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Why don't people take lessons ?


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After taking multiple lessons, from multiple PGA pros, I can honestly say never agree to a block of lessons until you take a few to feel out the dynamic. I am working with a pro now that I have confidence in, and who has made a tremendous difference in my swing. I am a 14.6 index, but at 39 I was losing distance quickly, and was reliant on scrambling to make my scores. Now 4 lessons in I have gained distance, can work the ball left, which I could never do before, and understand why my shots are good or bad. I cant speak for all people, but I really did not know what a good swing looked like or felt like. Hardest part of this period is playing. I was really bad the first couple of weeks, overthinking, and just not feeling it. Now I am confident and excited that by spring, I will be ready to have a grest season with repeatable power, that will last much longer through my life than my previous swing.

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Going into my 5th year in golf this feb 2019.

 

Got my handicap down to shooting 15 on a good day - 20 on a bad day on my own in 4 years, never took a paid lesson before this year.

 

took a face to face lesson with Monte for the full swing in early Jan of this year.

I learned so much, I booked a short game lesson.

Took the short game and putting lesson with a full swing follow up yesterday(100% because I wanted to learn and not because he recommended at all).

 

I learned so much more.

 

On my own, it might have taken me 4 to 20 years more to learn what I did in 2 lessons:

 

What to fix

How to fix

What the correct movement feels like

Understanding how to practice vs Unrealistic expectations

Why my different types of bad shots happen

Cliches that are flat wrong / Swing tips that will ruin me

How to measure results

What to expect on my journey

How to check yourself

How to back up when not working

Mentally change to get better

 

Felt like I was at a clinic :) This is not even in detail. how are you suppose to figure this out on your own?

 

I’m trying to shoot in the single digits this year and I really feel like I can now.. I also feel like I saved a couple years and a few white hairs.

 

I guess people don’t take lessons because they think they’re already good or smart enough to figure it out on they’re own.

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Like anything else, most people look at the sport as a leisure activity. Then you have those golfers who have been playing the game longer and have accepted where their game is at. Then of course you have those who like others have spent the money on new shiny clubs rather than on their game.

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I've played a while (13ish years) and only had 2 lessons. They both went very poorly. I didn't leave with any clear direction or follow up drills or anything, so it was a waste of time.

 

So I just go self-taught and it works fine. I really enjoy it that way. No exact reason for it other than I like to tinker on my own. Additionally, my golfing time is more limited now so I just choose to play when I get time since that's what I enjoy most.

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Like anything else, most people look at the sport as a leisure activity. Then you have those golfers who have been playing the game longer and have accepted where their game is at.

And for those people getting better (assuming they can put the effort in) may not make any difference. I currently play to a 21 (I am hoping to get that down into the mid-teens this year) but I'm not expecting it to change how I enjoy the game. I doubt it will significantly increase my chances of winning and anyway I don't much care about winning. For me it's about the experience and I'm happy to let the handicap system equal the field and if I do get an occasional win then great. The last comp I won with a 24hcp and the second place was a 6hcp.

 

Every time I've taken lessons it's been to fix an obvious issue. Something that's stopping me getting balls airborne, or a horrible push fade that everyone else calls a slice. But once I'm back to sending the ball a reasonable distance in pretty much the right direction with a reasonable arc to it I'm happy. I might only be a 21hcp but genuine miss-hits are pretty rare and happy with that.

 

It'll be interesting to see how this residential course pans out though. It's five half days in a row and that ought to offer a better learning environment than one hour a week with little to no practising in between. But really it's at least as much about having a week's vacation at a golf course as it is about me improving.

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Because a lesson may cost $50, whereas that new driver that promises lower scores costs $500. Wait, never mind.

 

Really, I think some people have a very fragile ego, and don't want to be told they are wrong, or are really self conscious about their game.

 

I've heard lots of new golfers say they want to get better first before taking a lesson, because they don't want to embarrass themselves in front of the Pro.

