To get a lesson or not get a lesson...

[wtodd]

the problem with this thread is the word "a lesson". If you think you're going to pay for one session and immediately improve you're kidding yourself. If you really want to get better you WILL have to make changes. They will feel weird and uncomfortable and they will UNDOUBTEDLY make you play worse at first. But if you want to improve you will have to go through that. Which means you'll also need multiple sessions and $$$

 

Don't worry, I'm prepared for multiple lessons. Rome wasn't built in a day.

[wtodd]

 

 

 

 

Actually it is quite true in that without knowing what the ball did, making changes based on feedback from a video is a very deep, dark rabbit hole - once you fall in, you may never get back - so don't!

 

Oh I'd never do it. Not that I don't love you guys and respect your opinions, I just know how some jack legs are.

[wtodd]

Update:

Within 30 minutes we had 75% of my major flaws fixed. By the end of the lesson, I'd say we had 99% fixed. Going back next week for another lesson. We have a 5-6 lesson program where we are hoping lessons 3-6 are just fine tuning. Really impressed and it was actually nice to have a fresh perspective of my swing. Also, video analyst is awesome!

[Babydaddy]

If your 'papa' taught you, then you're not really self-taught (I only make that point because some of us are the belligerently self-taught who'd rather die than listen to anyone else). So, you're open to being instructed.

 

My regular Sunday partner went to a pro for two lessons. The pro changed his grip and his alignment, but not his swing. It helped him quite a bit. This was one of those sample packages at the par 3/driving range we play at. You might try some sample lessons to see what various teachers have to offer.

 

Btw, have you analyzed your game to see if there are any areas in which you're consistently losing shots?

He had 2 lessons to change grip and alignment?? What was the instructor doing for the remaining 1 hour and 50 minutes??

Harvey Penick spent several days working on the left hand grip and face angle with the winningest female golfer of all time (Kathy Whitworth)-

It can happen

[Babydaddy]

Unfortunately golf is often taught as if what is being observed is a 1 to 1 correlation, which it almost never is-

 

You always have to ask why? Root cause is the thing- at it's almost always rooted in set up-

 

Any jack hole can put two videos up side by side and point out what looks different- that's why I have been very careful about who I talk to about the swing-

For example a teacher may look at your swing video, and say see your right arm is out of position at this point in the backwing-

Well ok- what is in position? Why does it matter what my right arm is doing at that point in the swing? Why am I doing that? Why can't I stop doing that even when you tell me to move the arm this way, or that way?

 

The answer is pretty much everything you can see is a result and not a cause-

 

There are only handful of pros that teach that way-

[Terry Gold]

the problem with this thread is the word "a lesson". If you think you're going to pay for one session and immediately improve you're kidding yourself. If you really want to get better you WILL have to make changes. They will feel weird and uncomfortable and they will UNDOUBTEDLY make you play worse at first. But if you want to improve you will have to go through that. Which means you'll also need multiple sessions and $$$

 

 

Depends on the player and the instructor.

 

e.g.: A decent instructor will immediately recognize fundamental problems in things like alignment or ball position and can easily have the student hitting it better in a matter of a few swings.

 

I agree that most swing changes require a period of committed work to adjust to and instill correctly, and good instructors will provide the student with drills, feels, etc. for the student to take with them to range sessions between lessons.

 

It's ultimately the student's investment and commitment to practicing/ingraining a change (assuming the instruction is good) that manifests the improvement.