Lessons- Do you take them?

Yes, even when I am hitting it pretty well, I like to have someone else look at the swing. It is good to have someone else look at what your good swings look like before you ask them to fix it when it goes bad!

I take lessons at least once a month.  Just to make sure everything is in order because it is very easy to get something out of place and then it will creep into your swing and cause a habit and then it's hard to break. 

Some months I go in three times to get on film and see where everything is at.  A lot of the time, I like to have my putting stroke looked at, that is usually where I start to have old habits creep in and I just want to make sure I am keeping the stroke on plane and with good tempo.

I firmly believe in lessons and I think that is the only way to really get to the next level whether it's breaking 90 or going to the mini/Nationwide tour.

While being pretty much self taught, I know I need to seek some lessons to fine tune a few things that go a wry.

The hardest thing for me is finding someone I can trust, the last lessons I attempted did not work out as the pro I worked with seemed to have difficulty communicating with me and I found it not worth while.

I've had one and it shows, lol

Mondo,

I think the tough part is finding a pro that will work with the swing you already have.  A lot of pros try to make you have their cookie-cutter swing they try to get everyone to have and if you are a beginner that is great because you know no different but once you've developed your swing over years of practice, being told to do everything differently is not what you need.

 

I fortunately have a good pro who has only tried to improve my swing by showing me how to improve it. The only really hard thing for me is the latest move and that was to change my grip from an extremely strong (4knuckles) to 2 knuckles showing. I have gotten it pretty  well down now, but it was somewhat of a struggle.

I have a teacher that has been around me since the beginning. He taught alot of us as juniors and still helps out when needed. I can sometimes call him and tell him what is wrong and he can give me quick fix, then I go see him the first chance I get.

eagle3

I fortunately have a good pro who has only tried to improve my swing by showing me how to improve it. The only really hard thing for me is the latest move and that was to change my grip from an extremely strong (4knuckles) to 2 knuckles showing. I have gotten it pretty  well down now, but it was somewhat of a struggle.

Four knuckles?!  I don't know if I could find a way to grip the club to show four knuckles.  Glad you saw the pro to help you out a bit, if you can get used to that grip, I am sure you will see a dramatic change in your game... one thing to remember... it always gets worse before it gets better!

The thing I did when I first learned a grip was take a new glove with me to the lesson. During the grip change, I had my pro mark lines (parallel lines) on the palm of the glove where the butt of the club should sit in the palm and down the fingers, then when you are practicing to get used to the grip, all you do is line up the grip between the parallel lines and you're good.

EMKelly0106

eagle3

I fortunately have a good pro who has only tried to improve my swing by showing me how to improve it. The only really hard thing for me is the latest move and that was to change my grip from an extremely strong (4knuckles) to 2 knuckles showing. I have gotten it pretty  well down now, but it was somewhat of a struggle.

Four knuckles?!  I don't know if I could find a way to grip the club to show four knuckles.  Glad you saw the pro to help you out a bit, if you can get used to that grip, I am sure you will see a dramatic change in your game... one thing to remember... it always gets worse before it gets better!

The thing I did when I first learned a grip was take a new glove with me to the lesson. During the grip change, I had my pro mark lines (parallel lines) on the palm of the glove where the butt of the club should sit in the palm and down the fingers, then when you are practicing to get used to the grip, all you do is line up the grip between the parallel lines and you're good.

And that was exactly what the pro did. I now carry that glove that is marked with the proper grip and have finally gotten used to the new grip. Ease of swing and distance have improved greatly. When I had the 4 showing  I was actually twisting my hand to accomplish it and talk about some wild shots. Sometimes we all need help and I got what I needed before I gave up something that I really like. And you have helped too. The library here is getting the book by Tiger for me and should have it in a week or so.

I will record myself on video from time to time and make changes as needed.  If I get in a bind ill have my boss give me some help

When looking for a PGA Pro, before you book your first lesson you need to have a chat to see if your needs will match the Pros teaching style.

I find that the first thing I want to know from a prospective student is what are thet trying to accomplish. Do they need a "quick fix" to get them through an upcoming weekend tournament? Are they looking to re-build the swing completely? Or do they just need help with a small part of the game; putting, chipping, alignment, etc.

The place to find out you and your Pro are not on the same page is not on the lesson tee, it is in the shop before the lesson is booked.

19hole

When looking for a PGA Pro, before you book your first lesson you need to have a chat to see if your needs will match the Pros teaching style.

I find that the first thing I want to know from a prospective student is what are thet trying to accomplish. Do they need a "quick fix" to get them through an upcoming weekend tournament? Are they looking to re-build the swing completely? Or do they just need help with a small part of the game; putting, chipping, alignment, etc.

The place to find out you and your Pro are not on the same page is not on the lesson tee, it is in the shop before the lesson is booked.

I would have to agree with your assessment of finding a Pro. I guess that after moving to a new location last year, I was inadvertently shopping for a new Pro who I could communicate with and would be best suited for my needs. Of course I found one and the match was perfect. Now any time I am having problems and need that "Quick Fix"  I can go to him and feel confident that it will be accomplished.

I take lessons about once a month during the in season and about three times a month during the off season.  Its always good just to keep my swing in check or work on a specific part of my game that I may be struggling with at the time.

I usually go for lessons at the beginning of the season to get a swing check. My game didn't improve much this year. Instead of getting it fixed, I would have rather played golf. I feel this was a big mistake. Next season I'll be taking lessons during the season.