Instructor/coach/teacher

[revkev]

I was a self taught player, can you say caddie shack?  I had a lesson when I was in college but the guy wanted to change everything and I was simply going through a rough patch. I figured it out on my own and did fine until I got a big boy job and was married.  I then did a Jimmy Ballard school which gave me a real swing to work with - it took a while but that's pretty much the basis for what I'm still doing - it was easier on the body than the reverse C that I accumulated from reading Golf My Way and watching the tour guys in the 70's.

 

We had a class A pro at my church in Wisconsin and he became my friend, coach, equipment guru and that was great - I got back down to a 3 and was able to maintain that and even improve to a 2 after moving to Florida.  He'd come once a year in the winter, we'd play and he'd make necessary tweaks.  He's retired and has had some health issues so that hasn't happened the past three years - my game has suffered.  I can still get it around and shoot in the mid 70's but I don't have a clue why other than I expect to shoot in the mid 70's.  On any given day I might shoot 72 or 87 which has never been me - I've always been steady as the sunrise and sunset.  Frankly though  I've gotten to the point where my ball striking is suspect and I hit full shots not to screw up - It's my short game that saves me.

 

So I've considered the possibilities and have settled on a guy, a former European tour player who runs a nice little golf shop in St. Pete.  He's a little younger than I, 51, but that also means he understands that the body doesn't do what it used to.  He also gets that I have a day job and just need to get rid of some bad habits. He also does equipment repair and with his experience understands fitting.   

 

I've scheduled a lesson for a week from tomorrow. 

 

Who here takes lessons and who here has a regular instructor?

[Jmikecpa]

Much like you I am a self taught player and really have never had a formal lesson to speak of, but I do see someone once or twice a year to have a look at my swing and make some small adjustments.  Several years ago we signed our son up for group parent/child lessons through our local YMCA and the pro that taught the lessons was a great player and and even better instructor.  As he was giving the lessons and the parents were hitting shots he would give me some small pointers to work on.  That stepped up a bit when we my son and I would head to his club and play a few holes with him and he would have me work on some things, but never once told me to rebuild or change my swing which was key for me.  Now that I am out of the Philly area I send him some videos of my swing when I get into a funk and he points me in the right direction to fix what is ailing me.

[GolfSpy WD]

When I have $1000 to spare I'll get another coach. Seeing someone once or twice a year doesn't do it for me at all. 

[jpcgolf]

I have lessons around once or twice a month with a guy named sam frost, dave frost's brother.  He is really strict and hard, and at the end of each lesson, I feel like I am going to pass out from the mental work, and It is really hard, but it works.

[RoverRick]

I have never had a real lesson.  Studied different theories and worked it out myself.  But I have already told this story in the "I ain't Tiger" thread and the "DIY-Golf Swing" Threads, and it only took me 30 years.  Haha.

[Mr_Theoo]

I've been taking lessons for a year now at Golftec and have enjoyed them a lot. My swing has improved tenfold and I'm getting closer to putting it all together on the course. For me it's nice to have someone see my swing on a regular basis and work on one or two little things than trying to figure it all out myself. If you can afford the time and money it's definitely worth it.

[revkev]

I've been taking lessons for a year now at Golftec and have enjoyed them a lot. My swing has improved tenfold and I'm getting closer to putting it all together on the course. For me it's nice to have someone see my swing on a regular basis and work on one or two little things than trying to figure it all out myself. If you can afford the time and money it's definitely worth it.

To be clear this won't be that sort of process for me. It's more like a lesson or two to get things back on track and then an annual or bi-annual review. I still shoot in the mid70s regularly and shot several rounds under par last season. I'm not looking to play on the champions tour.

[Kanoito]

I've taken about 20 lessons in the past 4 years with 3 different coaches...

The good thing is, I "think" I know where I'm losing my strokes, so it's easy to discuss with them and just focus on that particular issue...

Just joined a new club, so I guess coach search starts all over

[BIG STU]

Well with my Dad being a pro I did not really take a lesson from him after 12 years old because me and him did not see eye to eye. One of his friends did change my grip from an interlock to a overlap though. I quit playing golf for about 6 or 8 years until I moved to the beach. I started knocking it around with my wife some and got to playing good and she wanted me to play the minis some. Not for the money for the competition since I had quit racing cars. I have always been a competive person in whatever I do so my life was lacking. Anyhow I got it in my head that I needed lessons and I hired an instructor. Nothing wrong with him I just could not do what he wanted and it really screwed me up. My other friend who himself is one of the top instructors on the beach was playing with me one day and said forget all that s**t and hit the frigging ball. Yep that is what I have to do. But with that being said sometimes you may have to have someone take a look at what you are doing.

