Thinking about Lessons?

A man went to the local golf course because he was interested in taking up golf. He found the golf professional on the range just finishing up with a lesson. He asked the professional, “How much for a lesson, I want to learn how to play golf?” The professional said, “I charge $500 for a series of 10 lessons.” The man replied, “I only want one lesson, how much will that be?” The golf professional quickly responded, “Oh, in that case it will cost $100,000.” The man looked at the pro indignantly and said, “You already told me it was $500 for 10 lessons, why in the world would I pay $100,000 for just one!” The professional smiled and replied, “Sir, you said you were interested in learning how to play golf, I can teach you in 10 lessons and that will cost $500…If, however, it’s a miracle you’re looking for, you had better expect you’re going to pay for it!” 

The moral of this story is simple…be realistic with your endeavors and the expectations for results. 

There is no quick fix, 5-minute tip, magic glove, weighted swing aid, hozel-less wedge, guru video, or any other type of golf gizmo that is going to improve your game overnight. The people who master the game of golf work hard day in and day out to learn their craft. A great golf swing will not happen through osmosis in the course of a half hour lesson. 

Imagine going to a piano teacher and telling them you want to be able to play like Wolfgang Mozart by the end of the lesson. The expectation would be ridiculous and the end result would be failure. However if that same student told the teacher, “I want to learn some strong fundamentals and I’m willing to put in the time needed to one day play music on the piano like Mozart and other composers I like.” Now the student is being realistic with progress. 

Can improvement happen quickly? Of course it can. Everyone is different, however, and take to instruction differently. And the fact of the matter is, not all golf instructors are created equal. Some are better than others. The identifying factors of a great instructor are higher levels of communication and the ability to “read the student”, identify the best course of action needed to make the student a better player in the shortest amount of time. The student teacher relationship is, just that, a relationship. They need to care about you and your needs, and you, in turn, need to trust them. And, just like any other relationship, will only be built over time. 

This does not mean, however, you need to take a lesson every week, for the next 10 years, to be a good golfer! 

You must practice what is being preached. You can’t expect the instructor to do it for you. Golf instruction is the communication of information and knowledge. From the physics of ball flight to the physiology of body mechanics; the psychology of course maintenance to the sociology of the people playing, all of this wrapped up in one tight philosophy called golf instruction. And you thought it was just hitting a little white ball! 

There are three stages to getting better in golf through instruction. Before a lesson… you are comfortable and inconsistent. Next, you take a lesson…uncomfortable and inconsistent. Finally, after practice and hard work…you will become comfortable and consistent. Most people give up or say the instructor isn’t good somewhere in the uncomfortable, inconsistent stage. Stay committed and you will reach the final stage. 

Building your golf game (whatever level you are starting at) should consist of the following: 

1. Decide you want to work on your game and get better… This includes making the time on a weekly basis to take on the endeavor. You must determine, in the beginning, just how much time you are willing to commit to properly assess the rate of your personal improvement. 

2. Choose an instructor… This is a critical factor and should not be rushed into. Often times, word of mouth is a good way to locate a good instructor, however, I still recommend interviewing possible candidates for the job. Remember, this golf instructor will be working for you, and with you to help attain your goals and keep you motivated. Go over their philosophies, your commitment level, and possible timelines for reaching specific goals. A good instructor will have no problem, and actually enjoy, going over the expectations and the fact you understand the process of proper learning. 

3. Begin your lessons… When you start, it may require frequent visits and what I call “supervised practice time.” This frequency would be once a week or once every other week depending on your time commitment to individual practice. Again, this is a critical time to stay connected to the instructor for support as you will probably struggle a bit with the changes and new concepts you are learning. Embrace these changes; don’t fight them. You went for lessons to make changes, don’t be surprised by them when they appear. As you improve, the frequency of your visits should decrease as you become better with your individual practice time and are taught proper self-analysis. Instruction never goes out of style, however, so even when you reach your goals it is still a good idea to do annual or bi-annual “check-ups” just to make sure you’re not slipping into bad habits. 

4. Signs you have the wrong instructor… Any verbal statements like, “Have you thought about taking up bowling,” or a general feeling of impatience coming from the instructor are pretty good signs you need to look for someone else. Your instructor should be your biggest cheerleader and make you feel like you can accomplish all your goals. Anything less should be unacceptable and would make personal improvement difficult, if not impossible. 

5. Assess and re-assess… Look at your timelines for improvement. Hindsight is a clear indicator of improvement and should be used to asses whether or not you’re reaching the goals you’ve set for yourself. This is the point that you re-asses your future course of action. Are you seeing the improvement you were looking for with your current plan, or is it time to commit to a new plan. Maybe, you’ve seen more improvement than you anticipated. This is a great time to re-assess and set your sights higher. 

Anyone who is serious about improving their golf game needs to take lessons. If the best players in the world think it’s important to continue their education in golf, shouldn’t it be important to you? Good luck with all your golf endeavors and setting your goals to becoming the best player you can be. 

Thanks for Golfing With Jeff