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Getting Ready
Before taking a lesson
you want to get a clear idea of what specifically you want to accomplish. Take a moment to be brutally honest. Ask yourself,
"What do I want to achieve as a result of taking this lesson?" One way to determine this is by writing out your S.M.A.R.T.
goal.
1. Write it out specifically:
"In 8 weeks I want to have a 9.6 handicap."
2. Write it out measurably: "I will know that I have
a 9.6 handicap based on my current GHIN scoring report."
3. Write it out achievable & realistically:
Know the difference between fantasy and realism. It is fantasy to
set a goal of competing in the US Open this year if you are just learning to play golf, but it is not unrealistic to set a
goal of improving your handicap index from a 15 to a 9.6 if you are committed to practicing your game-improvement plan.
4. Write it out with a set time frame: "I
will lower my handicap to 9.6 in eight weeks from today."
Someone once said, "Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines."
Knowing exactly what you want to accomplish is the first step to improving your game. Without a clear idea
of what your goals are, it is unlikely that you will make much progress. Take the time to evaluate yourself and do not be
afraid to set goals that will stretch you beyond your current comfort zone. Then create a plan with your instructor as to
how you will go about achieving your goals.
Once
you have decided what you what to accomplish, the second step necessary for progress is to order your will to be committed
to your stated goal.
There are no golf instructors in the world who can teach you to play golf; they can only teach
you how to learn to play golf, "but you", as Ben Hogan would often say, "have to dig the lesson out of the dirt". This means
you must decide to COMMIT your time and resources to working on your game. There is no getting around this.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he
holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle".
- Vince Lombardi
Unless you are extremely disciplined, the third step to accomplishing your goal is
to make yourself accountable to an instructor who will personally instruct you, help mark your progress, and keep you motivated
to your stated task.
"My greatest task as a coach is to help my players do the things they do not want to do,
so that they will become what they want to become." - Tom Landry
Taking the Golf Lesson
To get the most out of your golf lesson you must not only have a specific goal that you are committed to and accountable
for, but you must also know and apply the three basic laws of learning.
1.
The Law of the Learner: Come prepared to attend with interest!
2.
The Law of the Learning Process: Come prepared to work!
The law of the learning process is thinking into one's
understanding a new truth, or working into one's play a new skill.
I will be completely honest with you: learning
to be a good golfer is hard work! Butch Harmon, golf teacher and the author of The Pro: Lessons about Golf and Life from My
Father, Claude Harmon Sr., quoted his father about how hard golf is.
"Golf's hard," Dad would say, pointing a
meaty finger at me as if he were about to reveal the secret of the Rosetta Stone. "Good golf is damn hard, and championship
golf is something only a few will ever see. But that's how it should be. If it were easy, everybody would do it. And where's
the fun in that?"
How many times have you heard about a golfer being "in the zone"? You know that mythical place
where you can do no wrong. When every shot and putt you take is pulled off with the greatest of ease? Ever wonder how to get
there? Below is the learning process you have to take:
* Unconsciously incompetent: You don't know what your swing problems
are or how to identify them.
* Consciously incompetent: You are now aware of your problems but still don't know how to
fix them.
* Consciously competent: You have learned how to correct your problems, but this will take time and practice.
* Unconsciously competent: You play well without thinking about it! You are in the zone!
"When I think about
three things during my swing I'm playing poorly; when I thing about two things, I have a chance to shoot par; when I think
of only one thing I could win the tournament." - Bobby Jones:
Point: The truth of the matter
is, getting to the level of being unconsciously competent takes a lot of diligent instruction and motivated practice. There
is no getting around this. It is hard work.
"You must work very hard to become a natural golfer." - Gary
Player:
3. The Law of Application: Come prepared to be changed!
A
first-rate golf lesson is not just about information; it is about transformation! If you want
your lesson to be profitable, you must be teachable and trust your instructor to mold and shape you into the best golfer that
he believes you can be.
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