Recently I was having a problem putting. I was rolling the ball good but could not get it to go down. I was practicing on the putting green and ran into an old Mini tour friend of mine who is also a Class A PGA himself. We got to talking and he took a look. First off "what happened to your forward press?" and your alignment is off bad with your body. It took him about 15 minutes to straighten me out and now I am ok. He did not attempt to change anything about my methods but just got me on the right path. Sometimes I agree that you need someone to straighten you out not a wholesale change. He did give me a practice drill to practice with the Alignment sticks and I do that before practicing putting and on my pre game warm up. I will note this guy has played a lot of golf with me and knows my swing and methods and he does share my golf philosophy to work with what you got.

[revkev]

Big Stu - that was very important for me in talking to people that I wanted to visit with for a lesson - I made it clear - I'm a good player, I'm not making any sort of changes, I need someone to look at what I'm doing and check up on me every once in a while and also some one who's willing to play a round with me now and again to make sure I'm behaving on the course.

 

That's what I had with John in Sheboygan and those times that he came to Florida to visit.  I think this new guy gets it plus he's been a player and he realizes that in the end you have to figure out how to shoot a score with what you have.

 

BTW with putting I realized the end of last week that I was having trouble with ball position.  I went to the putting green on Monday, made sure that I got the ball right undermy left eye and bang, everyting inside of 10 feet went in and the longer putts were right on line.  That totally carried through to the course on Tuesday.

 

But that's for experienced players like you or I and some others here - there are others who are working on something or trying to move from one level to the next - both Mr. Theo and Steve are like that - I totally respect and understand what they are doing and applaud their efforts.

[RookieBlue7]

Never had a lesson. I should take a few but I'd rather spend that money on swing lube and take the good with the bad. Lol.

 

Seriously if I had the time I know who I'd go to for lessons and she's jam up. If she retires, the local instructor at the local CC would be my second choice. He's a dick but he knows what he's doing... Just ask Steven Bowditch, Justin Rose and Boo Weekley, among others

[Jmikecpa]

Big Stu - that was very important for me in talking to people that I wanted to visit with for a lesson - I made it clear - I'm a good player, I'm not making any sort of changes, I need someone to look at what I'm doing and check up on me every once in a while and also some one who's willing to play a round with me now and again to make sure I'm behaving on the course.

 

 

I had the pro at my former club approach me on the range when I was hitting balls and proceed to tell me we need to completely rebuild my entire swing from the ground up........after I had just shot 66/69 in the club championship qualifier.

 

Needless to say he and I did not get along well after that day.

[revkev]

The pro at the course that I played at in Ithaca was like that Jmike - He used to drive me nuts.  To be sure I was a cocky kid but come on for crying out loud, I was coming to the game from baseball and playing some pretty good golf.  There was one time when I was on the first tee that he came out of the pro shop and announced to everyone, the touring pro is here shhhhhhhhh let's all watch.  He did that because I went and played in the State Amature without telling him.  I made the cut and got to play in match play so it wasn't outrageous.

 

Another time he came up to me on the first tee and said to the group that I was with that the hole called for a fade and that I couldn't do it.  This was persimmon wood days, number 1 was a 540 yard par 5 that almost no one ever reached in 2 and I had done it twice in the past week (once upon a time I could move the ball even with that old equipment).  It's a straight away hole and really doesn't favor a fade or a draw and since I have always played a draw I just played a draw and took the extra distance.  With balata and blades I could and did often work the ball back then.  So I backed off the ball, bet him $100 that I could hit a fade, he took it and I hit the sweetest little fade that you'd ever want to see about 250 right down the gut.  He never paid up..... never.

 

I couldn't stand that guy. 

[RookieBlue7]

And that's when you get him with a shiv to the liver. I hate welchers almost as bad as theives

[GolfSpy WD]

You two have pretty much described how I think of a lot of pros. I can't stand the attitude a lot of them have that they know infinitely more than you'll ever comprehend and the only way to fix your game is to rebuild your swing. Then there are the pros that try tip after tip from golf digest. Both are crap and I've yet to find one whom I mesh with.

 

Honestly the one session short game lesson I got from Dan were far more helpful than anything I've gotten from a pro to date.

[revkev]

And that's when you get him with a shiv to the liver. I hate welchers almost as bad as theives

 

 

He was an old school pro - he had no liver left.

 

I hear you WD but honestly there are a lot of hard working guys who run clubs, repair clubs, teach lessons and every once and a while get to play.  That was my guy in Wisconsin.  He totally got that the people whom he was teaching wanted to play well enough, hit enough good shots, to enjoy the game.  I think there are lots of guys like him out there - the problem is finding them. 