 

From being in the business over 20 years, this is a lot of it. The average golfer feels a lot of embarrassment and anxiety hitting in front of "experts". It's also the reason the majority of new clubs are sold off the rack. I hear it almost every day as to why golfers won't go through a proper fitting...they are too self conscious about their game/swing to do it.

 

This guy is spot on and I teach is spot on!

 

Good information guys!

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For me, it's a) financial, and b) stubbornness. I know I can get over a dozen buckets of balls for the price of a lesson, and I might stumble upon something that will help me long term. On the other hand, I invariably learn something when I see my pro, and especially if it's a playing lesson. He's in my ear asking me "OK, what would you do in this situation?"; "Are you sure you want to use that club?"; "I see what the issue is here. Hit a few more and let's talk about it."

 

Lessons from a good pro that knows your swing are worth every penny.

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I think the guy who mentioned embarrassment/self consciousness nailed it for many. Look, lessons can be expensive, but for those that are seriously into the game, often they will pay a lot for something that will make them significantly better, so I dont think money is the biggest impediment. I held off on lessons and fitting for probably over 10yrs of playing because I didnt think I was good enough or consistent enough to get the benefits from either.

 

I finally took a series of lessons that first, changed my grip and setup, which made a HUGE difference in how I struck the ball. Worked with that for a few years and it became 2nd nature. Then I got fitted to an iron shaft that really worked for me. Lastly, a couple years ago I took another set of lessons from a different instructor who primarily focused on my takeaway and then my finishing position. Nowhere in any of the lessons that I took did either teach try to really change the middle portion of my swing, and not because it is textbook (it's very short...Rahm esqe or shorter) but because they wanted to work with what I had, and not try to change everything about it. I appreciated that.

 

Lessons make you a better golfer, and sometimes the best lessons are more about what you do before and after the swing and less about what you do during it.

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I think the guy who mentioned embarrassment/self consciousness nailed it for many. Look, lessons can be expensive, but for those that are seriously into the game, often they will pay a lot for something that will make them significantly better, so I dont think money is the biggest impediment. I held off on lessons and fitting for probably over 10yrs of playing because I didnt think I was good enough or consistent enough to get the benefits from either.

 

I finally took a series of lessons that first, changed my grip and setup, which made a HUGE difference in how I struck the ball. Worked with that for a few years and it became 2nd nature. Then I got fitted to an iron shaft that really worked for me. Lastly, a couple years ago I took another set of lessons from a different instructor who primarily focused on my takeaway and then my finishing position. Nowhere in any of the lessons that I took did either teach try to really change the middle portion of my swing, and not because it is textbook (it's very short...Rahm esqe or shorter) but because they wanted to work with what I had, and not try to change everything about it. I appreciated that.

 

Lessons make you a better golfer, and sometimes the best lessons are more about what you do before and after the swing and less about what you do during it.

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You don't need weekly or biweekly lessons. One a month is sufficient. It takes time to change motor patterns.

 

IDK, for someone whose only serious hobby is golf and who obsesses enough to be on here everyday and who swings everyday, it feels like 3-4 weeks between lessons would be too slow, no?

 

And plenty of teachers charging $150+ an hour teach more than 40 hours a week. The good ones aren't starving for students. They have to turn them away at times.

 

I'm only thinking of where I play. You rarely see more than a handful of lessons happening. The only guy(s) I ever saw who stayed busy were associated with the local high school and college programs.

 

Also, I think it's worth noting that for someone like me, I have zero clue as to who's better or more qualified versus someone else. It's a total guess.

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I think the guy who mentioned embarrassment/self consciousness nailed it for many. Look, lessons can be expensive, but for those that are seriously into the game, often they will pay a lot for something that will make them significantly better, so I dont think money is the biggest impediment. I held off on lessons and fitting for probably over 10yrs of playing because I didnt think I was good enough or consistent enough to get the benefits from either.

