Are expensive golf lessons worth it?

[jj9000]

Have you put any thought into trying a few video lessons with Dan or Monte?

 

Likely much less expensive, while being just as (or more) effective.

 

 

[neighborhoodhero]

1 hour ago, virtuoso said:

Similar to Hawkeye, my presumption is that you’ve already decided to try it.

 

If so, please do and report back. If you transcend to a magical place of fierce ball striking prowess, it will be educational and inspiring to all of us here.

 

….and equally useful—if it goes pear-shaped and becomes a long tortuous journey that generates excruciating regret and overwhelming despair….we can all use it as a cautionary tale.

I am in a situation where I can be easily convinced they are worth it. Most of the comments seem to be strongly against it. 

[neighborhoodhero]

3 minutes ago, jj9000 said:

Have you put any thought into trying a few video lessons with Dan or Monte?

 

Likely much less expensive, while being just as (or more) effective.

 

 

I can't get comfortable filming myself on a crowded range. That is the holdup for online lessons. 

[neighborhoodhero]

27 minutes ago, HGLucky13 said:

I am a lesson junkie. I see nothing but benefits from it. I only started golf 3 years ago, but the past 2 years I have taken 25 lessons, and just bought another 6 pack. At the beginning, every other week. I had no concept of a golf swing, I was trying to do my standard slap shot from the blue line HAHA. Now I will go a few months between. Usually setting them up when I see bad habits creeping in, or I am trying to work on a specific thing I think will help my game. But the practice outside of the lesson is more important. Quite a few of those lessons were wasted in the beginning because of lack of follow thru. Post lesson practice on my own. And I ended up going over those same drills over again in my next lessons. 

If I was a 6 HCP, like yourself, I would not need the intensity that I am doing currently, but could see doing a few a year for tune-ups and help with any corrections on bad habits. More frequently if there was a need for a drastic swing change. Only a good coach would be able to determine which you would need.

Make sure you get along with the coach and can trust him. I know there was a few times in the beginning I thought I was wasting time working on something to only later be able to see why he had me doing these certain drills. 

A positive experience!

[neighborhoodhero]

10 hours ago, Chunkitgood said:

It all depends on how good the teacher is, and how good you are at taking lessons.

 

So odds are against it.

Mean! 

[jj9000]

1 minute ago, neighborhoodhero said:

I can't get comfortable filming myself on a crowded range. That is the holdup for online lessons. 

 

Here's a free tip about the range, and also applies to playing alongside strangers.

 

Nobody gives a crap about your swing or score.

 

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to tell you the truth.  On the range, there will be folks that are better than...at the same level...and worse than you.  All (3) categories don't give a crap.

 

When you're playing alongside strangers...especially good players...they also don't care about your swing or skill level.  The only thing they care about is if you're not slowing the pace of play down.  They're focused on their own game.  I'm being serious.

 

 

[MattM97]

I'd highly suggest maybe an intro lesson with this coach or a few non package lessons to see if you get along before committing to a lesson package. I've seen many athletes seek out the "best coach" only to find their methods and personality be the complete opposite of what works for them and that it just ended up being wasted time and money. 

[virtuoso]

1 hour ago, neighborhoodhero said:

I am in a situation where I can be easily convinced they are worth it. Most of the comments seem to be strongly against it. 

Just wait until the answer shows up you want and act on it. That's how golfwrx operates anyway. 

[skim4]

$150 for in person lessons is a pretty reasonable price I think. But why buy all at once? Is the quantity discount that good? 

[ShortGolfer]

1 hour ago, jj9000 said:

When you're playing alongside strangers...especially good players...they also don't care about your swing or skill level.  The only thing they care about is if you're not slowing the pace of play down.  They're focused on their own game.  I'm being serious.

My experience is much different.  Maybe it is because I look like I might not be able to hit the out of my shadow.

Folks notice a sweet sounding  iron swing off the fairway. 

[getitdaily]

16 hours ago, neighborhoodhero said:

I am strongly considering a 10 ($1500ish) - 20 ($3kish) golf lesson pack. This will include lessons, fitness, mental game, however you want to shape it. They have all the tech worthy of writing home about, etc. The biggest concern is that I am in a build-your-own prosendr tax bracket. 

 

My pals tell me my swing is dog water and that I need professional help, but I still take money out of their pockets. Deep down, I know that it is true. If I want to stop being a chronic 6 hdcp, changes do need to be made, and it is proven that it isn't going to come from range reps. Our next golf trip punishment is aggregate loser has to take the ACT, and I hate math. This is much worse than the Big Red letter GFore hat they wore holes in last fall. I also promised them I will be cruising at 119 swing speed by June (currently 110 mph), this in theory should help with that. 

 

Some may say this is TMI, but I need you all to grasp the situation at hand. 

 

My question is this, is there a world where paying that much for golf lessons is worth it? Even with the proper attitude, I feel it would be really hard to live up to the price tag.

 

Any positive negative experiences would be very much appreciated.