[GolfSpy WD]

I hear you WD but honestly there are a lot of hard working guys who run clubs, repair clubs, teach lessons and every once and a while get to play.  That was my guy in Wisconsin.  He totally got that the people whom he was teaching wanted to play well enough, hit enough good shots, to enjoy the game.  I think there are lots of guys like him out there - the problem is finding them. 

 

I agree! Too many folks out there think that because they're good it makes them a good teacher. Personally I think they should do away with the "shoot three rounds in a row below 76" test PGA pros have to pass to become teachers.

[Jmikecpa]

He was an old school pro - he had no liver left.

 

I hear you WD but honestly there are a lot of hard working guys who run clubs, repair clubs, teach lessons and every once and a while get to play.  That was my guy in Wisconsin.  He totally got that the people whom he was teaching wanted to play well enough, hit enough good shots, to enjoy the game.  I think there are lots of guys like him out there - the problem is finding them. 

Could not agree more, our first assistant was a heck of a player and a great guy as well.  We had a standing rule that if a member requested to play with one of the pro's that it was a request that was granted.  Our took our Assts. out just about every time that I played so they could get out of the shop and get some course time in.  Drove the head pro nuts which was a nice benefit.

 

One other good story about our pro was that every year we did a beat the pro contest where members could sign up to play against the pro and if you beat him straight up you got $200 in shop credit.  The guys I played with generally never did it since we were all scratch or better and just thought it was not fair to do to the pros that are stuck in the shop all day.  I showed up to play my normal Saturday game and another member had said one of his guys for the beat the pro could not play and asked if I would not mind joining them in his place to round out the group; once I found out it was the head pro I jumped on it.  The entire round I kept getting the snide remarks about hitting it long and that is not the ideal way to play.  Slow and steady wins the race was mentioned a few times.  In the end slow and steady lost by 8 shots and I really, really, really enjoyed spending that shop credit.  I also may have mentioned on the 18th green after our round that we should hit the range and I could teach him how to hit it further than my wife.

[Mr_Theoo]

I also may have mentioned on the 18th green after our round that we should hit the range and I could teach him how to hit it further than my wife.

LOLOLOL! That's awesome

[revkev]

to that story!

 

That break 76 or whatever it is - I think it has to do with the course's rating that they are playing their qualifier on is very difficult for some of the guys who are so busy doing other things.

 

I agree the test should be - can he or she teach and not so much can he or she play.  Perhaps there should be an entry qualifier for playing but after that it should be all about professionalism, teaching, marketing, the ability to organize games, events, work with staff, members, etc., etc.

[BIG STU]

I had the pro at my former club approach me on the range when I was hitting balls and proceed to tell me we need to completely rebuild my entire swing from the ground up........after I had just shot 66/69 in the club championship qualifier.

 

Needless to say he and I did not get along well after that day.

LMAO I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. I was practicing at a different range from my home course just a change of scenery so to speak. This guy runs a golf school there. I was on the end of the range by myself bothering no one. He was on the other side (this is a small range) with a student and he says to the student see that guy (me) he is laying the club off at the top. I ignored him until the 3rd time he said it. I turned around and looked at him and said tell him the rest he looked at me and said the rest? I said well you don't know diddly about a golf swing because I reroute the club going down. then I put the needle in I told him when you get through with the gentleman you are instructing #10 tee is open and I have green fees plus $100 in my pocket jump in my pocket if you are scared. Of course he did not take me up on it. I don't really go over there any more but when I see this guy out sometimes I say "come and get you some"

[BIG STU]

Big Stu - that was very important for me in talking to people that I wanted to visit with for a lesson - I made it clear - I'm a good player, I'm not making any sort of changes, I need someone to look at what I'm doing and check up on me every once in a while and also some one who's willing to play a round with me now and again to make sure I'm behaving on the course.

 

That's what I had with John in Sheboygan and those times that he came to Florida to visit.  I think this new guy gets it plus he's been a player and he realizes that in the end you have to figure out how to shoot a score with what you have.

 

BTW with putting I realized the end of last week that I was having trouble with ball position.  I went to the putting green on Monday, made sure that I got the ball right undermy left eye and bang, everyting inside of 10 feet went in and the longer putts were right on line.  That totally carried through to the course on Tuesday.

 

But that's for experienced players like you or I and some others here - there are others who are working on something or trying to move from one level to the next - both Mr. Theo and Steve are like that - I totally respect and understand what they are doing and applaud their efforts.