 

I finally took a series of lessons that first, changed my grip and setup, which made a HUGE difference in how I struck the ball. Worked with that for a few years and it became 2nd nature. Then I got fitted to an iron shaft that really worked for me. Lastly, a couple years ago I took another set of lessons from a different instructor who primarily focused on my takeaway and then my finishing position. Nowhere in any of the lessons that I took did either teach try to really change the middle portion of my swing, and not because it is textbook (it's very short...Rahm esqe or shorter) but because they wanted to work with what I had, and not try to change everything about it. I appreciated that.

 

Lessons make you a better golfer, and sometimes the best lessons are more about what you do before and after the swing and less about what you do during it.

 

A question i get asked a lot by new(er) golfers is "where can i find a good teacher"? People ask me that a lot i guess because they know i play a lot of golf. I think if you live in Florida or Arizona or something this might be a lot easier

 

Here i don't think it is. I mean sure you can find people online but who knows if they are good. In my time playing golf at 3 different clubs over 15yrs i've met maybe 3-4 pros who i really would want to take lessons with. Our current head pro has one of the best reputations around and i would happily take lessons with him. When he came to our club, suddenly 10-15 more guys i knew there were taking lessons. He is just really good.

 

Being a golf pro is like any job. Most of us work in offices (or many do anyway), i'm sure we all see similar things....10% of guys are great, 20% are awful and 70% are just OK.....i'm sure it's no different than golf pros. And from what i have seen, a lot of the best coaches tend to gravitate towards the top juniors in terms of their time (which is totally fine and their prerogative) . Also complicating matters is the market for golf coaches in many places isn't great (they don't get paid a ton compared to other jobs) so maybe some guys who would be great golf coaches don't become coaches , again, speaking outside of places like Florida or Arizona

 

I think at least here, it's hard to find guys even if you are looking. And the people most in need of lessons don't always have the right contacts or know where to look. Definitely being self conscious is a factor but there's a lot of other things.

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I've been playing for 4 years. I started playing at 40 years old . I had a swing that made Charles Barkley look like Adam Scott the first 3 months I started . I decided to take lessons , found a great teacher and I haven't stopped taking lessons . For life of me I cant understand people who say " I've been playing for 30 years , I dont want a coach to screw me up ". As they proceed to hit banana slices all over the course . What are people afraid of when it comes to taking lessons???

Lessons is a commitment to an improving process. But lessons without practice are really a waste. People have many reasons to not commit to an improvement process, other commitments, work, family, and/or they are happy just hacking it around, until they are out there actually hacking it around and then they come up with excuses of why they can't or "won't" take lessons, and commit to the improvement. Nothing wrong with that, to each their own. What brings most of us to this forum is that we all have a passion for this game, and many of us here have committed to the life long pursuit of this game, which makes it hards to understand why others who casually play haven't. It used to drive me nuts when I caddied, at a very high-end club. I would marvel about the number of members who were terrible (and many took lessons, only lessons with top instructors and really didn't practice, so they never improved), and they had unlimited resources and tons of discretionary time. Yet they didn't have the drive or desire.

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I've been playing for 4 years. I started playing at 40 years old . I had a swing that made Charles Barkley look like Adam Scott the first 3 months I started . I decided to take lessons , found a great teacher and I haven't stopped taking lessons . For life of me I cant understand people who say " I've been playing for 30 years , I dont want a coach to screw me up ". As they proceed to hit banana slices all over the course . What are people afraid of when it comes to taking lessons???

Lessons is a commitment to an improving process. But lessons without practice are really a waste. People have many reasons to not commit to an improvement process, other commitments, work, family, and/or they are happy just hacking it around, until they are out there actually hacking it around and then they come up with excuses of why they can't or "won't" take lessons, and commit to the improvement. Nothing wrong with that, to each their own. What brings most of us to this forum is that we all have a passion for this game, and many of us here have committed to the life long pursuit of this game, which makes it hards to understand why others who casually play haven't. It used to drive me nuts when I caddied, at a very high-end club. I would marvel about the number of members who were terrible (and many took lessons, only lessons with top instructors and really didn't practice, so they never improved), and they had unlimited resources and tons of discretionary time. Yet they didn't have the drive or desire.

