Back To
School
Getting The
Most Out Of A Golf
School Experience
By Lana
Ortega
I've been teaching
golf for the last
nineteen years -
twelve years with
Mike McGetrick at
the McGetrick Golf
Academy and the last
seven years under
Lana Ortega Golf.
Before I joined the
LPGA, however, I was
like most avid
golfers...always
looking for the best
- and shortest -
route to consistent,
quality golf. I
think I've
experienced every
method to improve:
junior camps, golf
schools, classroom
seminars, private
instruction and the
"do-it-yourself"
method. Through my
own experiences and
by teaching other
golfers I've come to
understand a lot
about motor learning
and what type of
environment provides
the best opportunity
for improvement.
This month I'd like
to share some key
facts about golf
instruction and why
I feel a golf school
setting may be one
of the best options
to take your game to
the next level.
Why do
you need golf
instruction?
Golf is difficult at
best to learn on
your own. This can
be tough realization
for many golfers who
are so successful in
life away from the
course. Even golfers
who are
extraordinarily
adept at other
sports find golf
frustrating to
master - just ask
Michael Phelps, John
Elway or soccer star
Mia Hamm. There are
many "self study"
materials available
in golf magazines,
videos and websites
on the internet. The
difficulty isn't in
the availability of
information, but in
selecting the right
medicine for what
ails your swing. A
good teaching
professional can
help you sift
through the
information and tips
you've tried so you
can keep what
applies and toss the
rest. He or she will
know the root cause
of your poor shots
and will convey the
correct concept and
technique - the
upside is you won't
waste time with the
trial and error
method. You want to
leave a golf lesson
with an
understanding of the
tendencies in your
swing that produce
your missed shots -
and a plan to make
lasting improvements
to your game.
What is the best
form of instruction?
There's no denying
that individual
lessons are great.
You get the
undivided attention
of a golf
professional for
30-60 minutes at a
time. While
individual lessons
are quite effective,
golf schools also
have unique benefits
that may make them
the ideal
environment. Here's
a short list of the
benefits of a one-,
two-, or three-day
golf school:
-
You
don't have to
spread
individual
lessons over
several weeks or
months
because a golf
school exposes
you to all
aspects of the
game in a short
period. You're
also allowed to
get onto a
course
immediately and
apply what
you've learned.
While it will
take some time
to integrate the
changes in your
full swing, your
scores will
lower
immediately
because of the
improvement in
your short game.
The short shots
you learn on and
around the
putting green
are simple to
learn, and
easier to
execute because
the strokes are
smaller and
slower than the
full swing.
-
Supervised
coaching.
You may get the
same information
about your swing
in a 45-minute
lesson, but a
golf school
provides more
time to work on
the changes
under the
watchful eye of
a professional.
Practice may
make perfect,
but practice
also makes
permanent (after
all that's the
idea) so you
want to make
sure you're
grooving the
right moves.
-
Value.
Because the
teacher is
working with
more than one
student, you get
twice the amount
of instruction
for half the
price. As long
as the programs
are designed
with plenty of
individualized
coaching, have a
low
student:teacher
ratio, you can
be assured
quality
instruction at a
great price.
Leave
With A Plan For
Practice
The key to getting
the most out of your
experience is to
take what you learn
and try to apply it
as soon as possible,
whether it be in
front of a mirror at
home, at the driving
range or on a
course. You should
leave the golf
school with a
practice program for
each area of your
game. Choose your
instruction wisely,
but do
choose to do it. You
may find that a golf
school experience is
just the ticket to
making the game more
fun.
Contact Lana Ortega
Golf to enroll in a
golf school or
private lesson
TODAY!...
