Why Would I Take Lessons? Can I Just Play?

As I sit here building this new website to launch our winter lesson series, I thought of a very simple question. Why should I take lessons? Since I'm an instructor myself, and know the ins-and-outs of the golf swing, I should be able to diagnose all of my own problems, correct? The answer is not straight forward, as is much with the game of golf itself.

We always talk about "Feel vs Real" during our teaching sessions. What you see and what you may feel can be on two totally different ends of the spectrum. Its always beneficial to have another set of eyes on you while you're trying to adapt to new changes, thoughts, and feelings in the golf swing. Almost certainly every touring professional, as well as a vast majority of semi professional and amateur players alike have a swing coach, take lessons, or work with software and equipment to help maximize their potential. It's simple, right? Take lessons, practice, get better? But what if you're not even remotely interested in keeping score, is it worth your time and money to invest in lessons?

Golf, like much in life, is a game of you get what you put into it. The more time and practice, generally, the better you will become. We see it all the time, people hitting range balls, splashing bunker shots on the practice area, and rolling putts on the practice green. A majority of the use we see is for warm-up purposes only. Warming up and practice are two totally different things. Warming up is simply getting your muscles loosened and warmed up, and getting a feel for the swing for the day. Practice is time spent with the goal in mind to progress and be better before you leave the practice facility.

So that brings me to my final though for this first post. Are you warming up or practicing out on the range? Do you do both, or do you skip it all, grab a drink and hit the first tee cold? None of those options are bad, after all, you're playing golf, go get it and have fun. However, for those who seek more enjoyment out of their game by shooting better scores and hitting better shots, the practice facility should be used as a warm up and a place to hone in your craft. Lucky for us, we have our indoor simulator going up soon.

Indoor simulators have had a huge surge in popularity in recent years. Golf is no longer

a seasonal sport here in the north. With indoor simulators, we can continue playing and practicing all year long. The reason I love playing, practicing, and teaching indoors is simple. It's warm, it's fun, there plenty of ways to become better and learn about your habits, and it offers a great chance to get out of the house and take a spouse, child, or friend out to play or practice. You can rent the simulator for private use or for lessons. The choice is yours. It's your game, it's your time, use how you would like and enjoy winter golf!

-Bill