Funny you bring that up ..because I think the same thing watching Pebble Beach pro am . Multimilionaires who have every resource available, and awful games . Idk maybe we are wired differently?
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I've been playing for 4 years. I started playing at 40 years old . I had a swing that made Charles Barkley look like Adam Scott the first 3 months I started . I decided to take lessons , found a great teacher and I haven't stopped taking lessons . For life of me I cant understand people who say " I've been playing for 30 years , I dont want a coach to screw me up ". As they proceed to hit banana slices all over the course . What are people afraid of when it comes to taking lessons???

Lessons is a commitment to an improving process. But lessons without practice are really a waste. People have many reasons to not commit to an improvement process, other commitments, work, family, and/or they are happy just hacking it around, until they are out there actually hacking it around and then they come up with excuses of why they can't or "won't" take lessons, and commit to the improvement. Nothing wrong with that, to each their own. What brings most of us to this forum is that we all have a passion for this game, and many of us here have committed to the life long pursuit of this game, which makes it hards to understand why others who casually play haven't. It used to drive me nuts when I caddied, at a very high-end club. I would marvel about the number of members who were terrible (and many took lessons, only lessons with top instructors and really didn't practice, so they never improved), and they had unlimited resources and tons of discretionary time. Yet they didn't have the drive or desire.

Funny you bring that up ..because I think the same thing watching Pebble Beach pro am . Multimilionaires who have every resource available, and awful games . Idk maybe we are wired differently?

 

Did you see that old guy who could hardly bend over and missed 3 putts before he picked up to let the pro go?

Lol

The announcers were like “ummm ok?â€

 

And tony romo has 0 excuse to have a gut and miss some of the shots he does. Keep training for golf man!!

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I would say the answer is the same as why most people don't practice. Around our club there is a very small percentage of the players who you actually see on the range or practice green for any length of time. Sure, people may hit a couple putts before they start or a dozen balls to get loose, but very few actually practice and even less take lessons. My guess is that time is a factor, a lot of people play once or twice a week and would rather play than practice and the fact that they shoot high scores and come back week in and week out tells me that for most, the draw to the game isn't improvement but something else, perhaps the social aspect or time spent outside.

 

I've always wondered what brings the person back who has shot 90+ for the past 20 years but have never asked them....

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I've been playing for 4 years. I started playing at 40 years old . I had a swing that made Charles Barkley look like Adam Scott the first 3 months I started . I decided to take lessons , found a great teacher and I haven't stopped taking lessons . For life of me I cant understand people who say " I've been playing for 30 years , I dont want a coach to screw me up ". As they proceed to hit banana slices all over the course . What are people afraid of when it comes to taking lessons???

Lessons is a commitment to an improving process. But lessons without practice are really a waste. People have many reasons to not commit to an improvement process, other commitments, work, family, and/or they are happy just hacking it around, until they are out there actually hacking it around and then they come up with excuses of why they can't or "won't" take lessons, and commit to the improvement. Nothing wrong with that, to each their own. What brings most of us to this forum is that we all have a passion for this game, and many of us here have committed to the life long pursuit of this game, which makes it hards to understand why others who casually play haven't. It used to drive me nuts when I caddied, at a very high-end club. I would marvel about the number of members who were terrible (and many took lessons, only lessons with top instructors and really didn't practice, so they never improved), and they had unlimited resources and tons of discretionary time. Yet they didn't have the drive or desire.

Funny you bring that up ..because I think the same thing watching Pebble Beach pro am . Multimilionaires who have every resource available, and awful games . Idk maybe we are wired differently?

