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Who here Golfs??!!

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Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Ever down this way, let's hit the greens.

Can drive over 350 yds (yes, keeping it between the trees)

Have my Ups & Downs, could Tour if had the chance. 😀
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Just like clockwork. Somebody starts a golf thread and a bald-faced liar steps up to prove what an idiot he is. Exactly one guy on the PGA Tour averages over 307 and only 4 are over 300. Dozens of long drive contests are won by drives in the 330 range and that's with guys hitting 50" drivers who only need to get 1 out of 6 in the grid. But some loser on ATOT will invariable claim to hit it 350 and straight or over a net 325 yards away.

Here's a clue for you Skippy, you need to keep the lies believable. Try 280 or so, then somebody might actually buy it even though we know that 99% of golf posts are full of shit. Everyone has a chance to tour, Q school is open to everyone and it's a pure meritocracy. Anyone that enters has exactly the same chance of earning a card as every other entrant. If you could tour you would be touring, not making pathetic posts about how far you think you can hit it.
 
i play golf as well. my handicap is probably around 20ish. i try hard, but i havent had the time the last couple of summers to really work on my game like i want to. lifes a bitch, you know?

however, for my bday, the gf got me 3 one hour lessons with a PGA pro at a local range. im a little nervous about going, as ive never been 'taught' how to play any game or sport, (or anything really) ive always picked up things on my own and done very well. i always sort of knew golf might be one of those things i might need some private instruction for in order to get past the newb stage.

so, on that point, any tips on how to approach this? what should i expect going in? i am going to try and play a round or two to get a good feeling of where my game is at the moment, so going into the lessons, ill have an idea of what i need to work on, what my strengths are, etc.
 
good teacher is hard to find, everyone is a "PGA pro" but there are good and bad teachers. I took some lessons from this guy that was supposingly really good, famous around my area, but he was a drunk, late/no show for my lessons, and I didn't really learn anything from him.
 
Originally posted by: richardycc
good teacher is hard to find, everyone is a "PGA pro" but there are good and bad teachers. I took some lessons from this guy that was supposingly really good, famous around my area, but he was a drunk, late/no show for my lessons, and I didn't really learn anything from him.
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well, i think its safe to say not all pros are alike. i believe they are all certified by the PGA however, in some way shape or form.
 
Originally posted by: PcktRcktsAA
Originally posted by: richardycc
good teacher is hard to find, everyone is a "PGA pro" but there are good and bad teachers. I took some lessons from this guy that was supposingly really good, famous around my area, but he was a drunk, late/no show for my lessons, and I didn't really learn anything from him.
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well, i think its safe to say not all pros are alike. i believe they are all certified by the PGA however, in some way shape or form.
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Don't say that like it means anything. PGA certification is like getting a priesthood from the back of Rolling Stone magazine. The PGA of America wants to generate dues from members, they're not that interested in turning out qualified teachers. There are some great PGA teaching pros and there are a huge number of clueless fools. The problem is that the PGA does nothing to differentiate between them.
 
Originally posted by: PcktRcktsAA
i play golf as well. my handicap is probably around 20ish. i try hard, but i havent had the time the last couple of summers to really work on my game like i want to. lifes a bitch, you know?

however, for my bday, the gf got me 3 one hour lessons with a PGA pro at a local range. im a little nervous about going, as ive never been 'taught' how to play any game or sport, (or anything really) ive always picked up things on my own and done very well. i always sort of knew golf might be one of those things i might need some private instruction for in order to get past the newb stage.

so, on that point, any tips on how to approach this? what should i expect going in? i am going to try and play a round or two to get a good feeling of where my game is at the moment, so going into the lessons, ill have an idea of what i need to work on, what my strengths are, etc.
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I've only taken one 45-minute lesson (and it shows, believe me - my swing is 99% self-taught - FORE!) but I can tell you this. Most pros are great with people so you can relax in that sense, since it's such a vital part of their job. Whoever it is, if they have at least some experience, had seen many many different kinds of swings, both good and bad. One of the strengths of a good teaching pro is the ability to evaluate where your game is and what you need to work on. Just get ready to have fun and learn a lot - don't be surprised if the swing suggested by the pro feels wayyy different than what you are used to - mine did. It actually felt a little like work! 🙂 They usually will also check your grip and ask about your equipment.

You'll enjoy it - barring the pro being a dick that is! 😉 good luck with your game!!
 
There are a huge number of golf instructors out there and not all of them are good at their job. The PGA of America seems to be more concerned with turning out dues-paying members than they are with turning out competent teachers. Most instructors fall into one of 3 categories.

1) The perfectionists: They're the guys like Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter who think that every student should and could become a Tour Pro by devoting 100 hours per week of range time. Their methods are confusing to the vast majority of students and they can only be effective with the most dedicated pupils. In an attempt to make everyone conform to THEIR idea of the ideal swing they'll smother the students natural swing and make them mechanical. That only works for a small handful of people with the skill, feel and dedication to learn something completely new. Most students will get worse if working with this type of instructor as their swing will ALWAYS be under repair.

2) The clock-punchers: They're out their in vast numbers, guys who can play well enough to pass the PGA's Playing Aptitude Test, but who are rotten teachers. The ability to PLAY golf does not necessarily translate into the ability to TEACH golf. These guys learn a few generic drills and make every student do them even if that drill won't help that particular student. They're like piano teachers who would make a one-armed student play chopsticks because they don't know any specific teaching methods that would be appropriate for that single student. The clock-punchers are usually very personable and talk a good game, so their students like them and keep coming back week after week after week. And after hundreds or even thousands of weeks, the student has not made any progress whatsoever. Millions of lesson takers start as 30 handicappers and remain 30 handicappers forever. It's because they're learning from clock-punchers.

3) Smart teachers: Smart instructors realize that no 2 swings are alike and that there's no such thing as a perfect swing. Instead of teaching you Tiger's swing, Ernie's swing or their own idea of the perfect swing, they'll fix YOUR swing. They have the ability to tailor their lessons to address the specific problems and the specific needs of each student. A true beginner needs to be taught differently from a guy who has played for 5 years and is still a 30 handicapper and that guy needs to be taught differently than a 12 handicapper who wants to become a 5. Every student has individual goals and an individual commitment level and golf instruction is not one size fits all. The truth is that everyone outside a tour pro lacks the time or ability to learn a great swing. They need to have the flaws taken out of their own swing. There are only a few fatal flaws in a golf swing, flaws that MUST be corrected to improve. Most of what looks like a flaw is merely an idiosyncracy that isn't causing any harm. A golf swing doesn't need to be perfect or to look good on TV. It just needs to repeat and be free of the fatal flaws. A good teacher is like a surgeon. He cuts away the bad and leaves the good stuff untouched. Type 1 teachers try to cut away EVERYTHING and Type 2 don't even know which end of the scalpel to hold.

Teachers should see students like a doctor sees patients. Their goal should be to fix what ails them and keep them healthy, NOT to get them back into the office every week for the rest of their lives. Your teacher should be interested in fixing your problems, not using you to make his car payments for the rest of your life. Here's a way to identify a good teacher: Before he watches you hit balls he should talk to you about your goals and commitment. He needs to find out what you want to achieve and how hard you're willing to work to get there and then he needs to create a teaching program to meet your specific goals. If he tries anything else he's a charlatan. And if he promises to turn a 30 handicapper into a scratch player with 1 lesson a week he's a bigger liar than that guy who claims to hit it 350 and straight.
 
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