This is a question I get continuously from students.  “How many lessons should I take?”  I have never been one to push lessons as I don’t consider myself a salesman, rather an educator.  I believe everyone learns at their own pace and they have to be willing and ready to accept new information in order for it to soak in and be effective.

Throughout my years of teaching, I have noticed 3 common categories of lesson takers.

1) The “Fix Me” group.  This group consists of students who are having a current problem with their game that is causing them aggravation and just want it fixed as quickly as possible.  They are not in it for long term improvement.  That is not important to them.  These students will show up usually once or twice a year for lessons.

2)  The “Maintenance” group.  This group comes out every year.  On average they show up quarterly for swing/game checks to make sure they are doing things correctly and not picking up bad habits.  They like new information in small doses.

3)  The “Game Improvement” group.   This is the group that is really serious about taking their game to the next level.  These students will come out for a package of lessons which most commonly consists of between 4 and 8 lessons.  They usually schedule the lessons on a regular basis either weekly or bi-weekly so they will stick to the program.  They are really wanting to make a leap with their game and know that consistency and effort are paramount.  Typically they will do multiple lessons packages and will see huge improvement rather quickly.

No instructor can tell you how many lessons you need.  They can try to predict how many based on experience, but it is really up to you to decide which category suits your game and your desires.  Obviously all teachers would like their students to be in the “Game Improvement” category as we know it will make a huge difference, but it only will if that is what the student really wants.

I was giving a lesson this past Saturday at Big Bend Golf Center to a long time student named Paul.  Paul has reconstructed his swing over the past 3 years.  He has gone from a huge reverse pivot,  an overswing and an over the top downswing to a nice, on-plane, compact swing.  Our challenge this year is to get Paul to use his core and turn through the shot.  While getting a nice tight coil on his back swing, he doesn’t unwind completely coming into the ball.

While watching the World Match Play Championship yesterday my conviction about the biggest difference between tour player swings and amateur swings was further reinforced. The difference is impact position and this is influenced by whether or not they use their core properly.   Swing after swing came across the screen in slow motion, highlighting the amount of core rotation tour players use coming into the shot.  They seem to just rip their hips and core to the target at super high speed.  So the question comes to mind…”why do the majority of amateurs slow their core coming into the ball and come to impact with their hips square to the target line as opposed to open?”

I believe the answer is 3-fold.

• 1) Lack of strength in the legs and core
• 2) Lack of flexibility
• 3) Poor sequence

In Paul’s case it’s obviously #3.  He is fit and has good flexibility.  After impact he turns just fine through the shot so we know he can turn, it’s just that he is not turning in time.  This is the case with probably over 90% of amateurs I see.  Note that at impact your hips should be open to the target and ideally your shoulders should be square to the target line.  This means you have to open your hips a lot faster and earlier in the downswing than you probably ever have.  Practice this in front of a mirror so you can ensure that your hips are open before your club gets to the ball and you will see how extreme it feels to do it right!

One of two of the most common and questionable tips for golfers…”keep your left arm straight”.  (This is of course for right handers).  The other is keep your head down.  Is keep your left arm straight a myth or a must?  I believe it to be somewhat of an old wives tale, or rather just vague.  Keep it straight where?  When?  Most of us know that we want to keep it straight at address.  If we do, the club is resting on the ground right behind the ball, correct?  Well if we return to the ball with it bent, we have a problem.  That problem is a whiff or at very best a thin or topped shot.  So it is an absolute must that it be straight at impact.  A broken down leading arm is no different really than a broken shaft.  If you strike a ball with a bent club shaft you will surely lose power.   A lever that is broken is not a pressure cooker.  And that’s simply what we want to do…put pressure down into the golf ball.  A player with a wide arc for instance, someone 6’5″ with long arms, is going to hit the ball much further than a player with a narrow arc such as a 5’2″ player with short and bent arms.  So it’s easy to see how a bent arm at impact affects both your power and your consistency.

Is it imperative to keep the leading arm straight throughout the entire back swing then?  My answer is no.  It sure makes things more simple and requires less compensations though.  Many a good player, even tour players have had their’s bent at the top of the swing.  Yet, they do return to impact with it straight.

The real question here is why do many players struggle with keeping the leading arm straight?  The answer I believe is two fold.  1) They lack flexibility in their core and upper body particularly the lats and delts.   2) Their back arm collapses.  Yes the back arm is the real culprit, not the leading arm.  The leading arm wants to stay straight and function as a lever.  When the back arm pulls in, the front arm goes with it.

If collapsing your leading arm at the top of the swing is a problem for you, I urge you to work on flexibility and focus on the width of your rear arm.  Practice swinging out or back, not up!