 

I can't speak for every multi-millionaire out there but i am sure many of them don't really care to improve. It's nice to have balance in life, and hard to be super competitive in everything you do. These people with the success they've had financially are most likely to be very competitive in business, and maybe golf is just a fun outlet where they really don't care if they shoot 92

 

I quit playing flag football because it was just too competitive. I loved football, but was competitive with golf and my career already, i just didn't want to diagram plays and have practices. Maybe there's a thread somewhere on FlagFootballWRX where my old teammates are like "Jeff just didn't get it, i don't know why he didn't realize that if we'd just played more cover 2 defense we would've won the league!"

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People think they can watch golf shows or YouTube videos or read magazines and not only accurately diagnose their problems but also fix them.

 

Yet there are loads of youtube videos online from instructors promising improvement which can be very conflicting at times. I get the marketing requirement of this, but wonder what % of people watch the online lesson and never book with that particular instructor? I'm guessing it is a very high percentage. The problem with this, as I see it, is that the best instructors don't offer a 'model' of swing but rather work to improve certain elements of a persons existing swing. By offering online 'fixes', they may actually be hurting as many swings as they are helping. I mean everyone is hot on 'shallowing the shaft' lately and while many people benefit from this move, there are others who may need a steeper shaft.

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I don't take lessons anymore, maybe 1-2/year, but for me it was the realization that I'm not going to practice, and even if I had time to practice, I'd rather play. But I'm perfectly content with it for now, my game's good enough to play some friendly games for a little scratch.

 

What always amazes me is when I'm working with an instructor and they start talking about how someone is resistant to change and to listen to feedback, even though they are paying good money for that exact service? That always baffles me, why are people so hesitant to try something new?

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I've always wondered what brings the person back who has shot 90+ for the past 20 years but have never asked them....

I haven't played for 20 years but you're basically describing me. And the answer is pretty simple: the surroundings, the exercise and the people I meet. It's just a fun way to spend three or four hours. And borrowing somewhat from an earlier post: You might as well ask why some people tend their gardens. Or knit clothes. Or complete crosswords. Or paint pictures. It's just something they like doing and as long as they don't run into serious problems they are all happy to just potter around doing it.

 

I've met a lot of people over the years playing golf and a lot of them don't give a fig about who won. There's a brief acknowledgement and maybe the winner gets a free drink but it's soon forgotten. The conversation might dwell on notable events during the round but soon moves onto more general topics. For most of the golfers I've met in the UK golf is mostly just a social activity and taking lessons to improve and become the best player in your clique is pointless. All it'll do is alienate your friends.

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I don't take lessons anymore, maybe 1-2/year, but for me it was the realization that I'm not going to practice, and even if I had time to practice, I'd rather play. But I'm perfectly content with it for now, my game's good enough to play some friendly games for a little scratch.

 

What always amazes me is when I'm working with an instructor and they start talking about how someone is resistant to change and to listen to feedback, even though they are paying good money for that exact service? That always baffles me, why are people so hesitant to try something new?

 

I think it has to do with the perception of time required for desired results. If it's something simple like "stand two inches closer to the ball," or "move the ball one inch further back in your stance," then sure, no problem. But if the suggestions turn you into a pretzel and the proposed changes are likely to take 3000 range balls to get comfortable with then most will say, "it's not worth the trouble..."

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You don't need weekly or biweekly lessons. One a month is sufficient. It takes time to change motor patterns.

 

IDK, for someone whose only serious hobby is golf and who obsesses enough to be on here everyday and who swings everyday, it feels like 3-4 weeks between lessons would be too slow, no?

 

And plenty of teachers charging $150+ an hour teach more than 40 hours a week. The good ones aren't starving for students. They have to turn them away at times.

 

I'm only thinking of where I play. You rarely see more than a handful of lessons happening. The only guy(s) I ever saw who stayed busy were associated with the local high school and college programs.

 

Also, I think it's worth noting that for someone like me, I have zero clue as to who's better or more qualified versus someone else. It's a total guess.

