Benefits of Private Golf Instruction
The great Scottish-American golfer, Tommy Armour, defined the sport of golf as “an awkward set of bodily contortions designed to produce a graceful result.” Armour, also known as The Silver Scot, played professionally in the 1920s and 30s. Although much has changed in the world in the ensuing eighty-plus years, the golf shot has endured. Indeed, no matter the technological advances in golf club and ball design, the same “awkward” motion to best propel a golf ball “gracefully” has persisted. As a result, training your body to swing a golf club efficiently takes time, energy, and will power. Adding an experienced golf instructor to your training regime should be a real consideration of every person interested in improving his or her golf swing.
Common sense dictates that a golfer will improve his or her play when aided by a good golf instructor. Elementary schools have teachers. Colleges have professors. Basketball teams have coaches. If you want to learn how to play golf, you find an instructor. But there are additional reasons why you ought to seriously consider learning the sport from someone who has studied golf long enough to make a career out of teaching it.
The first benefit of private golf instruction should be apparent to any golfer who has ever played a round or two with friends who think they have the secret to fixing your golf swing. From them you’ll hear stuff like: “Keep your head down.” “Use a stronger grip.” “Use a weaker grip.” “Bend your knees more.” “Bend at the waist more.” “Hinge your wrist sooner.” “Get your arm in the slot.” “Slow down your back swing.” “Twist in a barrel.” The exhausted list would fill the page. Then, your friends expect you to be able to think straight after all of these tips and hit the golf ball with confidence. A trying task indeed. Consider instead the opportunity to have an experienced set of eyes that not only sees areas of improvement in your swing, but also sees your strengths. Think on the ability of your golf instructor to prioritize adjustments that need to be made to your swing, so you can improve immediately. Ponder the designed practice sessions tailored to your needs at that instant. Everyone concedes the golf swing is difficult to master; save yourself from the free advice of golf buddies that may prove costly to your game by hiring a pro.
Another benefit of private golf instruction hails to a basic economic principle: economies of scale. A good golf instructor has advanced equipment focused on improving your golf swing. Most golfers simply cannot afford a video-enhanced swing center that tracks his or her movements, golf ball flight, swing speed, stance angles, etc. A good golf instructor also has committed his or her time to learning and mastering the game. When you take golf lessons from a private golf instructor, you gain access to myriad resources that are otherwise simply unavailable to most golfers. Rather than buying the equipment yourself, you can use it at the direction of a golfer who understands it and how it can improve your game. Economies of scale make private golf instruction exceedingly beneficial.
Finally, the dictionary is telling you to work with a private golf instructor too. There is a word that has been created in the English language to particularly describe a type of golfer. Ever heard of a “duffer”? Merriam-Webster defines duffer as “a person who plays golf without much skill.” Indeed, a “duffer” is someone who is always on the golf course, but never improving. The duffer’s Sisyphean problem is that he or she ever plays, but never learns. Rather than leaving your clubs in the trunk of the car, only to see the light of day when you are up for another round the next week, month, or year, make an appointment with a golf instructor. Rather than shoving your clubs in the closet until winter no longer rears its ugly head, take them with you to a golf lesson. Don’t let the dictionary define you and your approach to golf.
In conclusion, the great Bobby Jones said that golf has been described “as a humbling game, but it is surprising how many people are either not aware of their weaknesses or else reckless of consequences.” He also said, “The best exercise for golfers is golfing.” Merge these two principles by asking the aid of an experienced golfer who can help you get the most out of your game. Consider hiring a Bird Golf Academy professional.
