource.

[TN94z]

I agree with determining what your end game is and go from there. From my personal experience, I wish I would have gotten lessons from the very beginning. Learning to play just by playing led me to some very bad habits that are taking forever to get out of. I recommend lessons and also suggest Evolvr. I am currently working with Evolvr on my swing.

[3jacker]

If you really want to get better, get lessons.

There is no substitute.  Most of the YouTube stuff is entertaining, but most players (myself strongly included - I'm a good player but don't pretend to be a swing expert by any means) see only symptoms and secondary actions arising from other unseen/misunderstood flaw.  You'll spend years trying to put bandaids on symptoms.  And yakking about them like-minded folks online. 

Find a reputable teacher, go to him, listen to him and stay focused on what he has you working on (and only that).  It'll come together from there nicely.

[Usmcgolfmkw]

I can see everyone’s point here and I will take you guys up on the suggestion and get myself some lessons. I really appreciate the feed back. I will look into evolvr right now, I also contacted golftec see what they have to offer although I heard they are very expensive. 

And look into “understanding the golf swing” video as well.

[FlyingAce]

When I signed up for lessons with Golftec last year, I paid $100 for the initial swing analysis (I think it was reg. $120). Then I bought a 10 or 15 lesson package and got 20% off regular rate. The package came with a swing analysis so they reimbursed me for what I had already paid. I also referred a friend to them and both my friend and I received a $100 credit towards lessons. They are currently running a spring promotion with 20% off during the month of March. Lessons are expensive and the 30 minutes go by very fast, but all I need is one pointer/tip each time. My location also does bunkers and putting lessons at a local course. So far the lessons I have taken really helped me, so they are worth it to me. Oh, they used to have swing analysis deals on Groupon/Living Social too!

Edited March 26, 2019 by FlyingAce

[mr47930]

I took lessons and it was one of the best/worst things i've done for my game. I never "learned" how to play golf, I was a baseball player all my life so swinging at a ball came somewhat natural. Over the years I had many bad habits that were engrained in my swing. I took lessons for an entire winter, every weekend for 6 months, it was a wedding gift from my wife. 

We made some minor tweaks to my swing that gave me a case of the shanks immediately. The first few lessons had me so screwed up that I thought about quitting and getting my money back. Slowly but surely everything started to click and the minor tweaks we made started to feel more natural. By the end of the winter I was hitting the ball better than ever, but one thing that I "learned" is how to change something on the course. Meaning, I now know how to correct my mistakes on the fly instead of going through the whole round wondering why my swing went to sh*t. 

[TN94z]

  On 3/26/2019 at 11:45 AM, mr47930 said:

By the end of the winter I was hitting the ball better than ever, but one thing that I "learned" is how to change something on the course. Meaning, I now know how to correct my mistakes on the fly instead of going through the whole round wondering why my swing went to sh*t. 

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Very good point and one that many overlook. A swing instructor not only resolves issues that you have, they also teach you why your ball does what it does (a good instructor anyway) which allows you to self diagnose (to a point) while playing so your round doesn't go completely down the tubes.

Edited March 26, 2019 by TN94z

[gbogey]

I would highly recommend some lessons. I think videos / internet info can help, particularly with specific problems (example: let's say that you start pulling every shot - you can find a video / web page for that) but I think it would be hard to build a good golf game solely through online resources.  Find an reputable instructor and meet with that person and have a discussion about what you are trying to accomplish, not just a jump in to work on things.  My guess is that there will be some initial focus on fundamentals: grip, posture, stance, etc. - probably the biggest thing that a lot of self taught players need some emphasis on. Make sure that you have plenty of practice between sessions - as Hogan said, the secret is in the dirt.  When I started I agreed to take 5 lessons and I paced them out every 4-6 weeks.  If in season make sure you have a mix of play as well. Sometimes you have to be on the course to really learn.  Good luck.

[RemyM]

I highly recommend lessons.  I started playing when I was 13, never really took serious lessons but through just playing became a bogey golfer.  Played a little high school golf and Division III college.  In my early 30's I started taking regular lessons with the same pro and got my handicap down to 10 and was pretty happy with that.  My pro passed away suddenly and a new young pro with great teaching credentials took her place.  He was Aimpoint Certified so I went to one of the classes and it changed my game for the better.  Continued to work with him on my complete game, upped my short game practice time, number of rounds I played, started to play many different courses and got my handicap down as low as 3.5 at the age of 50.  It's crept up a bit lately mostly because I don't practice as much as I used too but it's still low enough to get me into some amateur events run by my area golf associations.  So the key is to find a pro you like and stick with it, and make sure you practice what they teach you.  I used to buy a series of lessons where you would get six 30 minute lessons for the price of five if you prepaid.  Spaced them out every two to three weeks so I had time to practice and play in between.  I didn't make wholesale changes all at once, just little tweaks here and there.  Now I'm mostly on a maintenance plan, that is when something isn't going right and I can't figure it out, I will go back to see him or when he adds some new putting thing I will go to it.

[LMoore]

No question, as most all have said, get lessons. Ideally, your lessons will include video where the teacher can show you a replay where you can visualize what you are doing and what you need to accomplish. A good teacher might see 10 things that need to be addressed, but will probably tell you about the 2 most important to work on, and then add items each additional lesson, reiterating the previous lessons each time. Between time, you'll have to trust what they are teaching. Not easy when you don't see immediate results.

Lessons are not a quick fix for a beginner or someone who's been playing for some time, but a committment to a process that can be rewarding for the rest of your life.

iacas is probably the best to give directions on this. If he wasn't 600 miles away, I'd see him.