 

You won’t be ready to add anything new for 3-4 weeks. So any more frequent would be working on same stuff or adding new things before you’re ready

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I've been playing for 4 years. I started playing at 40 years old . I had a swing that made Charles Barkley look like Adam Scott the first 3 months I started . I decided to take lessons , found a great teacher and I haven't stopped taking lessons . For life of me I cant understand people who say " I've been playing for 30 years , I dont want a coach to screw me up ". As they proceed to hit banana slices all over the course . What are people afraid of when it comes to taking lessons???

Lessons is a commitment to an improving process. But lessons without practice are really a waste. People have many reasons to not commit to an improvement process, other commitments, work, family, and/or they are happy just hacking it around, until they are out there actually hacking it around and then they come up with excuses of why they can't or "won't" take lessons, and commit to the improvement. Nothing wrong with that, to each their own. What brings most of us to this forum is that we all have a passion for this game, and many of us here have committed to the life long pursuit of this game, which makes it hards to understand why others who casually play haven't. It used to drive me nuts when I caddied, at a very high-end club. I would marvel about the number of members who were terrible (and many took lessons, only lessons with top instructors and really didn't practice, so they never improved), and they had unlimited resources and tons of discretionary time. Yet they didn't have the drive or desire.

Funny you bring that up ..because I think the same thing watching Pebble Beach pro am . Multimilionaires who have every resource available, and awful games . Idk maybe we are wired differently?

I have caddied (or had in my group) a few of the players in the PB pro/am, at one time or another. One, in particular, is a gentleman by the name of Jimmy Dunne. He was one of the better players (they had him at a 4, but he's been much lower in his younger days). I believe he was club champion at Shinny, National and Sebonac in one season (At least 10-12 years ago). He's an example of someone with resources and drive (he was actually a caddy when he was a kid, and probably one of the best loops you can catch as a caddy), he used to work very hard on his game. There were some others in the tourn, that I have caddied for, many have decent short games, but they were physically limited in the swing by their bodies (flexibility etc.).

 

There are so many factors in becoming and staying decent (relative term) in this game. the learning curve is steep (so much to learn about the nuances of golf, the swing and all the variations of shots, plus the physical ability, limiting factors of one's body (flexibility, strength, god gifted physical coordination), and then throw in the mental side of managing the game and your performance. It can be a daunting task. Only a fool would take up this pursuit in earnest..

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I LOVE to practice. I like practice as much as playing. Nothing better than hardcore purposeful practice and then seeing improvement on the course. I did the YT thing, the articles thing and the new equipment thing. Slo motion video's and talking to guys better than me to see what worked for them. I made very small improvements and I practiced my rear end off. I posted swing video's here and got suggestions. Then I took a trip to visit Dan...couple swings later I made more progress than I did in 5 years. Instant, easy and so gratifying. I got fitted, boom another good sized jump in the right direction. Worked all winter to groove the changes.

 

Some people are happy playing golf at the level they are at. I don't. When I stop getting better, I will probably quit. Taking lessons does not mean improvement. Taking lessons from the right person does especially if you are willing to drop your ego, listen to what they say and put in the time. It really is pretty easy.

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You won't be ready to add anything new for 3-4 weeks. So any more frequent would be working on same stuff or adding new things before you're ready

 

Well, I'll take that to heart then as I begin this season.

 

I LOVE to practice. I like practice as much as playing. Nothing better than hardcore purposeful practice and then seeing improvement on the course. I did the YT thing, the articles thing and the new equipment thing. Slo motion video's and talking to guys better than me to see what worked for them. I made very small improvements and I practiced my rear end off. I posted swing video's here and got suggestions. Then I took a trip to visit Dan...couple swings later I made more progress than I did in 5 years. Instant, easy and so gratifying. I got fitted, boom another good sized jump in the right direction. Worked all winter to groove the changes.

 

Some people are happy playing golf at the level they are at. I don't. When I stop getting better, I will probably quit. Taking lessons does not mean improvement. Taking lessons from the right person does especially if you are willing to drop your ego, listen to what they say and put in the time. It really is pretty easy.