Rev you did it again put it in perspective for me. I stand corrected. I did not know that Mr Theoo and Steve were relative new to the game. yep I agree they should stay on the path they are on. If they get proper swing instruction when they are relative new to the game it will keep out bad habits. I always said if I had a kid that was taking up the game I would get them proper swing instruction (not from me) at an early age and let the proper swing be natural for them. A lot of things I do are natural and instincitive that is why I am not an golf instructor you cant teach some of the crazy things I do. I cant even explain it. My holdback was always mental and now that I have gotten older I am smarter. you know what the Bible says about gray hair so to speak at 56 I am just starting to get gray hair a little

[BIG STU]

Could not agree more, our first assistant was a heck of a player and a great guy as well.  We had a standing rule that if a member requested to play with one of the pro's that it was a request that was granted.  Our took our Assts. out just about every time that I played so they could get out of the shop and get some course time in.  Drove the head pro nuts which was a nice benefit.

 

One other good story about our pro was that every year we did a beat the pro contest where members could sign up to play against the pro and if you beat him straight up you got $200 in shop credit.  The guys I played with generally never did it since we were all scratch or better and just thought it was not fair to do to the pros that are stuck in the shop all day.  I showed up to play my normal Saturday game and another member had said one of his guys for the beat the pro could not play and asked if I would not mind joining them in his place to round out the group; once I found out it was the head pro I jumped on it.  The entire round I kept getting the snide remarks about hitting it long and that is not the ideal way to play.  Slow and steady wins the race was mentioned a few times.  In the end slow and steady lost by 8 shots and I really, really, really enjoyed spending that shop credit.  I also may have mentioned on the 18th green after our round that we should hit the range and I could teach him how to hit it further than my wife.

Too funny:)

[revkev]

Another lesson tomorrow. I need one after this week. In the teachers defense I injured my back and couldn't come close to making a good pass at the ball. A week of PT and two visits to the chiropractor latter and I'm all set.

[revkev]

Big advances yesterday.  First lesson was more about what I've been doing and am looking to do this one was about getting me there.  I had thought my power loss was due to age.  It started when I had pneumonia two years ago and has detereorated since even though I've had some very good rounds.

 

It turns out that it has much more to do with some bad habits that have crept in and then cause other issues all the way down the line.  Strengthened the grip, narrowed the stance, moved the ball back, got my right shoulder lower and bang I started really hitting the ball solid.  I was hitting my 7 iron past the 150 flag when I've had trouble hitting it 140 this entire season.  That's with my old Nicklaus 7 iron because I'm comfortable with the shaft in it and he wanted me to hit something that I'd be comfortable with.  That 7 is identical to my speedblade 8 so in a sense I'd be gaining two clubs.  However Mike is not a fan of speedblades so we may be moving to a different iron with the Gtech shafts in or perhaps with some Matrix shafts that I have around the house. 

 

It's almost always some stupid little fundamental thing that messes a swing up. 

[Blade]

Boy am I learning about back trouble affecting the swing.  I have a bad disc giving me sciatic nerve pain.  While I've adjusted my swing a bit to avoid stressing it as much and played nine holes walking yesterday without too much pain, I topped three shots and shanked one with a 7i off the tee on a par 3.  I can't remember the last time I topped a ball on the course and don't think I've shanked one in the last two years that I can remember.  I remember one off the tee like that as well two years ago, but that's not a typical miss for me.  My distance is less too.  That's to be expected though.  I'm swinging more with my arms and less hip drive and less thrust with my legs.  At least I got out.  But it sucks not being able to swing like normal.  I was doing better than ever with consistent contact on the sweet spot too until this started.  I have to walk for sure now.  Riding in a cart between swings is terrible for it.  I may have to permanently change how I swing.  I may end up needing a softer flex in my shafts even.  Who knows?  I hope I can make it work somehow.

[kygolfer1980]

I have a guy I see when I start struggling.  He works with my swing instead of trying to change it though.  Typically it's something small in my fundamentals.  74 is the best I have ever shot though.  I typically hang out in the 81-85 range when I am playing decent.

[revkev]

This game is so bizarre. Last Saturday I played the same course as today and shot 77. I hit 6 greens and took only 27 putts. Today I hit 9 greens, hit the ball way better, significantly longer off the tee and shot 76 because I took 32 putts.

 

I have a ways to go with the swing thing but I can see that when it works, it works. I had drifted so far afield.

[jpcgolf]

I had a lesson today, and after changing my alignment further to the left, I was able to attack the ball much better. Birdied 2 out of the first five holes of the Blue Course at Congressional from the tips during my lesson.  I wish it was more than one hour.

[revkev]

I was such a mess that it's going to take me more than a couple of lessons. Something really clicked with the short irons on the back nine yesterday. I hit two in pretty tight on the back nine. I also hit two 3 hybrids on the green from 190 on 17. The course was empty so with hit some second balls, had a twenty minute lightening delay and still played in under 3 1/2 it was great.

 

In fact I was 3/5 the 3 hybrid hitting greens and the misses were handy. So I've got a few clubs that I can hit solid.