Jim Suttie: You can improve with lessons

[Moecat]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/feb/15/jim-suttie-you-can-improve-lessons/

 

NAPLES — Golf is a wonderful sport. It gives you the opportunity to be out in the open air and play a game with your friends.

 

People play the game for different reasons, but one of them, I am sure, is to compete against yourself and the course. Golf is fun, but it is always more fun to play well when you go out.

 

One of the best ways to get better is to take golf lessons. Believe it or not, fewer than 20 percent of all the people who play golf take lessons. Why is this? Well, there are a lot of reasons people don't take lessons. Here are just a few. Look at this list and tell me if this sounds like you?

 

â–  Fear. This would include fear of ruining the swing you presently have. Some people have had bad experiences with lessons, and now won't take any lessons from anyone.

 

â–  Lack of commitment. This includes a time commitment, a practice commitment, and a financial commitment.

 

â–  Intimidation and embarrassment. Many players, especially ladies, are very sensitive about taking lessons. Nobody wants to show everybody their bad habits.

 

â–  Most people don't believe they will get any better. In fact, most people feel they will get worse.

 

â–  Unwillingness to make any changes that the teacher suggests. That is too bad as people can get better.

 

â–  Lack of trust. People just don't trust what the teacher is trying to tell them. In fact, I have always said that there are probably more teachers than players, as all the players think they know more than the teachers. People continue to think that they can fix themselves, and they can't.

 

â–  The Quick Fix. Unfortunately, our society wants the quick fix, and it just won't last in the skill of golf. Change is a process, and you will get a little better each time you go out.

 

â–  Fear of getting over-analytical. Many players are being encouraged to stay away from teachers because the teacher will make them too analytical. A good teacher will never let this happen. For example. if the player is a creative type of personalty, and not the analytical type, the teacher will recognize this and teach accordingly.

 

â–  Can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well, people aren't dogs, and education is not tricks.

 

Here are some words of wisdom that I will pass on to you. Do you want to be a Chevy or do you want to be a Ferrari?

 

Lessons will help you become the latter. Do you want to just exercise, or practice for a purpose? Do you know the problems, but can't find the solutions? Then take a lesson.

 

Getting better at golf is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey. Stay away from method teachers, and anyone who doesn't treat you as an individual. Remember, all golf swings are different, and your fundamentals have to fit your ball flight preference and your physical capabilities.

 

Don't try to swing like your favorite pro since that will be impossible for you to accomplish. If you are a 22 handicap, then you have 22 reasons to take a lesson. Find a teacher that will work with what you have and can make you a better player. Set goals and work on your short game and putting as hard as you would the full swing.

 

Golf is meant to be fun, but it is always more fun to play better. Realize this, know this and seek out your nearest PGA professional that has your best interest at heart. Enjoy the game.

 

Dr. Jim Suttie, 2000 National PGA Teacher of the Year, is available for lessons at Suttie Golf at The Club at Twin Eagles North Naples and Cog Hill Golf Club, Lemont, Ill. Suttie is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher and rated No. 15 in Golf Digest Best 50 Teachers. Suttie also is the director of golf operations for the FGCU golf program. For lessons and program information call 800-765-3838 or [email protected]

 

© 2011 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Justin66]

I was with him until the "Chevy" comment. Still, all kinds of good tidbits.

[Matt Saternus]

Interesting post. I read the title and just thought, "Duh, duh, duh, freaking duh." He makes a lot of good points about why people don't take lessons, things I hear every day at the shop. The stat he gave about less than 20% of golfers taking lessons makes me curious - does that mean 20% have ever taken a lesson or are currently taking lessons? The former would be shocking, the latter not very interesting; golf lessons are damned expensive and it seems to me that people take a lesson or two, go play, then maybe come back for more, maybe not.

[GolfSpy Tim]

I know that golf is a magical place where we all love to spend money, but I think that $ is one of the reasons people don't take lessons... I think most people are looking for a quick cure and they think that lessons will take too long to see improvement, so they'd rather buy a $80 training aid thinking it will deliver again and again without needing lessons.

[mudfish]

I'm the type of player who plays once; maybe twice a week... I know lessons would make me better, but financially they just are right for me now... If I were to spend a couple hundred $$$ on a few lessons, they would be pointless because I wouldn't have the money to get out an the course for at least a month or so to use the techniques I just learned...

[Kanoito]

Same for me... on our course a 45min lesson runs for $60 + range ball fee

You can't just take one and expect it to work... so you would need at least what... once a week? So it all adds up...

 

I've basically gathered all the tips/drills/techniques online, watching youtube and receiving advice from fellow golfers (MGS has been very helpful at that)

 

Then just go to the driving range and practice

[RookieBlue7]

I got a free lesson yesterday from the former pro at my course, who's now going to be the head pro at a local big box store. She gave me video and everything. It's the first formal lesson I've ever had, and while it was only half an hour, she showed me a lot in that time. My hands are too far away from me at address, I need to not be so upright, I need to turn more and slide less, and I need to stop my backswing earlier. then the adjusted my grip as well. I thought I had a strong left hand grip, she said it wasn't strong enough, she couldn't see 2 knuckles at address and didn't like it. Course we were only working on the driver (I'd went in to hit my new driver with a few shafts I have and she offered to take a look for free, why not right?)

 

So now I have stuff to work on, which feels awkward to be honest but I know technically/fundamentally it's right.

 

Will I go back? I don't know, depends on how this change goes.

[Tyk]

I really am a believer in lessons. I hacked the ball around for 10 years before I finally took my first lesson! I had become addicted to the game and I finally had the epiphany that it was ridiculous for me to spend so much time and money on a game that I STILL sucked at! So I took a lesson from my local pro. He took me from an 18 handicap to a 12 in one season. I went with another pro the next year, he took me from a 12 to an 8. Was a bit broke and short on time the next season and didn't take lessons, I kind of lost my swing a bit and played to about a 10. Went back to the first pro the next year and he helped bring me down to a 4, which is the best I've ever been.

 

This year I went to a new pro with 3 buddies and we did what they call a "Spring Primer" which was a series of 5 lessons, 2 hours once a week in the early spring. It was $200/person. I was the high handicap in this group as an 8, so this was not a group of hackers. It was FANTASTIC, it got us out there way earlier in the year than we would have otherwise, and it had us thinking about and practicing the right things before the season had really started. I plan on doing something similar to that every year I found it so helpful.

 

So I've now taken lessons from 4 or 5 different teachers, and I have yet to have a "bad" teacher, I took positive things from all of them that I still reference every time I practice and play. The thing is, all teachers are really saying similar things, its just sometimes someone says something in a way that just clicks for whatever reason. I think the important thing with lessons is to have an open mind as a student and to not have overly high expectations. You are going to get back what you put in. Don't go to a pro expecting HIM to fix YOU, go to a pro with the attitude that he is going to help YOU fix YOU.