 

I'm the same. I prefer to find the things I have a knack for. I don't have a ton of patience if it seems I'm just not passionate about something. Life's just too short to spend it doing stuff you're bad at, LOL. Don't get me wrong. Golf is great and all, but if I didn't feel like I was going to improve or that there was a point to it all, I'm not sure I would really want to keep going.

 

 

Golf is just something I want to be good at. And so that's why this year I am taking lessons. I feel like I used to be a lot better than I am now. I had fewer shots but man, I was sure a lot more consistent. Golf's just been kicking my butt the last couple years. I practice a ton but have nothing to show for it.

 

I'm just tired of investing so much and not being able to point to some impressive scores. With little overtime at work and no kids, what's my excuse? I don't want to be one of those guys that's always at the course but still somehow can't find it. That's my nightmare.

TSR3 (9o) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-6)
TSR2+ (14.5o 3w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

TSR2 (21o 7w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

zU85 (4-6) (UST Recoil)
Z-Forged (7-Gw) (Nippon Modus3)

SM9 56-F / 60-S
Maltby PTM-5CS

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I've always wondered what brings the person back who has shot 90+ for the past 20 years but have never asked them....

I haven't played for 20 years but you're basically describing me. And the answer is pretty simple: the surroundings, the exercise and the people I meet. It's just a fun way to spend three or four hours. And borrowing somewhat from an earlier post: You might as well ask why some people tend their gardens. Or knit clothes. Or complete crosswords. Or paint pictures. It's just something they like doing and as long as they don't run into serious problems they are all happy to just potter around doing it.

 

I've met a lot of people over the years playing golf and a lot of them don't give a fig about who won. There's a brief acknowledgement and maybe the winner gets a free drink but it's soon forgotten. The conversation might dwell on notable events during the round but soon moves onto more general topics. For most of the golfers I've met in the UK golf is mostly just a social activity and taking lessons to improve and become the best player in your clique is pointless. All it'll do is alienate your friends.

 

And there you have it. The game offers something for everyone and I would say you are in the majority. Most people don't play to get better, they play to enjoy the game, the company they are in and other things.

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People think they can watch golf shows or YouTube videos or read magazines and not only accurately diagnose their problems but also fix them.

 

Yet there are loads of youtube videos online from instructors promising improvement which can be very conflicting at times. I get the marketing requirement of this, but wonder what % of people watch the online lesson and never book with that particular instructor? I'm guessing it is a very high percentage. The problem with this, as I see it, is that the best instructors don't offer a 'model' of swing but rather work to improve certain elements of a persons existing swing. By offering online 'fixes', they may actually be hurting as many swings as they are helping. I mean everyone is hot on 'shallowing the shaft' lately and while many people benefit from this move, there are others who may need a steeper shaft.

 

Soon they will fix your car online thru YouTube too!

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Monte is gold and I'm sure other instructors who frequent this site are too. I took 2 lessons with Monte and its night and day in my ball striking before and after.

 

Going into my 5th year in golf this feb 2019.

 

Got my handicap down to shooting 15 on a good day - 20 on a bad day on my own in 4 years, never took a paid lesson before this year.

 

took a face to face lesson with Monte for the full swing in early Jan of this year.

I learned so much, I booked a short game lesson.

Took the short game and putting lesson with a full swing follow up yesterday(100% because I wanted to learn and not because he recommended at all).

 

I learned so much more.

 

On my own, it might have taken me 4 to 20 years more to learn what I did in 2 lessons:

 

What to fix

How to fix

What the correct movement feels like

Understanding how to practice vs Unrealistic expectations

Why my different types of bad shots happen

Cliches that are flat wrong / Swing tips that will ruin me

How to measure results

What to expect on my journey

How to check yourself

How to back up when not working

Mentally change to get better

 

Felt like I was at a clinic :) This is not even in detail. how are you suppose to figure this out on your own?

 

I'm trying to shoot in the single digits this year and I really feel like I can now.. I also feel like I saved a couple years and a few white hairs.

 

I guess people don't take lessons because they think they're already good or smart enough to figure it out on they're own.

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