Early Season Play

EARLY SEASON PLAY

By: Bruce Munch

Head Professional, White River Golf Club, Rochester, Vt.

Have you ever noticed how well you play, the first time you tee it up after a long winter? This is not an unusual phenomenon. After not playing for many months, you go out for the first time with few expectations other than to enjoy the first round of the season. This lack of expectation leads to a relaxed round and often, excellent play on your part. The next round, full of confidence that your game has “turned the corner” you go out and have a difficult round. The lesson to be learned is that the anticipation of a repeat of the seasons first round, created tension and expectation. You ceased to play in “The Moment” but began dwelling on bad shots that had not plagued the season’s first round. The more you dwell on it the worse it gets, and you wonder “what happened?”

Since it was the anticipation and subsequent tension that caused your bad play, you must find a way to eliminate that, in order to perform well in future rounds. The most effective way to prevent tension is to know that your swing is fundamentally sound. The best way to do this is through proper instruction. Many people wait till late in the season, when their swing has failed them and they have spent many months practicing a mistake, to turn to their pro for help. Remember that practice doesn’t make perfect, practice only makes permanent. Don’t wait to get help.

How should you decide what form of instruction is best for you? The most economical method of instruction is the clinic costing from $10 to $15 per session. Typically clinics will have from 5 to 15 people and most of the instruction will consist of explanation and demonstration with very little hands on instruction. This can be beneficial for beginning golfers because a thorough understanding of the basics, forms the foundation for the rest of the golf swing.

For those of you who have the desire to get a complete overview of all skills of the game in a short time, golf school is the answer. A two, or three day golf school usually consists of about 4 to 5 hours of instruction per day and allows for instruction in all disciplines of the game including on course play with the pro. Cost for golf schools should range from $175 to $250 per day and will likely include unlimited play, after the school. Many people choose to combine golf school with a vacation, as schools are available year round, all around the country.

Private or semi-private lessons are the most popular form of golf instruction. Usually consisting of a half-hour or hour block of time, this most personal of instruction allows the student, in concert with the instructor to choose the topic for the session. For people with limited available time, this form of instruction allows for time available flexibility. If you choose this type of instruction, allow time between lessons to practice what you have learned. Avoid instructors who want you to sign up for weekly lessons. As I tell my students, “ Your next lesson should be, after you have practiced what we learned today and 1) You have mastered the topic of today’s lesson and want to move on to other subjects, or 2) You have practiced and cannot seem to get it and need more help.

So, don’t spend another season struggling with your golf game and end the season saying, “next year I am going to take lessons”. Get some early instruction and have yourself a wonderful season.

Send your questions or comments to: golfprovt@adelphia.net