The Morgan Golf Academy

So now that you've read the previous article, and have found a pro, what should you expect and what does the pro expect of you? There are many ideas that go through a player's mind about what the pro may think or do. Some of them are, "will he laugh at my swing?", "will he make jokes of me?", " will he be so serious that I will feel pressured?". All of these and countless others may enter your mind. My first suggestion is if these do enter your mind the best way to dismiss them is to simply ask your pro. This will do two things. First the pro will understand you are nervous and allay all fears and you will feel better just addressing your concerns.

A major thought of a new student has to be, I hope I hit it great on the tee, so that I can impress the pro. While this is human nature it makes little sense. If your car was making a funny noise and you take it to a shop for diagnosis, what do you want to happen? Do you want the noise to just disappear and you to waste your money on the technician’s time? Of course not, so why would you want to make the best swings of your life in the presence of your pro? One thing I mention to my students is to warm up while I look away. This normally relieves the pressure to control everything in the swing in a failed attempt to be perfect. Once the student is warmed up I will let them hit a few more and evaluate the problem and we are off to the races.

I want a student that is honest and frank with me on their goals and then we work out a plan for improvement. I look for commitment to the plan we agree on and some steady practice between lessons. A word on practice, to get better one must practice and practice with a purpose. Talk to your pro about what they want you to practice and how to practice it. Also set up a schedule, one that fits your schedule as much as it does theirs. The most common plan I use is one lesson a week with at least two practice sessions in between lessons. This gives you time to practice what we agree on, make progress and then we will go on from there.

What should you say to the pro? I suggest asking any questions you may have. I spend some time explaining tips or drills students read about or see on TV. This may seem like wasted time during a lesson but I find that if the student understands what they read or hear, then we can move on. If a question remains unasked then doubt remains. There is no room for doubt on a golf course. Both the pro and student should remain calm and polite during the lessons and discuss things rationally. I understand the frustration that comes from learning a new skill or trying to fix an issue with your game. Patience it has been said is a virtue. I believe that but then patience can also be learned. Learn patience first and your golf lessons will be much more valuable to you. You are now ready for that lesson, go and have fun!