Myth or Truth: You’ll Get Worse Before You Get Better After A Lesson
MYTH OR TRUTH: YOU’LL GET WORSE BEFORE YOU GET BETTER AFTER A LESSON?
Have you ever heard the old saying, “You’ll get worse before you get better”, towards taking golf lessons? If so, has this made you hesitant towards taking lessons? Well, let me dispel this myth by stating you should get better after golf lessons, not worse. I don’t believe you should get worse before you get better. That really doesn’t make in any sense. Why would you pay someone to make you worse?
Taking a golf lesson can be intimidating at first. You’re showcasing your skills, or lack there of some may say, in front of a professional. It can be nerve-racking. Trust me, I’ve been there. However, the professional is there for a reason and that reason is to help you improve your game. Professionals, like myself, have worked really hard to understand the golf swing and, more importantly, the skill of communicating properly so the golfer can feel comfortable with the change.
When I teach a new student, I first try to understand the golfer’s desires while learning about them as best as I can. This builds trust. Once I’ve heard what they’d like to do with their game, I then watch them hit some balls and create a plan on improving their game that day, and for the future.
If you’re taking lessons, whether it’s for 30 minutes or an hour, you should see some improvement during the lesson. Some of your shots should produce, or come really close to producing the type of shot you desire. Now, it may be challenging at first to do this, but you should see some benefits during the lesson. That being said, practicing after a lesson is imperative to make the changes more long-lasting. Sometimes, it can be a challenge taking these changes to the course; however, the more you learn about your tendencies and how to fix them, the more confidence you’ll have towards your game.
The bottom line is you really should be improving during and after a lesson, or it may be time to try someone else. Just like a lot of other things in our lives, if it just doesn’t feel right or you don’t have a good feeling about it, it may be time for a change. And that’s ok. Not every instructor is right for every student. We all have different personalities and swing beliefs that may not be right for everyone.
If you’ve never taken lessons, or are looking for a new swing coach, do a little research before jumping in. Talk to a few instructors on the phone or in person. If you feel comfortable and like talking to them, then you’d probably enjoy learning from them.
To summarize, find a local PGA Professional and trust that they can take your game to the next level or get it back to where you’d like it to be. Lessons are a great way to challenge yourself and learn more about the game. Good luck!
You Must Keep Your Head Down: Myth or Truth?
YOU MUST KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN, RIGHT? WRONG!
Have you ever hit balls at a crowded driving range and overheard beginner golfers teaching other beginner golfers? It’s a riot, isn’t it? After every bad shot the “experienced” beginner offers a completely different thought to try to help their struggling friend. You may overhear them saying, “keep your head down”, or “your left arm isn’t straight” or, “you’re losing your balance”, or “the center of your axis is tilting causing the centrifugal force of your downswing to bottom-out behind ball at a decelerating rate.” Just kidding about that last one of course.
There are many quick fix swing thoughts that are believed to be absolute staples in a good golf swing. Some swing thoughts are great while others can be damaging to both your swing and body. One of the myths I’d like to dispel today is the thought of intentionally trying to keep your head down at impact. Many of you may be shocked by this, but I am certain that trying to keep your head down at impact will not make you better and it could make you worse. That being said, it’s not wrong if your head is down at impact, I just don’t want you to overdo it.
THE TRUTH
Simply, your head is attached to your neck which is attached to the rest of your body. When you’re swinging the golf club back down to the ball and through to your finish, your body is turning and twisting a lot. To maximize the speed of your club, your body must turn through the ball at a pretty good clip. The faster your hips turn the faster the club will travel. And the faster your body is turning the more stress you put on your body.
Now, the question I ask is this. If your body is turning at a fast pace why would you want to keep your head behind? In fact, wouldn’t you risk hurting yourself trying to do this? When you talk to someone standing up do you turn your body 90 degrees to the left, but still look straight at them? I didn’t think so. It’s not comfortable and it might actually strain your neck. Now, imagine how much torque you’re putting on your neck when you intentionally try to keep your head down. Keeping your head down will not only increase your chance of injury, but it will also prohibit a full turn through the shot which results in a slower downswing and restricted finish. Allow your head to turn with your center through impact to your full finish.
Many of you, including myself, have hit shots where you’ve felt your head raise. It doesn’t feel good, but, believe it or not, it’s not your head that’s the problem. It’s your body. The golf swing starts from the ground up. Your body is actually pushing your head up. Some part of your downswing is causing you to lose the spine angle you created at address which pushes your head giving you that head-lifting feeling.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To help you with this problem, I would recommend a couple of thoughts to try: 1) Try to keep your spine angle you created at your setup position by maintaining constant knee flex throughout your swing. If your knees tend to rock or lock up your center will move too much. 2) Continue turning your belt buckle all the way to the finish where your buckle faces your target. If your center stops turning, the force of your arms swinging will force your center to move up, hence your head raising.
By the way, Annika Sorenstam and David Duval both turn their heads well before impact. Neither of them come close to seeing the ball at impact. This didn’t stop either of them becoming the #1 player in the world.
Thanks for reading!
About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult years, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati, my old home from the 90′s, to further this new career path. As I enter my 6th season as a golf professional, I’m excited how my role is taking shape. I assist in managing and supervising a staff of nearly 40 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. Hopefully, someday I’ll have the opportunity to mentor some future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Southwest Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
