Here’s why you need golf lessons

It amazes me how many people are dissatisfied with their golf games but have never taken a lesson. It also amazes me how many new golfers start playing without taking lessons.

To me, it’s like being sick and not going to the doctor.

Many golfers learn to play from family members or friends, who usually pass along knowledge they have read or were told by someone else. It’s often bad information, which causes bad habits to develop.

I promise you it’s easier to develop good habits than to form bad habits and then learn how to undo them. My simple advice: Take a golf lesson from a PGA or LPGA golf professional when you first learn how to play.

Most problems in the golf swing occur because of poor basics: grip, posture or alignment. If your grip is incorrect, you have to make an adjustment in your swing to compensate. When you take a lesson, the professional changes your grip and it feels different. Different isn’t necessarily bad, but it will take time to get used to and may require practice. Some things to keep in mind:

• A good pro will give you things you can do to make this change easier.

• A good pro also will let you know what you can expect, such as the fact that you may get worse before you get better or that you’ll see gradual improvement.

• Most lessons require a follow-up lesson. As I said earlier, you’ll need time to adjust to the new grip, and then it will be time to correct the swing flaw that the bad grip created.

Black Lake Golf Club offers a variety of instruction from private lessons to group lessons and two- or three-day golf schools.

My recommendation is that if you’re unhappy with what you are doing, take a lesson.

Pam Phipps is director of golf at the UAW’s Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway, Mich. For more information, check out www.blacklakegolf.com.

Most problems in the swing are because of the wrong grip, posture or alignment, says BLGC golf director Pam Phipps.