Progress Report

Second lesson is now under my belt and I'm quietly pleased so far. A spell at the range and a couple of relaxed rounds and I feel I'm getting the hang of my new stance. Now I also have to add width to my swing and have a drill involving a club cover under my arm. I need some practice time to get it all together but in the meantime I'm managing some solid hits. The only problem is, that I have a sneaking feeling these two lessons could be the tip of an iceberg, i.e. the beginning of a chain of changes (and lot of lessons!)
I may have to 'consider my future' in this respect, but meanwhile I'm off on a non-golfing holiday. A contradiction in terms? Certainly sounds like it to me, and as well be out of range of the Beeb, we won't even have the Masters as consolation. I suppose it will be interesting to see what state I'm in after a week of cold turkey!

Pain or gain?

You can probably guess from the title that I have just had the dreaded lesson, and not before time, according to my new lady pro, who thinks that with my set-up it’s a miracle that I’ve been getting the ball in the air at all. So, how does it balance out?
First of all, the pain factors
1. Although what she suggests might sound like a minor adjustment, to me it feels like a contortionist’s act, and one that plays havoc with my back (and that’s before I start moving the club).
2. We haven’t even looked at the backswing yet!
3. I am paying for this torture (a bit like the dentist, then!)

Gain factors
1. My teacher/torturer was very clear on the step-by-sep approach (only set-up this week, backswing next) which suits me. There’s only so much my brain or my body can do at once.
2. She keeps telling me I have talent (do they all say that?)
3. I did hit a couple of good balls, demonstrating the possible advantages of going through this process.
Best of all, she didn’t try comparing my swing to that of Ernie Els (as once attempted by another golf pro). Let’s face it, there are realistic targets and there is pure fantasy. I know which I’d rather attempt.

Taking a Lesson (but not just any lesson)

On Golf Monthly forum there’s an on-going discussion about improving your game and most people come down on the side of taking lessons and getting in plenty of practice. That’s it then: – learn – practice – succeed?
Well, without even mentioning the mental game, I can tell you it’s not that simple. As regards lessons, we all have different ways of learning, and , particularly if you’re a high handicapper (and/or a golf chick) it can be hard to find a teacher who ‘does it for you’, and believe me, if there isn’t a sense of partnership, of both of you working towards a particular goal and finding out how to get there, that lesson will do no good at all. In my time I’ve had a lessons where the teacher clearly thought a woman of a certain age who could hit the ball a hundred yards or so in a straight line should be happy to leave it at that. (I don’t think so, some of us are serious about this!)
At the other extreme, another pro started out by comparing my 30 handicap swing on video to that of Ernie Els. Leaving aside the matter of whose bum was biggest, let’s just say that wasn’t a pretty sight, and I felt defeated before we’d even begun to put my swing right.
So, yes, get yourself lessons, especially if you’re just starting or coming back into the game, but choose wisely and choose well. Take a taster lesson, and if things don’t feel good, don’t be afraid to duck out. Photo from pocketwiley on flickr