Make the most of your golf lessons. It’s easy enough to simply show up and take a golf lessons. But you’re paying for information and instruction and a golf professional can help –but ultimately it is up to the student to take responsibility for the implementation and execution of the skills learned.
Put another way, would you show up to a an important meeting without giving some thought as to what your desired outcome would be? What are your expectations and what would make the lesson satisfactory? These are some of the things to ask yourself so you can get the most out of your time with an instructor.
Here are some guidelines when preparing to take a golf lessons:
- Show up early. It is best to take a few warm up swings if you can before you start your lessons or just simply get loose. One of the first things the instructor will ask you to do is to get warmed up so get that out of the way, you’ll have more instructional time.
- Don’t give your opinion as to WHY things are going wrong. That is the instructors job to figure it out.
- DO tell the pro what your misses and issues have been. There is a big difference between telling the instructor what’s wrong with your swing versus what the resulting ball flight and direction is.
- Provide a quick overview of your game. Your averages score, how many times a year you play, how long you have been playing. Not really much more needed than that. Also, any medical or physical restriction you may have.
- Use your ears more than your mouth. Listen carefully.
- Don’t be afraid to speak up when you’re not getting a concept or are having difficulty with the proposed drills or actions.
- Have an open mind. Trust that the instructor will lead you down a path that will help your game.
- Expect homework. If you don’t practice or rehearse actions given to you by the instructor, you are not going to take advantage of the lesson time. I usually tell students that unless they get to a range or do some at home practice between lessons, it is not good use of their time or money if they just keep using the lesson time as practice time.
- Be honest with your teacher. How much time do you have to practice? If the answer is never, the instructor may give you some drills you can do in front of a mirror at home, or during a break at work.
- Set realistic goals. A single lesson won’t transform your game. An idea or concept can, but you need to ingrain it and practice. Expecting another 20-30 yards on your drives after one lesson can be unrealistic. Usually it take multiple sessions to fully understand and execute the drills or tasks.
If you follow these guidelines you can really make the most out of your golf lesson time!