The Value of Golf Lessons
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posted by Ladies on the Tee The main purpose of Ladies on the Tee Golf Blog presented by Sherry Tabb is to help women embrace the game of golf in greater numbers. The mission is to develop a community of women that will share their experiences, their ideas, their successes and their overall passion for the game of golf. |
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Will Golf Lessons Really Help?
This is a tough topic to write about because there are so many things to take into consideration. So if I overlook a point or two please feel free to add them via the comments section at the bottom of this article.
The benefits of taking lessons to learn and improve your golf game are many. Regardless of where you are in your golf life, how long you’ve played or how good you THINK you are, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Why do you think the pros on both the men’s and women’s tours have coaches??
Where to start?
For beginners to the game of golf, there is nothing better than to enlist the help of a qualified golf instructor. I highly recommend looking for Certified PGA and LPGA Teaching Pros. Well-meaning spouses and significant others should be AVOIDED at all costs for the sake of preserving your personal relationship. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, family or co-workers for input as to which golf pro to seek out but remember the ultimate goal is to find someone that YOU can relate to and that can relate to YOU and YOUR needs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and go with your ‘gut’ as to how you feel about their approach to helping you get comfortable. Feel free to ‘shop around’ until you find the pro for you.
Almost every club and practice facility offers group and individual lessons. Pricing is determined by the facility and/or the golf professional. If your budget is tight (and whose isn’t in today’s world) group lessons are not only more affordable but they also allow you to learn with a friend or develop new friends and practice partners. Group lessons/golf clinics can be fun and keep you interested at a very comfortable pace and price.
Whether you go it alone or with a group or a combination of both getting the basics down is critical to getting off on the right foot, so to speak. Establishing practice times outside of the lessons are needed as well. This is better done at a practice range rather than a golf course, at least until you start to feel some level of confidence. Otherwise you might feel pressure from golfers playing behind you and that can lead to a miserable experience. Take your time and work at your pace. This game can be enjoyed for a lifetime – no need to rush!!
After you’ve played for a while
Don’t think just because you have graduated to playing ‘real’ golf
on the various types of courses that your learning is over. If you are satisfied with where you are that is fine. Not everyone strives for the same level of performance or improvement.
For me, I needed to try to get some consistency in my swing (outside of my consistent ability to mishit my shots). I swear my clubs are defective. There are no sweet spots in my golf clubs! That has to be it. Certainly it can’t be MY fault 
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I took my own advice and went ‘shopping’ for a Golf Pro. Joel Suggs, Master PGA Teaching Professional, was my choice. Not only does Joel have the demeanor that works well with my personality but he also has the latest in teaching equipment and works at a first-class teaching facility, Meadow Links & Golf Academy in Cincinnati, OH. It also didn’t hurt to learn that Joel’s golf bloodlines are strong. His aunt, Louise Suggs, is one of the founding members of the LPGA. Talk about a pedigree…it doesn’t get much better than that (at least, from my perspective).
Joel uses videotape, the latest equipment and tools along with personal observation to see what is currently going on in my swing and addresses points of change in small doses. He uses analogies quite cleverly to enhance my visualization of what I am trying to do to make the change we are working on at the moment. I feel have a slight advantage due to my career as a tennis pro in that I can ‘feel’ a lot of what I am doing when I swing but that isn’t enough to affect a change. Seeing my swing as it is broken down via the videotaping serves to reinforce what I am feeling and to also point out what is working well. Focusing on only the negative is not conducive to feeling good and improving. Joel does a great job infusing the positives all the while pinpointing the ‘little’ things that need to be tweaked.
JoelSuggs.com, Top 50 in America
Joel and I have much work to do yet but the improvements are already starting to translate to the course. He has helped me identify an ‘over the top’ shortened swing and has given me the tools to start swinging more ‘inside out’ and with more extension on the follow through. The real question is can this ‘old’ aching body handle all that extension? For that issue I have turned to a couple of golf fitness instructors. I’ll write more about that experience in an upcoming article.
For now, please look seriously at the value that golf lessons can provide. If you are lucky enough to live in the Greater Cincinnati area, please consider chatting with Joel Suggs to see if he might be right for you.
Thanks for visiting Ladies on the Tee Golf Blog at www.sherrytabb.com. If you have other golf pros or facilities that you would recommend please add them via the comments area below.
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