How to take lessons and get better

Deciding to take some golf lessons is easy enough. Any medium-sized city has at least a dozen qualified instructors. But how can you find the right teacher for the job? Lessons can cost up to 100 per hour, so it's important that you make good decisions. Most people start with three criteria - cost, reputation and convenience. Those are ideas, but secondary. These are the things that should be most important to you: Before the lesson 1. Find a teacher whose personality suits you. Some people learn better by watching and trying to copy. Others need more hands-on attention. Some people want an accurate lesson plan, but others prefer a little more laid back. It is important to understand what kind of student you are and to choose a teacher who fits that style. I am the first to admit that my teaching style may not be suitable for everyone. 2. See that teacher regularly. By that I mean once every two or three weeks. It won’t do you much good to see a teacher one time, because you can’t follow up with questions or tweak what you’re working on. The opposite is also true. I won’t even give the most talented members at my club more than one lesson every few weeks. You can’t digest any more than that. I might see a tour player a few days in a row, but after that, I tell him to go work on it and come back in a month. 3. Prepare for a lesson by playing. Once you’ve scheduled your first lesson with a teacher, prepare for the lesson the right way, so you can get the most for your money. How? Simple: Play a lot. Don’t go in trying to impress the teacher with how well you can swing. I want to see what you do in real life, so I can help you fix any issues and become a better player. You also need to come with a specific goal – not something general like, “I want to be more consistent.” If you tell me you want to be a better ball-striker, we’ll spend a lot of time on the practice. If you tell me you want to reduce your swing, but then we’ll beat a path to the short-game area. DURING THE LESSON 1. Speak. I have heard some instructors expect students to "calm down" and do everything. That's not right. You need to tell the trainer how you feel, so he can use that information. One common teaching mistake र and I fight myself हो is to get diarrhea and talk nonsense. It's hard for a student to continue, and you can move on quickly. 2. Know your limitations. Even tour players can’t absorb more than three “ideas” per lesson. That usually means an address-position adjustment, a swing correction and some kind of swing thought. If your teacher tries to give you more than that, speak up. Then, take those three things and practice them – seriously. If you get stuck, don’t go scheduling another lesson for the next day. Get on the phone with your teacher and talk it over. You don’t have to go broke to get better.