 

CONTEXT: Lessons are in person, 50 minutes. Tech includes Gears 3D, Swing Catalyst, TPI certified trainer, T-Man, etc.  My friends will verbally abuse me if I don't make a different effort to better myself this year.

If you do 1 session of swing stuff and 1 session on mental game is that 2 lessons off the count? Or is 1 session/lesson going to cover swing, mental game, fitness, etc?

[abh00]

2 hours ago, jj9000 said:

 

Here's a free tip about the range, and also applies to playing alongside strangers.

 

Nobody gives a crap about your swing or score.

 

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to tell you the truth.  On the range, there will be folks that are better than...at the same level...and worse than you.  All (3) categories don't give a crap.

 

When you're playing alongside strangers...especially good players...they also don't care about your swing or skill level.  The only thing they care about is if you're not slowing the pace of play down.  They're focused on their own game.  I'm being serious.

 

 

you must have missed the part where he has to take a standardized test or cut off his ear if he loses to his peers

[Kuuuch]

13 hours ago, Louis_Posture said:

Every player who has earned a Tour card knows what matters in the golf swing and how to best play the game. For me playing ability is  the number one criteria for choosing an instructor. 

I am not saying the instructor need be a current great player, just that at some point in his/her career the instructor was a Tour player. It's a good sense criteria to use when seeking an instructor because there are way too many instructors who fake it. There are way too many men and women who break 80 once in awhile and think that qualifies them to teach golf.

not going to say who but i went to high school/college with one of the somewhat recent winners on the pga tour and he still to this day knows very little about the golf swing. its always been kind of a joke between us because i love the technicalities of the swing and he has always tried to stay as far away from it as possible. hes also been extremely gifted since he picked up a club, like most tour pros... 

[jj9000]

10 minutes ago, abh00 said:

you must have missed the part where he has to take a standardized test or cut off his ear if he loses to his peers

 

Nah, I got that.

 

His inability to consider range video, and range video being a hindrance is the point.

[mgoblue83]

Most definitely not worth it.

 

Best way to improve quickly is with just a couple lessons to give you a little guidance and then playing as much competitive golf with better players on as many different courses as possible. That means being honest with your score, no mulligans, no preferred lies and following the rules of golf when in trouble.

 

After playing a lot if there is a consistent miss or problem that needs to be addressed by all means take another couple lessons but then get back to playing. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by mgoblue83

[abh00]

5 minutes ago, jj9000 said:

 

Nah, I got that.

 

His inability to consider range video, and range video being a hindrance is the point.

Agreed. Sounds like he needs mental lessons

[skim4]

6 minutes ago, mgoblue83 said:

Most definitely not worth it.

 

Best way to improve quickly is with just a couple lessons to give you a little guidance and then playing as much competitive golf with better players on as many different courses as possible. That means being honest with your score, no mulligans, no preferred lies and following the rules of golf when in trouble.

 

After playing a lot if there is a consistent miss or problem that needs to be addressed by all means take another couple lessons but then get back to playing. 

 

 

 

 

It seems he is stuck at a 6. Easiest way to lower scores is to get better at scoring (short game, etc) but there is a plateau to this depending on ball striking. Hardest but best way to shift your potential is to get better at ball striking. Which is hard and takes lessons, usually. 

[naval2006]

4 minutes ago, skim4 said:

It seems he is stuck at a 6. Easiest way to lower scores is to get better at scoring (short game, etc) but there is a plateau to this depending on ball striking. Hardest but best way to shift your potential is to get better at ball striking. Which is hard and takes lessons, usually. 

Ball striking is king in golf. You can save a round or two with your short game and putting but you can’t go about every round without hitting the ball solid, you’ll have a hard time trying to post a decent score. 

[mgoblue83]

1 minute ago, skim4 said:

It seems he is stuck at a 6. Easiest way to lower scores is to get better at scoring (short game, etc) but there is a plateau to this depending on ball striking. Hardest but best way to shift your potential is to get better at ball striking. Which is hard and takes lessons, usually. 

 

Agree with everything except I'd argue that too many lessons is a bad thing for most amateurs. I coach high school golf and the players who take a ton of lessons often have swing paralysis where they have lost things like athleticism, speed, feel and self confidence. They can flush it on the range but have almost no chance of scoring well because they are playing golf swing not golf or panicking when the swing thought from the last lesson isn't working anymore. 

 

 

[neighborhoodhero]

26 minutes ago, jj9000 said:

 

Nah, I got that.

 

His inability to consider range video, and range video being a hindrance is the point.

Been there done that. I have too much pride to wear airpods and setup a tripod at the range while talking to a coach. If it's not live, I don't think it will be very effective and bad habits will continue. If I had a net at home or something, absolutely. 

[kobe123]

It all depends on the teacher, I would get a few lessons before committing to a package.

 

Additionally, for $3K you could buy a used Bushnell Launch Pro and practice all year long.

