How to Make Your First Golf Lesson Count – For the Intermediate Golfer
You’ve been playing golf for some time, maybe even years. He’s had a pretty consistent swing. His handicap is probably between 12 and 20, but he can’t get any lower. Sounds like you’ve hit a plateau. Finally, he decides to take a lesson from his local pro. What should you expect? Is there anything you can or should do before the lesson?
This is what you should ponder? You have come a long way. You learned the basics of the game, grip, stance, stance, alignment, backswing and downswing. Recognize that golf is not an easy game. You understand that the golf swing has “a lot of moving parts.” So, in a 45-60 minute lesson, you can’t expect the professional to diagnose and fix all those “moving parts.”
Tip #1
The first thing to do is analyze your game or swing and try to identify a part that is giving you more difficulty. Are you satisfied with the way you are delivering the ball off the tee? Are your fairway woods or hybrids giving you more trouble? How about your shorts will go? Pitching? chipped? Maybe you are putting? Whatever it is, try to identify that part you are looking to improve on and let the Pro know that you want to focus on that area.
The pro will ask you to take a stick, warm up, and do a few strokes. Unless his basics are totally wrong, the Pro will start to focus on the aspect he identified. Hopefully the Pro will be able to identify your problem. The pro will suggest a different move and hopefully the right one to fix your problem and improve your swing. The professional will ask you to continue practicing this new movement until he feels that he can do it on his own.
Tip #2
Write down on a piece of paper exactly what the Pro suggested to improve your swing. Ask the Pro if their understanding of the suggestion is exactly as the Pro suggested. Make sure you and your Pro are on the same page.
Tip #3
Now you have to remind yourself that it has taken you as long as you’ve been playing golf to have acquired this incorrect aspect of your swing that the Pro suggested you need to change. Inadequate muscle memory has been established. To improve your swing according to the pro’s advice, you must develop the new muscle memory required for the desired movement. Such requires repetition. To get the most benefit from your lesson, review your notes and practice the move as often as possible. Don’t change any other part of your swing. It is better to do short periods of practice than to practice during a long session.
You MUST practice that new movement until you are able to execute it unconsciously. That’s when muscle memory has taken over the movement. If and when you can carry out the suggestion, you are ready for your next lesson. If you don’t practice that new move, you’ll have wasted your lesson. If you decide to continue with your lessons and can demonstrate that you can perform the suggested move, your Pro will be able to provide helpful critique or suggest your next lesson. Your swing and your game will continue to improve.
Stay positive about your swing and your game. Remember that “golf is NOT a perfect game”. As Tiger Woods reminds us, his swing is constant work.
