Post lesson depression

[krmorgan24]

I am a pretty good player. Right around scratch at my best. I have taken about 10 lessons over the last 3 years from a well respected instructor. Every lesson I have, we work on pretty much the same thing because after I leave and go practice on my own I eventually give up on what we are trying and go back to my old swing so I can play some respectable golf. I went to see him about 5 weeks ago and I have spent a lot of time working on the things he taught me, but I haven't hit a good shot in the last 5 weeks. I haven't broken 80 in that span either. We are making some big changes but is it common to feel completely lost? Thanks,
Keith

[cwdlaw223]

Yes. Your mind isn't in agreement with the changes. Everyone feels lost when they lack confidence. The best way to build confidence is in small steps (on the range, then the course) and maybe some video so that your mind sees your new swing and you understand (subconsciuosly) that you have a good swing with the new changes.

All of this is easier said than done. Golf is hard!

P.S. If your instructor can't explain the D plane or new ballflight rules to you I suggest you get a new instructor.

[gmbtempe]

Its really hard, thats why I like taking lots of video and pictures, I am going for certainly positions when I am practicing. If I am out of the positions that my instructor wants me to get into then I know I need to work more on that particular issue.

The problem comes in for people when A) they dont know the positions they want to hit, B) know the positions but dont know how to get there. I think thats were having a instructor who wants to be involved in your progress really helps. If I have a question I just call or email my instructor video/pictures and get some help. Then during the lesson we make changes and discuss were we are trying to go. Then mostly work on what it feels like, the movements to get into the positions.

When making changes you cant always be concerned with the ball and contact, thats the ultimate goal but when your training your body to make a new movement it does not always happen right away.

[youngsiwalker]

Keith

I read your message and feel like i found a long lost brother !!!!

I am not as good a standard as yourself but i have the exact same thing, i practise alot and often engrain bad stuff as im sure your doing also but it gets me round the course automatically. Everytime i have a lesson i cant enjoy playing on the course as the shots are so wild thinking about what ive been taught in that lesson.
At my level of playing i only have one rule, on the course i use my swing at the time so i dont make everybody think im terrible, the loss of confidence will affect how much i practise. Until what my pro has taught has become natural (on the range) i wont take it to the course even though i know i should. It helps me relax big time, i then enjoy it and play better but i know in my mind the practise has to make that lesson work natural for next time (or maybe the next time). I also play knowing that next time i will be better with his changes becoming natural. Therefore i have two swings all the time, natural swing and practise swing. WIth the intention of the practise swing becoming my natural swing.

Also when you start hitting those errant shots because of what your pro has told and you doubt whther you should bother, which i imagine at your standard is even more constant i have to remind myself of a few things which are vital.

Do i want to ultimately swing like my teaching professional ? I do so what he teaches me i know he does himself, therefore when im online doing this its so i learn everything and reference it to what he teaches me so i understand it better. Some will say a swing is individual to a person and shouldnt copy someone else, but i will get as close as i can.

My last point to you is that if your capable of breaking 80 with your natural game, what shots is it thats costing breaking par ?

[krmorgan24]

Honestly, breaking 80 is pretty easy. You really don't have to be much of a ballstriker to do it. Just drive it pretty well and you will have enough short irons in your hands to hit a lot of greens. I was hitting about 12 greens per round before I decided to change. I would shoot between 70 and 75 almost every time I tee'd it up, but 1 out of every 10 round or so would be 78 or 81 or something that I didn't think I should be capable of shooting on a regular non tournament condition course. Truth is I needed to be about 5 shots better everyday.

[jonnygrouville]

I really feel for you there Keith.

If you completely agree with your coach, stick with it. I had lessons after leaving college because a big destructive shot had crept into my game and the bad round 74s turned into crying-into-my-tea 79s. I didn’t completely buy in to what I was hearing in my lessons, but didn’t really know enough to challenge anything.

You must have a good swing to have played to that level. Sounds like you need a plan, my man. Work out what you want to change, why you want to change it and how you intend to do so – either independently or with coaching – and then stick to that plan.

[Richie3Jack]

I have no idea how good the instructor is. Being well respected doesn't necessarily mean good. David Leadbetter is the #1 ranked golf instructor in Golf Digest because it's voted on by his *peers*. So he's certainly well respected, but he's also the guy I saw take a top 50 ballstriker in the *world* and give him the shanks.

I like SliceFixer's way of teaching in the sense that he's supposedly not teaching anybody who is just looking for a quicky lesson. He wants serious golfers who are serious about improving their game. With that, if I were an instructor and could afford to have that belief, I'd make it mandatory for my students to have a camera and I would teach them how to use it.

Part of the problem is even if the teacher's instruction is golden, there's no guarantee that the student will apply that instruction on the range. They may try to, but trying and doing are two different things. That's why the camera really helps. I pretty much bring my camera with me almost every time I'm on the range.





3JACK

[iacas]

It sounds to me like you simply might need to find a different instructor. For whatever reason, it just doesn't seem to be a good match.

[krmorgan24]

Thanks for all the replies. Richie, I always have my casio with me. I think that the instructor and I are just a bad fit. Does anybody have any personal experience with a socal teacher that they would recommend?

[Richie3Jack]

Then I would suggest a new instructor. Dana Dahlquist (Long Beach) and Greg McHatton (Valencia) are two of my top 50 instructors in the SoCal area.






3JACK