October 30, 2007

10. Golf is a life-long learning process. Learning in steps, from someone who is qualified to teach you, will keep you from "reinventing the wheel" and make you live longer.

9. Be yourself and enjoy yourself during the lesson, your teacher is not there to judge you, they are there to help you.

8. It takes 7-18 days to create a habit. You are not breaking old habits; you are simply creating new ones. Give it time and remember you will probably not have the same skills while improving/changing your game.

7. Give your golf instructor a chance, trust them to guide you to success. Stay with their guidance for an agreed upon time to avoid confusion. It takes time to put together the pieces of a puzzle. Beware of "free tips" instructions, you'll get your money's worth.

6. Practice the drills and exercises given to you. They will help you create a mental pattern that facilitates muscle movement and a permanent behavior change. Some are even (best) achieved without the ball. Not all practices must be done on the driving range.

5. You can rarely buy a better game by buying different equipment . . . unless you have been personally fitted.

4. It will feel funny, strange, and awkward. Change can be difficult, so the temptation will be to go back to comfort. Unfortunately, comfortable was not getting results.

3. Value the fundamentals!

2. Practice more than you play, and especially practice putting.

1. Practice does not make perfect; but perfect practice makes potentially great golf.