Instruction over the winter - indoors or outdoors?

[Slugsy]

UK weather causing me a dilema

Folks, I'm in a quandry and any sensible advice/opinions would be appreciated.

I have been back playing golf for a year now after a 12 year lay off due to a nasty back injury. Its been a topsy turvy year, some good stuff and some bad and its fair to say I do not have a consistent, grooved swing at the moment plus mentally I'm not up to scratch at the moment. I'm down to six handicap but my ball striking and accuracy and distance is nowhere near where it was 12 years ago.

However, I'm only 30 now and feel young enough and certainly eager enough to really try and improve and with the winter approaching I have decided to really make a big effort to get the swing sorted out, and really get fit to maximise my chances of playing some decent golf next year.

The problem I have is that I live in the North of England where its fair to say the weather is variable!!! I found a coach who I bought into his ideas and decided to go with over the winter, however, he only has a outdoor, grass range with no cover which is susceptible to flooding. He has had to cancel two lessons already and we haven't even hit the bad weather yet!!!

So I'm swithering whether to find someone who also has either covered practice facilties or an indoor facility.

My dilema is that, assuming can find someone who is good, will the quality of the work I do be diminshed because a number of sessions are indoors/off mats rather than grass and thus am I better getting the odd lesson when the weather is okay off the original guy as it will be on grass or getting regular lessons off someone else but off mats/indoors.

The pros for grass outdoors as I see it is:

1. Better feedback on my ball striking and practise in 'real' conditions
2. Can see the actual ball flight

The cons for grass outdoors:

1. Less lessons due to weather
2. More difficult to practise and swing in potentially cold and wet conditions

The pros for indoors:

1. Warm
2. Potential use of more technology to assist the analysis.
3. Regular lessons as not affected by weather

Cons:

1. Playing off artifical turf and thus not 'real' conditions and potential masking of ball/club contact
2. Not being able to see the true ball flight

I'm inclined to find someone with indoor facilities but please, if anyone has any insights/opinions, there are a lot of really knowledgeable people on this site and I would value thoughts.

Thanks

David

[jebb]

Hi mate,

 

Fellow North of England WRXer here and I see what you mean about indoor tuition versus outdoor.

 

I have lessons with a great guy on a practice ground at a club. Previously I took lessons at the Pete Cowan Academy which was indoors on matts.

 

The thing I found was that having lessons in street shoes and on the mats wasn't like it would be on the course. Anything hit fat was flattered by the mats as the club skidded through so you got away with it.

 

Obviously the upside is you aren't affected by the weather. I must say I would want to see the ball flight though and also most technologies (eg V1) can be used outdoors.

[Slugsy]

Jebb - exactly my concern, one of my ballstriking issues since I came back is catching it just slightly fat which as you say gets masked on matts.

 

In an ideal world, I find a place that has both outdoor and indoor facilities but I don't think they exist in the North East of England!

 

I'm just worried that I don't get enough decent tuition through the winter due to cr*p weather.

[nellski2004]

hi slugsy i also live in the north east of england.yeah you dead right about the crap weather.i have had lessons at a few places,the best practise facilities by a mile are at the wynyard club.they have leadbetter academy there which is quite costly but the facilities are second to none,inside range, big outside teeing area and great short game area.

hope this helps rich

[Slugsy]

hi slugsy i also live in the north east of england.yeah you dead right about the crap weather.i have had lessons at a few places,the best practise facilities by a mile are at the wynyard club.they have leadbetter academy there which is quite costly but the facilities are second to none,inside range, big outside teeing area and great short game area.

hope this helps rich

 

rich

 

I had never thought of there, brilliant, will have a look.