[DomJones]

It may be easier for people to give advice if they know some details about your bag and game. What’s your current bag setup, driver swing speed, usual miss leading to higher scores, etc. 

[ephmen]

100% worth it with the right instructor and you having a commitment to practice. I would take a single lesson first to see if you like the instructor and they seem to be a good fit. 

[abh00]

If it were me I would purchase an alignment rod and a dst compressor iron and hit a few large buckets

[Zitlow]

Lessons are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. 

[Michael Shanker]

I'd do a test lesson before i made a commitment to 10 or 20 lesson.

 

[TwistedSister]

17 hours ago, neighborhoodhero said:

That's how I feel too, but how many swag putters can one own without spending on professional help? Also, I am an hourly employee. My tax returns may cover the entire thing

And you know where the tax returns come from right?  Its not a gift from the IRS.  Its because you have too much withheld!

[Louis_Posture]

2 hours ago, Kuuuch said:

not going to say who but i went to high school/college with one of the somewhat recent winners on the pga tour and he still to this day knows very little about the golf swing. its always been kind of a joke between us because i love the technicalities of the swing and he has always tried to stay as far away from it as possible. hes also been extremely gifted since he picked up a club, like most tour pros... 

Consider that throughout history most of golf's greatest players have never become too involved with technical in-swing positions or mechanics. So, a highly accomplished player (such as Tour player) will likely never teach anything too technical, because they know it's counter productive. In contrast, incompetent instructors who have never played at a high skill level often teach complicated nonsense.

I once told Michael Breed that old school instructors taught fundamentally sound address technique (grip-posture-alignment) , knowing that if a student learned same from that  his/her own effective swing would naturally emerge. Michael agreed with me so I asked him why so many current instructors make teaching the swing complicated, He replied "because teaching golf is a business and  people paying for lessons expect it to be complicated".

I believe the sad truth is that golfers are vulnerable to incompetent instructors, the same way that golfers are vulnerable to OEM equipment advertising, marketing.

 

[iacas]

@Louis_Posture, that's some of the dumbest stuff I've read this week, and given the rest of this week… that's saying something.

 

15 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

Consider that throughout history most of golf's greatest players have never become too involved with technical in-swing positions or mechanics. So, a highly accomplished player (such as Tour player) will likely never teach anything too technical, because they know it's counter productive.

 

Tour players rarely truly understand "the swing" — some don't even understand their swing very well.

 

Your views on instruction are not aligned with reality. I've seen Tour players trying to teach people, and because they're gifted, they have a hard time relating to what it feels like or how tough it can be. I've literally seen one say "I don't know, you just picture a draw and hit it" to someone hitting massive slices.

 

That's about as "non-technical" as it gets… and about as useless as it sounds to the 25-handicapper. Would Keegan Bradley teach his stance to everyone? Would Tony Finau have everyone swinging back only as far back as he goes? Or do they need to understand every possible "good"golf swing, understand how to prioritize the order and develop a road map, etc.? Because like I said, some of them are what we called "Stupid Monkeys" — there's a longer story there but it boils down to "I don't know, I am doing it because my coach told me to do it."

 

Tour players make their money by playing well, not giving instruction, and not even understanding their own golf swing.

 

15 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

In contrast, incompetent instructors who have never played at a high skill level often teach complicated nonsense.

 

Define "at a high skill level" and note that you've already sequestered the person as an "incompetent instructor."

 

I've been a +2.4. Is that a "high level"? I don't know how good Harvey Penick ever got, but he wasn't a Tour player. Kept things pretty simple, no? Look at the Top 50 or Top 100 lists, please, and tell me how many of them are former Tour players.

 

15 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

I once told Michael Breed that old school instructors taught fundamentally sound address technique (grip-posture-alignment)

 

So do "new school" instructors. Taught a beginner today and that was the first 30 minutes. You're not talking about reality.

 

15 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

knowing that if a student learned same from that  his/her own effective swing would naturally emerge.

 

Not getting into that stuff again.

 

8 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

I believe the sad truth is that golfers are vulnerable to incompetent instructors, the same way that golfers are vulnerable to OEM equipment advertising, marketing.

 

I believe your whole take on the current state of instruction is a sad lie.

 

Edited January 26 by iacas

[Zitlow]

14 minutes ago, Louis_Posture said:

Consider that throughout history most of golf's greatest players have never become too involved with technical in-swing positions or mechanics. So, a highly accomplished player (such as Tour player) will likely never teach anything too technical, because they know it's counter productive. In contrast, incompetent instructors who have never played at a high skill level often teach complicated nonsense.

I once told Michael Breed that old school instructors taught fundamentally sound address technique (grip-posture-alignment) , knowing that if a student learned same from that  his/her own effective swing would naturally emerge. Michael agreed with me so I asked him why so many current instructors make teaching the swing complicated, He replied "because teaching golf is a business and  people paying for lessons expect it to be complicated".

I believe the sad truth is that golfers are vulnerable to incompetent instructors, the same way that golfers are vulnerable to OEM equipment advertising, marketing.