Ten good reasons to take lessons with a PGA pro "If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they’d starve to death." Slammin’ Sammy Snead. In many respects golf seems such a simple game – swing the club back and hit the ball! But as another multi major winner Ben Hogan suggested, it’s a devilishly difficult art to master, spurring the normally tight-lipped Hogan to remark: “Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.” When you put it like that, it kind of makes you realise why taking lessons is surely a must for every golfer. Perhaps an even more persuasive argument is every golfer’s desire to shoot lower scores – the perpetual search for that glorious low round, the chance to saunter off the 18th to briefly become king of the club house. The road to achieving lower scores isn’t rocket science – it lies in old-fashioned hard work, constructive practice and good coaching. Snead, never short of a humorous line, once told a pupil failing miserably to get to grips with golf that he should ‘cut back on playing for the next month and then give the game up completely’. Golf should never get that bad but if it does become a struggle you can certainly make things a lot more enjoyable by recourse to lessons and regular coaching. One of the great mysteries of our time is just why more golfers don’t visit a PGA Professional for lessons. They’ll happily shell out lots of money on the latest driver; take advice from their mates whose knowledge of the golf swing can be written on a marker but balk at the idea of paying for expert coaching. It’s the economics of the madhouse. Six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo’s first introduction to golf was via six lessons with his local PGA pro at Welwyn Garden City Golf Club. “My stock line is that we will pay €100 to call out a plumber to be told there’s nothing wrong with the drains but we won’t go and pay €30 to our pro to improve our bunker shots when we can’t get out of a bunker. “My big message to club members and newcomers is always that money spent on a lesson is money well spent.” When it comes to spending hard-earned cash for advice, - we need to see something in our hand before our money is prised from our fingers! But the reality is that regular lessons with your local PGA pro and taking the time to practice what they say, is ultimately priceless in playing better golf and enjoying it more. Ten good reasons to take lessons They’re fun! Lessons are both rewarding and an enjoyable experience. Having an expert in the golf swing exclusively working on your game is a real buzz and it’s the opportunity to really get a sound platform for a lifetime’s enjoyment. The PGA pro is a second pair of (well-trained) eyes that can assess your game, pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and provide realistic goals to help you improve. The golf swing is a complex action. Lessons with a PGA pro really help you to understand exactly what is happening, why it’s happening and what you need to do to improve. Good coaching helps realize potential which includes being able to hit the ball further, straighter and more consistently with the net result of enjoying your golf a lot more. Lessons are a great opportunity to discuss equipment with a PGA pro and find out what’s best for your swing. Learn practice drills. PGA pros can give specific drills to improve all aspects of the game. Lessons enable you to get the most out of your equipment. There’s no point forking out on an expensive driver and not being able to hit it properly. Lessons, even if just learning the fundamentals, can prevent bad habits developing. A PGA pro is for life! Lessons needn’t be just a one off. Most of us will play golf for many years so having a PGA coach that gets to know our game over the years is priceless. Why not?! Golf’s a fantastic game, who wouldn’t want to get better at it?
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 22:38:23 +0000
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