After 20 plus years of teaching and coaching the game of golf, I am always amazed at the number of individuals who ask me what the benefit of taking a lesson is. Golf is a sport not unlike, tennis, hockey or baseball. It is a sport and recreation that requires skill, repetitive motion, and more than anything confidence and passion.
I recall the time when I first decided to take up skiing. If you watch it on TV, realistically it looks fairly simple. Couple of ski’s, some poles, obviously clothing to adapt to the climate and the willingness to not fall! Well, on my first attempt, I thought I could do it all on my own, what a rude awakening that was! Fall after fall after fall, I finally took off those ski’s and walked down the hill. Not a fantastic experience and definitely not one that made me want to jump back up on that lift and do it again……… a series of lessons with an instructor that gave me the skill and confidence to execute the sport as well as the passion to get back up and continue to ski was what it took. Amazing how we forget the first time we attempted any physical activity. Lessons and learning are part of the process………..all of which we should encourage each other to achieve.
Lessons are critical to the development of any sport and the individual or individuals and learning is key. First, you always want to find an instructor that you bond with. This is not unlike anything in life. The people we associate with, learn with and grow with are the individuals you will turn to in success and frustration. Any sport or activity that we aspire to learn has its moments and golf is not unlike any of them.
Don’t take on more than you can handle. This game was not taught in a few lessons and definitely is not learned in that same amount of time. With that said, practice is critical to your success. Take one or two things away from a lesson and work on them when you practice. Your practice routine will allow you to perform on the golf course as well as will give you the confidence moving forward. Taking one or two items will allow you to focus on items that will create a better result. Often as instructors we will give you these items to work on knowing that in fact it creates a routine and result unknowing to the student.
Ask questions! Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question. As an instructor I have never been asked a question that was not worthy of an answer. This is a fantastic opportunity for growth and learning.
Lessons give you the checkpoints, the confidence, the encouragement and more importantly the knowledge to perform the skill to play this great game. Find a group or series of groups, pairs, or even individually. Taking lessons and learning a system is the best way to excel at this amazing game!
ENJOY!
by Tiffany Gordon, PGA of Canada Teaching Professional
The Golf Academy at Heritage Pointe