Lessons or Golf School? Which Is Best For You -- Don Watkins

After holding off for almost three years I finally decided that I had enough bad habits to take some lessons. I thought an intensive golf school might be the answer.

It was a great school, the instructors were great, the instructions were great but...

I figure my brain can process and work on about one new thing every two-three weeks. Right off the get-go they changed my interlock grip to an overlap grip. For me a grip change is MAJOR and I struggled for the rest of the week trying to get used to the change. I think if I had a couple of weeks to settle in with it I would have been ready for more, but as it was I feel like I wasn't able to absorb a lot of what would have been very valuable information. As it turned out my swing turned to mush and I had two of the worse rounds I've had in the last two years. Not their fault, I just can't process multiple changes all at once.

I figure for the price I could have taken 8-12 private lessons, perhaps spaced out over a lesson every two-three weeks and gotten more out of it.

So consider this. I don't think it was the school's fault, it's just how I'm wired. You might want to consider your wiring if you're looking at that decision.

However I'm back baby! How? Firstly I had a chance to attend a special side event of the Kinko's Classic and followed Lee Trevino. Cameras were allowed but I still tried to respect the golfers and have this modest shot:

Lee is the fellow in the blue shirt at the tee. By the time he teed off on this nasty par 3 I was facing him. His shot went left and he looked right at me and said "where did it go". Having played the hole I told him "left, but I don't think you held the hill.". Sure enough he hadn't (neither had I in my previous attempts). It was a hoot!

But most importantly I had the opportunity to watch his swing up close and I noticed some things in his swing that I recalled from Hogan's "Five Lessons". I've now re-read it twice again and I think this 60-something page book from 1957 is the best thing I've ever read on the golf swing. It's now my bible and while I will never swing like Hogan this book is invaluable to me. Highly recommended.

My two cents. Your mileage may vary. No wait, your mileage will vary! -- Don Watkins