golf lessons?
 

Anyone ever taken golf lessons?

How'd it work out for you?

I've hacked around for a while but before I get serious, I want to learn the right way before i develop the bad habits. Any suggestions on where to look on the west side of LA?

thanks.

Re: golf lessons?
 

Yes and it helped allot... if you go to any golf course they all pretty much have pro's that give lessons, just walk into their office and ask.

I took lessons at Dominguez golf course but I'm sure there is a course closer to you.

Unfortunately I lost interest in the game and it has been years since I played. :(

I play my best rounds of golf right after lessons. Then it's downhill from there. You really have to dedicate a lot of time to golf to get good at it. The best lessons I've ever had were the cheapest - at a local junior college.

I see the Rancho park golf course on Pico and Motor is near you...

Here you go, you could give them a call and see if they have lessons and check on prices.

http://www.golfcourse.com/search/coursedtl_ga.cfm?source=GA&courseid=11251

This is where I went for lessons:

http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/coursefinder/course/0,27328,1445018,00.html

BTW If you are really serious you can look into a weekend or week long golf school/training/seminar whatever they call it. I have seen them advertised in golf magazines and some are located in San Diego and Palm Springs area, might make a nice little vacation.

What a coincidence, I just got back from my lesson.

Yes, I take a lesson every month...or at least I have since February. Before that it had been about 2 years since my last lesson.

I think that lessons are one of the most important things to really learning the golf swing. I practice 2-3 times per week and try to play once a week when my schedule will allow. I see a lot of guys out there beating balls thinking they are improvng their swing. In reality, if you have a poor swing and your mechanics are bad you are simply ingraining bad moves into your swing. You must practice the proper things and the correct motions in order to improve. The only way to really do that is to have someone who is knowledgeable and impartial about your swing and that is a golf pro.

Get with a good pro and you won't go wrong. Lessons generally will run $60-100 an hour which is about what you would pay for a round of golf. You will improve much more with a lesson than playing 18 holes with your old swing.

In half an hour my pro can correct my stance, get rid of my slice and add 25-40 yards to my drive - well worth the money. Spending an hour on the putting green is worth a couple of shots a hole and costs nothing at most clubs. Then all you need is a fairway to green training session and you're all set.
Practice makes perfect - check out how much Tiger and VJ practice - you'll be amazed.

I had a post about golf about a month ago as I now work at a golf course and everything you guys said is absolutely right. I am still working on my swing but more and more I hear, let the club do the work and don't swing as hard as you can, learn the technique and direction and power will come into play after. Also, watch the golf channel if you get it or stay at the driving range for a couple of hours and watch how good people swing. Also, I keep hearing about learning to putt, what good is your great drive if you can't putt.

For a beginner, driving is very important and getting to the green is beyond huge. I am reporting what I hear in the pro shop that many people spend much of their time at the range and just can't finish and don't have a short game.

I, myself, am a beginner as well at golf, I think I have honestly golfed a total of 5-6 holes so far and for me driving is the hardest. I see guys hitting 150+ yards and I am lucky to hit the ladies tee off so that is my first area to build on.

Agreed that there are certainly other factors in play for beginners except for putting, however it really isn't all that difficult to learn to hit the ball in the general direction of the green and be on in 2 or 3 or maybe 4. If you can putt, then you salvage a par or bogey. If you can't putt you are looking at double or worse.

I am a 5 handicap and the difference between me shooting 75 and 80 is almost always how well I am putting.

Read what you can too...

Tigers tips are here

http://www.tigerwoods.com/home_custom/default.sps?itype=6272

I play to drink beer now. Its a rarity that I find the 5 hours or more on a weekend to play but when I do its purely social and for fun.

I used to be serious and was not a hard hitter off the tee ever. I played with some guys that could crush the ball and I simply came the the conclusion that I could not.

I just concentrated on making sure I could put the ball where I wanted it. While my friends crushed the ball and out drove me sometimes by 50+ yards, I was always down the middle or laying where I needed to be for a good 2nd shot or approach.

This is wher eI could kill them. Their approach shots sucked and I was good at getting very close to the pin on my approach, I was also a very strong putter as well.

It took a lot of time to get that good and I just do not have that time, or if I wanted it I would have to give up playing car and I like that too much more.

If your starting out, take some lessons to aviod bad habits then go have fun.