Lesson Corner – Choose your Lesson With Forethought

One thing a golfer can and should bring to a golf lesson is a well defined need.  Before putting yourself in the hands of your instructor and letting him/her dictate the action, the perspective student should have a specific area of the game that he/she wants greater satisfaction.  The teacher should be able to focus in on your area of dissatisfaction and by teamwork, you both begin to cure the grievance.

Prepare yourself to confront your dissatisfaction with reasonable expectation and a goal of improving your weakness with information, practice and coaching.  Your hope is to gain the necessary information and encouragement to know competence at a part of the game where you before had doubt.

Beginning golfers are hoping to make the game which seems hard and awkward, become an activity that is fun and has an upward trend.  They want to hit shots they haven’t hit before, shoot a good score on the shorter holes, not hold up other golfers on the course and to attempt to shoot their best ever nine or eighteen.  They want information on how to use the different clubs in their bag and rules and golf etiquette.

Some players are serious about competition.  They hope to learn how to make repairs to their game in the course of a tournament round, or between rounds of an event.  They may wish to know the nuance of shaping and flighting different shots.  They want to be able to perform in competition the same way that they play in less stressful situations.  The competitive golfer has goals or needs goals to chase.  They might want help with their equipment to make sure it is helping, not hurting their play.

Try to write a paragraph about what it is that you want from a lesson.  Your instructor/coach will be happy to expand on your words and help you define your hopes for more fulfillment at the different facets of a fascinating, complex game.