Golf is not easy. It’s not something you can just pick up and be good at the first time you try it. Well maybe you can if you’re Billy Madison, but for the rest of us, we need to learn the proper way. The only true way to do that is have an instructor at least teach you the fundamentals.
If you’re like me, you tend to throw away the instruction manual on anything that you buy. I mean it can’t be too hard to build that Ikea table or drive the golf ball down the course, right? If you’ve ever tried to build any furniture from Ikea on the fly, then you know that’s not true. Oh and I guess it’s true for golf too.
Learning Equipment
One of the hardest things about golf takes place before you even step onto the course, and that’s choosing the right equipment. Balls, clubs, cleats — the more you think about it, the more you think you chose the wrong sport to play.
Luckily for you, your golf instructor has you covered. They should be your guiding hand through the sea of brands and choices. Make sure you pay attention to this part, because you don’t want to use the wrong club at the wrong time and ruin your game while simultaneously embarrassing yourself.
Fundamentals and Form
You can’t just pick up a club and start launching balls off the tee. Many people think since they can swing a baseball bat, they can swing a golf club. I used to think that, and let me tell you from experience, it’s not the same.
Golf swings have a unique form and motion that are unlike baseball, and the only way to truly learn the proper form is with a instructor. It’s very easy to develop bad habits with your swing, and when you’re setting the foundation, it’s important to learn the proper way.
You could be taking so many steps backwards if you try to build your swing without any guidance.
Experience
I mentioned my experience above, and I bet if you knew nothing about golf, you would’ve learned something from it. I guess that makes me your instructor. I’ll be expecting my check in the mail.
Seriously though, whatever problem you have, your instructor probably has experienced it and knows how to fix it. Experience is invaluable, so take advantage of it.
Attention to Detail
It’s one thing to get a quick lesson on how to hit a golf ball. It’s another to actually golf with an instructor. There’s a big difference between practicing your swing off the course, and actually playing golf with your instructor.
There are probably hundreds of things that you do every round that only an instructor can catch and fix. This is extremely beneficial for those of us that are ignorant to our bad habits.
Pushed to the Limit
A good instructor will always be challenging you to improve your game. You might start to hate him once he has you putting at the same hole for the 15th time, but it’s most likely for the best.
You can never get better in anything if you don’t challenge yourself, and a good instructor knows that. With your instructor there, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone because if you do something wrong, there’s always someone there to fix it.