Rory on the practice ground in Dubai
A professional golf coach can be a great advantage to you as they come to know your swing characteristics inside and out. They also get to understand what makes you tick as a player, mentally and physically. They can then give you informed advice on your equipment, course management, mental skills, practice drills and fitness/flexibility routines etc. Whether you play football, tennis or you are an athlete, you are trained on a regular basis making sure you can reach your full potential. You think that if you work hard enough that you can do all this on your own? No wonder you are not improving!
When I get a beginner or an experienced player with bad habits I can help them to improve within the first 15 minutes of a lesson as often they don't realise they have fallen into bad habits. It could be something relatively simple such as the grip, posture or alignment adjustment which will make all the difference to that great feeling shot. Now that's worth it!
How many hours on the range do you spend alone, getting no feedback, just bashing balls and then not getting it right on the golf course? How many magazines, videos and books have you bought and got so confused you don't know where to start or what to practice? Think of the money you have wasted. Four baskets of range balls would buy you a golf lesson and instant improvement. Now I like the sound of that!
Michelle Wie in action!
Improvement comes in three stages
Unconsciously incompetent - the shot does not work and you are not aware of it. 75% instructional, 25% play.
Consciously competent - aware of your faults, passing through a long intermediate stage as you begin to correct your faults. You know the right move but you have to think really hard about it. 50% instruction, 50% play.
Unconsciously competent - Quality practice and guidance with your coach you reach this final stage, performing the skills correctly without conscious thought. You should be now just thinking of the target and trust your body to perform correctly. 25% instruction, 75% play.
Remember it takes time to learn a new skill and to be at a level where you feel comfortable.You need patience and commitment. Just enjoy the experience.
