Golf Instruction
Golf in the Age of YouTube
When I was learning the guitar, I had to have a teacher, a chord and finger chart book, and a cassette tape or CD. The whole process was grueling in relation to learning an instrument today. The majority of new musicians simply buy their respective instruments and go online to YouTube (or some similar site) and get lessons for free, with the ability to pause, rewind, and learn in real-time. Many are doing the same when it comes to learning the fundamentals of golf.
I’ve never had a formal golf lesson — not one. The best instruction I ever received was when I took off one day to play nine holes by myself with plans to figure out this game. There was a guy playing up on me, and I offered to let him pass while I was looking for a lost ball. He offered to play the rest of my round with me, and the advice he gave me that day helped me with almost every aspect of my game and made golf more enjoyable.
I remember times when I would have family members scheduling a round, and I would comment, “I’d like to learn to golf.” They responded kindly, but never offered an invitation. Now, I understand that they weren’t being rude, they just didn’t want to spend their round teaching the fundamentals of the game to someone who didn’t even own a set of clubs. I get that — I’ve been there.
One piece of advice my brother gave to me was, “You need to get some lessons.”
The rest of the conversation went something like this…
“Bubba never had a lesson.”
“Yeah, but you can’t bomb it 300 yards,” he replied.
“Not yet…”
It was my intent then to learn the basics on my own. I was already becoming involved in a sport that can be VERY expensive. My previous sport, running, required only a pair of decent shoes. I just couldn’t justify (at least to my wife) the extra expense of a golf instructor.
I subscribed to magazines, podcasts, and spent countless hours watching the Golf Channel and YouTube videos, all in the effort to teach myself. I would spend hours at the range and in my backyard with limited-flight balls trying to perfect my own version of the golf swing. I knew that the recent trend in instruction was that “each swing is unique,” and I took that as some validation for my efforts.
When the weather was bad, I stayed inside with my golf aids and practiced swinging during commercials. I’d roll out my wife’s yoga mat and use it as a putting green.
See, there’s something that those close to me know all too well — when I take an interest in something, I go full-force and submerse myself into whatever that “something” is. I like to learn all I can and continue learning. That’s one of the big draws for me in terms of my relationship to the game of golf.
I still get frustrated when I can’t figure out why I can’t shape a shot the way I want, when I don’t get the flight I want, and when the ball won’t drop — just like everybody else. Now, I try to learn something from each round. Just today, I learned that while I’ve been focusing on my wedges, I totally lost focus on my ball placement when hitting the driver and woods. In fact, I’m actually playing the ball even further in my stance.
This hit-and-miss approach that I’ve taken has finally made it so that I feel as if I’m getting better with each round and each year. Golf never stopped being fun, it’s just more fun.
I constantly hear guys my age saying things like, “If only I’d started earlier. I’d be a pro by now.” Sure.
The fact is, in looking back, I probably should’ve (I should’ve) gotten some real lessons, but I learned by picking the brains of experienced golfers whenever we’d be out for a round. It was the more difficult route, but it worked for me.
Instructional videos have their place and have their specific benefits, but not when one truly wants to become a better golfer.
My advice — seek out your local pro or get a recommendation for a qualified golf instructor from your golf course. Golf will always be frustrating, but learning the basics and fundamentals one-on-one with immediate feedback make it less so.
Hit ’em long and straight…
Cover Image via Flickr
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